Mulch Calculator
Find how many cubic yards or bags of mulch to cover your garden beds at the depth you want, and what it will cost.
- Area
- Cubic feet
- Cubic meters
- Weight
- Bags
- Cost
- Add a price to estimate
Garden Beds
Areas you add are saved in this browser.
| Area | Size | Depth | Cubic Yards | Tons | Cost | Remove |
|---|
How to Calculate Mulch
Multiply the bed's length and width in feet by the depth in inches ÷ 12 to get cubic feet. Divide by 27 for cubic yards if you're buying bulk, or by the bag size (usually 2 or 3 cubic feet) to get the number of bags.
There are 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard (3 × 3 × 3). For a circle, the area is 3.1416 × diameter² ÷ 4; for a triangle, base × height ÷ 2.
Worked Example
Mulch Weights
| Name | Lb. per Cubic Yard | Tons per Cubic Yard | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wood or bark mulch, dry | 550 | 0.28 | Shredded hardwood, bark or chips |
| Wood mulch, wet | 900 | 0.45 | Freshly delivered or rained on |
| Rubber mulch | 1,100 | 0.55 | Recycled rubber nuggets; check with supplier |
How Far a Cubic Yard Goes
| Depth | One Cubic Yard Covers | Needed per 100 Sq. Ft. |
|---|
Tips for Mulching
Keep mulch 2″ to 3″ deep and pull it back a few inches from tree trunks and plant stems to prevent rot. Refresh with about an inch each year rather than piling on more.
One cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, or about 13½ bags of 2 cubic feet. Bulk mulch is usually cheaper once you need more than a couple of yards.