Mulch calculator
Mulch calculator: how much mulch do you need?
Add up the square feet of your beds, multiply by the depth in inches and divide by 12 for cubic feet, then by 27 for cubic yards. One cubic yard covers 324 square feet at 1 inch deep, 108 at 3 inches. Add each bed and tree ring below for cubic yards and bags, see what a yard or a bag covers at each depth, and enter your prices to see whether bags or bulk costs less.
Your beds
- 80.0 sq ft
- 27.5 sq ft
Bags or bulk?
How much a yard or a bag covers
Square feet covered at each depth. Exact: a cubic yard covers 324 ÷ depth; a bag covers its cubic feet × 12 ÷ depth.
| Depth | 1 cubic yard | 1 bag of 2 cu ft | 1 bag of 3 cu ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 in | 324 sq ft | 24 sq ft | 36 sq ft |
| 2 in | 162 sq ft | 12 sq ft | 18 sq ft |
| 3 in | 108 sq ft | 8 sq ft | 12 sq ft |
| 4 in | 81 sq ft | 6 sq ft | 9 sq ft |
Bags per cubic yard: 27 ÷ the bag’s cubic feet — 13.5 bags of 2 cu ft, 9 bags of 3 cu ft.
How to measure for mulch
- Measure each bed. Length times width for rectangles; across the middle for circles.
- Measure each tree ring. Across the ring, and across the trunk; the trunk’s area comes off.
- Choose the depth. Your garden center or extension service can say what suits your plants and mulch.
- Work out the volume. Square feet × inches ÷ 12 = cubic feet; ÷ 27 = cubic yards.
- Compare bags and bulk. Bags are priced each; bulk by the yard plus delivery.
Pricing mulch installation for customers? Use the landscaping pricing calculator. Soil, stone or sand? The topsoil, gravel and sand calculators, or the cubic yard calculator for any material.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I calculate how much mulch I need?
- Add up the square feet of your beds, multiply by the depth in inches and divide by 12 for cubic feet, then divide by 27 for cubic yards. A 20 by 4 foot bed is 80 square feet; at 3 inches deep that is 80 × 3 ÷ 12 = 20 cubic feet, or 0.74 cubic yards.
- How many bags of mulch are in a cubic yard?
- Divide 27 by the bag's volume in cubic feet, printed on the bag: 13.5 bags of 2 cubic feet, 9 bags of 3 cubic feet, 27 bags of 1 cubic foot.
- How much does a yard of mulch cover?
- One cubic yard covers 324 ÷ the depth in inches, in square feet: 324 square feet at 1 inch, 162 at 2 inches, 108 at 3 inches and 81 at 4 inches. The coverage table on this page shows the same for bags.
- How much area does a bag of mulch cover?
- A bag covers its volume in cubic feet × 12 ÷ the depth in inches, in square feet. A 2 cubic foot bag covers 24 square feet at 1 inch, 12 at 2 inches and 8 at 3 inches.
- How much mulch do I need around a tree?
- Measure across the mulch ring and around the trunk. The ring's area is 3.1416 × (half the ring width)² minus 3.1416 × (half the trunk width)². A ring 6 feet across around a 1 foot trunk is about 27.5 square feet. Use the tree ring option in the calculator.
- Is it cheaper to buy mulch in bags or in bulk?
- It depends on your prices and how much you need: bulk is priced per cubic yard plus delivery, bags per bag. Enter both prices in the calculator and it shows which costs less for your job.
- How deep should mulch be?
- That depends on the material and what is planted, so check with your local extension service or garden center. Then use the coverage table to see how the depth changes what you need.
- Does this work for rubber mulch or pine straw?
- For any mulch sold by volume, yes. Rubber mulch and other products sold by weight usually also print a volume or coverage on the bag; use the bag's volume in cubic feet.
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