A&S Landscape Materials

Totally agree with the other 5-Star reviews on Yelp. This place is AWESOME. I needed pea gravel and more of some landscaping rock the previous owner of our home put in. Parked, walked up to the desk, and was helped right away by a polite and very knowledgeable young man who immediately identified the sample I brought in as drainage rock. He then pointed me to the variety of samples of pea gravel for me to choose from. So easy! I told him how may cubic of feet of each I needed, he translated that into 0.75 cf bags, and quickly wrote up my order. Good prices and so easy! I drove over to the the bagging area and two very nice gentlemen efficiently loaded up the trunk and back set. Easy! (Ah, but don't be fooled by how easily those young guys pick up and move those bags. I should have asked for half bags like another reviewer did!) Anyway, my first visit and I was in and out in no time. My go-to supplier from now on!

This place deserves 5 stars. The employees are truly phenomenal. They are helpful, and convey that they enjoy being at your service. Totally different experience shopping here than at Shamrock down the road. I always feel happy leaving this place, even if it's just with a small bag of soil or a small landscaping rock haha. Seriously, whoever handles the hires and manages the employees here deserves major kudos!

Wonderful prices, great selection of landscaping materials such as pathway pebbles and redwood bark. Waaay out on the outskirts of San Rafael, but definitely worth the schlep! Just give them your dimensions and they bag it themselves and load it into your car very efficiently.

This place has everything you need to do a big or a little garden project! I purchased pebbles, large stone pavers, concrete and mortar for a street side mosaic project. They were excellent at helping me calculate how much gravel, concrete and mortar I needed. They delivered everything to my driveway and then purchased back the 2 or 3 bags of unopened stock I had leftover. They even accepted the 2 pallets everything was delivered on. Their rock selection is vast, and the best in Marin! My only complaint is that they aren't open on Saturdays- but their workers deserve a good weekend!

Amazing place with great prices. As a first-time customer I was greeted at the main building with polite and knowledgeable staff. They helped me find the landscaping materials I needed. Prices for the materials I purchased were very reasonable by comparison. As a homeowner, they treated me as important, even though my purchase was not large compared to other commercial businesses that buy large quantities of materials. Definitely a gem find.

What I wrote on another major review site:

Why didn't I come here sooner??! (Well, it was mostly because some of the negative online reviews, which I eventually investigated and discovered were not representative, caused me to hedge. Unfortunate.)

I LOVE this place . . . what a find! The people working here are friendly, kind, unpretentious, and so willing to help! And it's otherwise SO difficult to find what they offer . . . I spent a couple of years searching . . . to no avail! I had to hold myself back from buying way more than I should! (Disclosure: decades ago, I was an avid rock collector. Old habits die hard, I guess.)

This place is a total gem (no pun intended). But, if you're searching for Four Seasons (or Restoration Hardware) service and accommodation, this is not your place. I doubt anyone has a landscaping degree, here -- so not wise to expect that degree of expertise. It's more of a big Mom&Pop rock quarry, so don't be surprised about giant trucks and smoky rock dust intermittently wafting through. Hidden away next to San Rafael dump sites. Might not want to bring your spanking clean Tesla, nor wear your Sunday best :-o

I only needed a few small landscaping rocks, maybe 5-20 pounds. Leave yourself time to choose what type. They have a LOT. Lots of Mexican Pebble hue and size variations. Lava and more. Important to double-check for the hues of the current shipment of pebbles/rocks available if it matters to you ("dye lots and natural imperfections will vary" kind of thing).

I kept double-checking their pricing because I couldn't believe what a bargain they appeared to be . . . and actually were! I was dumbfounded when I ended up spending less than $15 and could barely even lift my heavy windfall out of my trunk when I got home. (They have mulch types and ground stone, too. Also, massive boulders, including in bulk. They have little sandwich ziplock bags available, so I think you can also purchase very small quantities. Other things in their little "store," but I didn't check out exactly what.)

I ran into old friends there, who needed a LARGE quantity of upgraded rocks now that they "upscaled" their yard due to the drought, and said the total cost of their rock purchase was pricey. They required delivery services. But they otherwise looked happy with their purchase. So, there's the other end of the spectrum.

Oct 15, 2021, when mask mandates were lightened: the employees were still all masked up, even though most of them were outside. There was a sign requesting masks and 6ft-distancing in the outdoor (overhead tent to provide shade) sample shopping area, but I noticed that sign late (mask off on a hot day, but surgical mask in hand) . . . and so I asked, and they were notably polite about confirming that they do request masks out of respect for everyone's added safety. That's cool . . . mask on.

I also asked a few extended questions (because of others' reviews), and they seem very aware of what they can and cannot do in terms of liability. So, they're not just kind and aware, they're smart. But they are more than willing to help you load things into your car, offer suggestions about concerns, and I felt they were generous and organized. Important to read the signs and fliers that inform you that rocks are not returnable and they do not offer free samples. At these prices, it was tempting not to just buy way more samples than I need! Now, I'm searching my WUI property for spots to put some cool nonflammable landscaping (aka ROCKS)!!!

THANK YOU SO MUCH, A&S!!! :-D

'Sorry, Nordstrom . . . I just found a new fun place to (more sustainably) shop! :)

Wow this place is a major production! Having never been here before, I called ahead because I was looking for a certain type of stone. They happily helped me through my questions and I showed up half an hour later only to find long lines of trucks both waiting to pick up bags of stones and also to get them in bulk. The guy at the register was super helpful and probably thought it was funny because I looked so out of place with my wife's tiny little Prius. Anyways, I'll definitely be back. The prices can't be beat.

Great selections of landscape materials, sand and gravel, mulches and pebbles. Lucas is very friendly and helpful, showed us the samples of pebbles they offer and gave us some great advice.

I went to A& S twice and I talked to them three times. Each time they were more than helpful and found exactly what I needed. They also split the bags in half so I could lift them.

The two cousins at the front desk helped make my decisions even easier. I highly recommend them and will be seeing them again next year.

This company will not tell you ratios for their soil/amendment blends.
So you have no idea how much nutrients or filler you are getting.
Unfortunately after inspecting several blends it appears they use tons cheap nutrient poor wood fines and charge you a premium price. When asked where they source their wood fines I could not get a straight answer. Ask yourself why they don't sell all their ingredients separately.
Want to buy chicken manure, rice hulls, or coconut coir? Sorry your out of luck.