Frequently Asked Questions

Hours and Operation

  • We are located in Black Diamond. Our address is 31407 SR 169 (aka 3rd Avenue), Black Diamond, WA 98010. Look for a big, yellow steam shovel marking our driveway.

  • Hours for our office, gravel pit, and retail yard may vary by season. See footer for current hours.

  • We’re open Saturdays (see hours), but closed every Sunday.

    We’re also closed on major holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

  • Yes, in fact we’ve been open to the public since 1933.

  • Our listed prices are for cash and check only. We do take credit/debit cards for a 3.99% service fee.

  • We offer contractor pricing in two ways. When you purchase more than 3.5 tons or 3.5 cubic yards in one load, you get what we call ‘dumptruck’ pricing as opposed to pickup prices. If you plan to be a regular customer, we offer credit accounts with even better prices and more convenience. If you have a Washington state resale tax registration, please provide us with a copy and we won’t charge sales tax.

Product Minimums and Calculations

  • To calculate your product needs, see this worksheet or use our product calculator.

  • For products sold by the ton, you can purchase any amount you want, paying only for what you get. We weigh your vehicle in; you get loaded; we weigh your vehicle out; and you pay only for how much you have. For products sold by the cubic yard, we have a 1/2 yard minimum.

  • Sure, depending on the product a 5-gallon bucket full of products start at $2 for State Spec. Crushed Gravel, Specialty Crushed Gravel, Drain Gravel, Sand, and Topsoil. $4 per bucket for Clear Blue-Gray Rock, Quarry Rock, Beauty Bark, Cedar Play Chips, Nutra-Mulch, Compost, Moo-Doo, and Lava Rock. $10 for large 25-gallon cans of Medium and Fine Beauty Bark and Cedar Play Chips.

  • A ton is 2,000 pounds (lbs). A full-size pickup can usually carry a little over a ton of material, while a smaller pickup can typically handle half to three-quarters of a ton (i.e. 1,000 to 1,500 lbs).

  • A cubic yard is 3′ x 3′ x 3′ which equals 27 cubic feet or one yard. A full-size pickup can usually carry 1 to 1.5 cubic yard of material, while a smaller pickup can typically handle 1 cubic yard.

  • Every product has different densities which make some products weigh much more per cubic yard than others. For example, a cubic yard of Beauty Bark is much lighter than a cubic yard of Crushed Gravel. Most sands and gravels weigh 1.2 to 1.5 tons per cubic yard. For instance, one cubic yard of Crushed Gravel will weigh about 2,900 lbs or 1.45 tons. See approximate conversion tables for most of our products here, or use our product calculator.

Product Info

  • We have Screened Gravel, Washed Gravel, Crushed Gravel, and Decorative Gravel. Each different type of gravel is best suited for different applications. There are lots of sizes and shapes. See product photos and descriptions.

  • We sell Screened Sand and Washed Sand. See product photos and descriptions.

  • We sell 3-Way, 4-Way, 50-50, and Golf Course Mix Topsoils. See product photos and descriptions.

  • We sell Nutra-Mulch, Fine and Medium Beauty Bark, Bark Nuggets, Medium Dark Bark, Cedar Play Chips, Safeco Warning Track Mix, Red Cinders and Cinder Chips, Lava Rock, Compost, Moo-Doo, Quarry Rock/Spalls, River Rock, and Boulders. See product photos and descriptions.

  • Sand, Gravel, Rock, and Topsoil are typically sold by the ton.

  • Nutra-Mulch, Fine and Medium Beauty Bark, Bark Nuggets, Medium Dark Bark, Cedar Play Chips, Compost, and Moo-Doo are sold by the cubic yard.

Pickup and Delivery

  • After you weigh in, we have a small loader which will load as much or as little as you need, paying only for what you get. If you want, you can also shovel product into the trunk of your car or the back of a pickup with a canopy.

  • Absolutely, call and we’ll quote you delivered prices.

  • That depends upon where you’re located and the amount of product you want. Many deliveries become more economical about 3 cubic yards or more. Smaller quantities are typically cheaper when buying in a pickup or trailer at our retail sales yard. However, we will deliver any quantity you need.

  • We often tell customers it costs just as much to deliver a teaspoon full as it does to deliver 12 cubic yards. That’s because the cost of delivery doesn’t change, but the more product we put on the dumptruck, the cheaper it costs for each cubic yard.

  • There is no such thing as ‘free’ delivery. While some companies offer ‘free’ delivery it isn’t really free. The cost of operating dumptrucks, scheduling, paying employees, and many other expenses are simply hidden in the price. We tell you what the delivery costs because we value your business whether you pick up the material yourself or have us deliver. For ease of quoting prices, we offer standard pricing for 10-, 12-, and 15-cubic yard loads.

  • We’re so confident of our pricing we’ll give the names and phone numbers of our competitors so you call them to make sure that Palmer’s prices are the best around.

Other Info

  • Palmer comes from the generally forgotten town of Palmer-Kanaskat (near Durham), located in east King County. Coking refers to a type of coal which could be partially “cooked” to extract impurities. Coal was the mineral we mined during the Great Depression, with thirty or more companies competing for market share in a declining industry. By selling good quality products, Palmer Coking Coal found favor with consumers and businesses in supplying Washington’s fuel needs. We now sell different products but our motto remains the same: “Good products, Good prices, Good service.”

  • Palmer Coking Coal Company operates Shangri-La on the Green. It is a privately owned park located on the banks of the Green River near Black Diamond which can be rented for weddings, family campouts, company picnics, reunions, retreats and other celebration. Visit ShangriLaOnTheGreen.com.