Bulk Materials FAQs

Place your bulk landscaping materials order in-person at our store, over the phone, or online.  We will collect the following information; name, complete address, phone number, email, date of delivery, what product you desire and how much, form of payment, and delivery instructions for dumping on your driveway.

Deliveries can be arranged Monday through Saturday during the peak season (April-June) and are based on a first-come, first-served basis. Deliveries occur during the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.  During the off-season delivery availability is subject to demand.  For our current delivery availability, view our schedule here or call 585-225-7770.

Yes, deliveries are available on Saturday’s during the peak season (April-June) and are based on a first-come, first-served basis. See our delivery schedule for details.

Since we can’t give specific delivery times, you do not need to be home for the delivery. As a result, we ask that you please leave a clear marker on your driveway. You can mark the area with chalk, “X” in duct tape, tarp, cone or upside-down trash can with a sign on it. This gives the driver a visual and will make the delivery process easier.

Short answer is there are many factors beyond our control that could change the time of your delivery and makes it difficult to give even a few hours window. Long answer is management creates the delivery schedule the morning of the delivery day. The schedule may be re-arranged for a number of reasons: product being delivered, volumes being delivered that require certain trucks, avoid traffic and accidents, mechanical issues with our trucks or equipment, drivers getting to work late and weather for our topsoil customers.  We handle these issues as they happen and therefore, we must keep the delivery schedule flexible.

We suggest you have your material delivered 1-2 days before you need to use it. Please see above for the reasons why we do not offer set delivery times.

Generally, no. Our drivers sometimes do 14 deliveries in a day and between getting loaded, driving and finding addresses, backing up and dumping the trucks, we prefer to not distract them with calling customers. In certain circumstances it may be required.

Delivery zones and price vary by distance.  View our delivery price map to determine your cost.  If you are located outside our zip code map, please contact us for a quote.

We recommend using our bulk materials calculator to find out how much you need. To use the calculator, you will need to measure the length and width, or the diameter, of the area. Tip: For irregularly shaped beds, break them into rough rectangles and circles. Then calculate the bulk material needed for each section and add them for the total amount needed.  Generally speaking, 1 yard of material will cover 100 square feet, approximately 3 inches thick.

A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. Imagine a box 3 feet wide, 3 feet long and 3 feet high. The area inside that box is 1 cubic yard.

Our minimum delivery for any product is 1 yard.

The maximum amount of product that fits on the truck per delivery fee is as follows: Stone = 6 yards, Topsoil or Compost = 8 yards, Mulch = 10 yards. Orders totaling more than these maximums will be charged additional delivery fees for each time the maximum is reached.

No, due to the weight of the truck and bulk materials, drivers are only permitted to deliver on the driveway, and are unable to drive over grass, or freshly paved areas.

Yes. Each product gets delivered individually and will have its own delivery charge as we cannot separate the materials on the truck.

Yes! Our point-of-sale system keeps a history of your purchases and can provide information on when you last received your delivery, what product was delivered, and how much you received.

Yes.  Just call us at 585-225-7770 and we can make revisions to the delivery date, product being delivered, address or quantity. If it’s your delivery day, changes can only be made if your delivery is not already in progress.

Yes, the delivery will still be set up for your delivery date, unless you call and cancel/reschedule your delivery. We may call to reschedule soil deliveries for another date as we try our best to deliver dry moveable soil.  We strongly recommend covering soils and dyed mulches with a tarp if rain is in the forecast to avoid unnecessary mess on your driveway.

We offer delivery on a wide variety of bulk materials to meet your landscaping needs, such as mulch, stone, soil and compost.  To view our products, click here. Our bulk materials are sold by the cubic yard. We do not sell by weight.

Bulk topsoil is native to the area. It’s derived from excavation sites from local neighboring areas surrounding Rochester NY.  At Van Putte Gardens we screen our soil after it is sourced.  The screening process will eliminate most large materials such as rocks, sticks and large clumps of grass. From there it is stored at our facility under cover awaiting delivery. As it sits in the pile, the moisture caused by natural elements may make clumps (even after it’s screened). These clumps can easily be broken apart with a shovel or rake. Bagged topsoil is somewhat manufactured.

Topsoil 40lb bag – 54 bags = 1 yard. 27 bags =  ½ yard.

Mulch 2 cubic foot bags – 13 ½ bags = 1 yard.

Mulch 3 cubic foot bags – 9 bags = 1 yard.

Stone ½ cubic foot bags – 54 bags = 1 yard. 27 bags = ½ yard.

We recommend that you apply a first application at a 3”- 4” thickness. Application on existing material depends on the area and the amount of decomposition that has occurred. Generally, we recommend about 2” for top-dressing thickness.

Yes. We offer three different soils; Screened Topsoil, Brewer’s Compost and Topsoil/Brewer Compost Blend. We recommend the Brewer’s Compost for topdressing existing gardens, and the Blend when creating new gardens.

No, we do not sell unscreened soil known as fill dirt. We only sell screened topsoil.

Yes, the dyes won’t harm your plants, however we recommend not applying hot mulch near to tender annuals to prevent burning. While the mulch is safe for kids and pets, we still advise that you don’t let them put it in their mouth.

Stone will sometimes be delivered dusty. In this case, all you need to do is rinse with water. Also keep in mind that the sample displays the likeness of the stone and that color variations do change as the stone is mined from the quarry.

Yes, in an open bed pick-up truck (no tool boxes), or trailer with sides. We are open 7 days per week.

Trucks with a 6 ft. bed can hold approximately (based on weight):

1 ½ yards of mulch or compost

1 yard topsoil

½ yard of stone

 

Trucks with an 8 ft. bed can hold approximately (based on weight):

2 yards of mulch or compost

1 1/2 yard topsoil

1 yard of stone