Free Landscape Estimator
Mulch Calculator
Find out exactly how much mulch you need for garden beds, tree rings and borders. Enter your area and depth and this mulch calculator returns cubic yards, cubic feet, bag counts for any bag size, weight for delivery, and a side-by-side bags versus bulk cost comparison so you can see which way is actually cheaper.
- Bags vs bulk cost verdict
- Any bag size, including 50 L
- 10 mulch types with real weights
- No sign-up, instant results
Mulch calculator tool
Your beds
Updates as you type
Your estimate
Shredded hardwood
- Bags required-
- Cubic feet-
- Cubic metres-
- Approx. weight-
- Area covered-
- Depth applied-
Bulk yards are sold loose and settle slightly on delivery. Bagged mulch is compressed, so a bag yields close to its printed volume once fluffed.
Why this mulch calculator beats a plain volume result
Knowing you need three cubic yards does not tell you how to buy it. The real decision is bags or bulk, and that flips depending on delivery fees, bag price and job size. This calculator settles it in the same view.
Bags versus bulk, decided
Both totals are calculated live, delivery fee included, and the cheaper route is named with the exact saving. No other mulch calculator makes that call for you.
Every bag size, not just 2 ft³
1.5, 2 and 3 cubic foot bags plus 50 L and 80 L metric sizes and the 0.75 ft³ rubber bag. The count matches what is actually on the pallet at your store.
Depth presets that mean something
Each preset is labelled with the job it suits, from a 1 inch refresh to 6 inches of playground cover, so you are not guessing at the number that drives the whole estimate.
Weight for delivery and hauling
Ten mulch types with real densities. Rubber mulch is nearly twice the weight of hardwood, which matters when you are loading a trunk or hitting a truck limit.
Multiple beds in one pass
Set a bed count and the tool multiplies for you, so a front border repeated four times takes one calculation instead of four.
Fast, private, mobile-first
Pure browser maths, no libraries, no tracking, nothing sent anywhere. It loads instantly at the garden centre on a weak signal.
How to use the mulch calculator
Four steps from tape measure to shopping list.
Measure the bed
Rectangle for borders and foundation beds, circle for tree rings, triangle for corner planting. Break curved beds into two or three simple shapes and add the results together.
Pick a depth
Depth changes the answer more than area does. Three inches is the standard for an established bed, two inches for an annual top-up over existing mulch, four inches when weeds are the main problem.
Choose mulch and bag size
Select the material so the weight is right, then set the bag size sold at your store. The bag count updates immediately, already rounded up to whole bags.
Compare bags and bulk
Enter the shelf price per bag and the yard price per cubic yard with its delivery fee. The verdict panel names the cheaper option and the saving in dollars.
How much does a yard of mulch cover?
One cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so coverage falls away fast as depth increases. These are the numbers to keep in your head at the garden centre.
| Depth | Coverage per yd³ | Coverage per 2 ft³ bag | Bags per yd³ | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 inch | 324 sq ft | 24 sq ft | 13.5 | Light seasonal refresh over good mulch |
| 2 inches | 162 sq ft | 12 sq ft | 13.5 | Annual top-up, shallow-rooted plantings |
| 3 inches | 108 sq ft | 8 sq ft | 13.5 | Standard depth for established beds |
| 4 inches | 81 sq ft | 6 sq ft | 13.5 | Serious weed suppression, bare new beds |
| 6 inches | 54 sq ft | 4 sq ft | 13.5 | Playground surfacing, heavy wood chip cover |
Mulch types, weight and how long they last
Volume is identical across materials, weight and lifespan are not. Weight decides what your car or the delivery truck can carry.
| Mulch type | lb per yd³ | Typical lifespan | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shredded hardwood | 800 | 1-2 years | Sloped beds; it knits together and stays put |
| Dyed / coloured mulch | 800 | 1-2 years (colour fades sooner) | Formal front beds where a uniform look matters |
| Pine bark | 600 | 2-3 years | Acid-loving shrubs, azaleas, rhododendrons |
| Cedar | 700 | 2-3 years | Areas where insect resistance is a priority |
| Cypress | 700 | 2-3 years | Hot, dry beds needing moisture retention |
| Wood chips | 700 | 2-4 years | Paths, tree rings, large informal areas |
| Compost | 1000 | Under 1 year | Feeding soil rather than covering it |
| Cocoa shell | 500 | 1 year | Small ornamental beds; keep away from dogs |
| Rubber mulch | 1500 | 10+ years | Playgrounds and permanent surfacing |
What a proper estimate saves you
Mulch is one of the few garden purchases where the buying method costs more than the material.
You stop overpaying for bags
At typical prices, bagged mulch works out around 60 to 80 dollars per cubic yard against 30 to 45 dollars in bulk. Past roughly three yards, bulk wins even after a delivery fee.
You avoid a second trip
Running four bags short means another drive, another loading, another queue. A 5 percent waste allowance costs about one extra bag and removes the risk.
You mulch at the right depth
Too thin and weeds break through by midsummer. Too thick against trunks and stems invites rot. Working from a calculated depth keeps you in the safe band.
You can budget the whole yard
Set the bed count, get one total, and price the entire season in a single figure rather than guessing bed by bed.
Mulch calculator FAQ
The questions people ask before buying mulch.
How many bags of mulch are in a cubic yard?
A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so it takes 13.5 bags of the standard 2 cubic foot size, 18 bags of the 1.5 cubic foot size, or 9 bags of the 3 cubic foot size. In metric bags it works out to about 15 bags of 50 litres. Stores sell whole bags only, so you round up: one cubic yard means buying 14 of the 2 cubic foot bags.
How much does a yard of mulch cover?
One cubic yard covers 324 square feet at 1 inch deep, 162 square feet at 2 inches, 108 square feet at 3 inches, and 81 square feet at 4 inches. Three inches is the usual working depth, so a single yard handles roughly a 12 by 9 foot bed.
How deep should mulch be?
Two to three inches suits most established beds, and three to four inches is right for new beds or where weeds are a real problem. Never go beyond four inches of fine mulch, and never pile it against trunks or stems, since trapped moisture causes rot and invites pests. Around trees, keep a clear ring of a few inches at the base.
Is it cheaper to buy mulch in bags or in bulk?
Bulk is cheaper per cubic yard, usually 30 to 45 dollars against an equivalent 60 to 80 dollars in bags, but bulk carries a delivery fee of roughly 50 to 100 dollars. That fee means bags often win under about two cubic yards, and bulk wins clearly above three. Enter both prices above and the calculator names the cheaper option and the saving.
How much mulch do I need for a 10 x 10 ft bed?
A 100 square foot bed at 3 inches deep needs 25 cubic feet, which is 0.93 cubic yards, or 13 bags of the 2 cubic foot size once you round up. At 2 inches deep it drops to about 16.7 cubic feet, or 9 bags. Adding a 5 percent waste allowance takes the 3 inch job to 14 bags.
How much does a yard of mulch weigh?
Most wood mulches weigh 600 to 800 pounds per cubic yard when dry, so under half a US ton. Compost is heavier at around 1,000 pounds, and rubber mulch is roughly 1,500 pounds. Wet mulch after rain can weigh 50 percent more, which matters if you are hauling it in a car or half-ton pickup.
How often should mulch be replaced?
Most gardens top up once a year in spring with an inch or two rather than stripping and replacing. Fine shredded mulch breaks down within one to two years, bark and wood chips last two to four, and rubber mulch lasts a decade or more. If existing mulch is still three inches deep, skip the year and just fluff it with a rake.
Get the bag count and the cheaper buying route in one go
Measure the bed, set your depth, drop in the bag price and the yard price, and you will know exactly what to buy and which way costs less. On a typical three-bed front garden that decision alone is usually worth more than the mulch.
Run the mulch calculator