Landscaping calculator
Mulch calculator
Measure the bed, choose the depth, and get the mulch order in cubic yards, bags and dollars — including the point where bulk delivery beats bagged.
Your project
Type changes the weight and the price, not the volume you need.
3" is the standard for weed suppression. 2" on top of existing mulch, 4" only on paths.
Crews typically order 5-10% extra to cover compaction, spillage and uneven subgrade.
Delivered bulk mulch is usually $30-$70 a yard depending on product and haul.
Mulch needed
4.67
cubic yards of shredded hardwood bark · includes 5% waste
- Bed area
- 480 sq ft
- Volume (cubic feet)
- 126 cu ft
- 2 cu ft bags
- 63 bags
- Approximate weight
- 2,772 lb
- Weight in tons
- 1.39 tons
- Bulk cost
- $210
- Bagged cost
- $284
- Cheaper option
- Bulk delivery
Bagged mulch wins under about 6 bags. Past roughly 2 cubic yards — 14 bags — bulk delivery is cheaper even after the haul fee, and you are not left with a pile of plastic.
The shareable link reopens this calculator with your exact inputs.
How much mulch do I need?
Mulch is a volume problem: bed area in square feet, multiplied by depth in feet, divided by 27 for cubic yards. A 400 sq ft bed at 3 inches deep needs 100 cubic feet, which is 3.7 cubic yards, or 50 bags at 2 cubic feet each.
The shortcut worth memorising is that one cubic yard covers about 108 square feet at 3 inches, 162 square feet at 2 inches, and 324 square feet at a single inch. If you know your bed area, dividing by 108 gets you within a wheelbarrow load.
Add a small allowance. Mulch settles as it wets down, beds are rarely perfect rectangles, and the last bit always goes deeper than planned. Five percent is enough on a tidy bed; ten if the edges are ragged or the ground is uneven.
How deep should mulch be?
Three inches is the number that does the work. Below two inches, weed seed gets enough light to germinate and the layer dries out within a day of watering. Above four inches, mulch starts holding water against stems and roots, and shallow feeder roots migrate up into the mulch layer instead of the soil.
If you are refreshing beds that still have last year's mulch, measure what is there first. Topping up an existing 2 inch layer with another inch is a completely different order to mulching bare soil, and it is the single most common reason people buy twice what they need.
Keep mulch off trunks and stems. Volcano mulching — piling mulch against bark — traps moisture, invites rot and girdling roots, and kills more young trees in landscapes than drought does. Pull it back three to six inches from the stem and leave the root flare visible.
Bulk versus bagged
Bagged mulch costs roughly $60-$90 per cubic yard equivalent once you have bought thirteen and a half bags to make that yard. Bulk delivered mulch is $30-$70 per yard including the load fee on most suburban routes, so the crossover is around two cubic yards.
Bulk also comes fresher and in bigger particle sizes, which matters on slopes — shredded hardwood knits together and stays put, while bagged nuggets float off in the first heavy rain.
Bags win when you have nowhere to dump a pile, you are working in stages, or the job is a handful of containers and a front border. They are also the only sensible option if the only access is through a house.
Mulch coverage per cubic yard
One cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. Coverage before settling and waste.
| Depth | Sq ft per cu yd | Cu yd per 100 sq ft | 2 cu ft bags per 100 sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1" | 324 | 0.31 | 5 |
| 2" | 162 | 0.62 | 9 |
| 3" | 108 | 0.93 | 13 |
| 4" | 81 | 1.23 | 17 |
| 6" | 54 | 1.85 | 25 |
Mulch weight and price by product
Loose delivered weight and typical bulk pricing per cubic yard.
| Mulch | lb / cu ft | lb / cu yd | Typical $ / cu yd | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shredded hardwood bark | 22 | 594 | $40 | beds, borders and slopes — knits together and stays put |
| Dyed mulch (black, brown, red) | 20 | 540 | $45 | front beds where colour retention matters |
| Pine bark nuggets | 18 | 486 | $48 | acid-loving shrubs and flat beds |
| Pine straw | 8 | 216 | $35 | southern landscapes, sold by the bale |
| Cedar / cypress mulch | 20 | 540 | $50 | insect resistance and scent |
| Arborist wood chips | 25 | 675 | $20 | paths, play areas and orchard rings |
| Rubber mulch | 40 | 1,080 | $200 | playgrounds and permanent surfacing |
| Compost used as mulch | 45 | 1,215 | $45 | vegetable beds and soil building |
Frequently asked questions
+How many bags of mulch are in a cubic yard?
Thirteen and a half bags at the standard 2 cubic foot size, or 27 bags if your store sells 1 cubic foot bags. Round up to 14 — nobody sells half a bag.
+How much does a cubic yard of mulch cover?
About 108 square feet at 3 inches deep, 162 square feet at 2 inches, and 81 square feet at 4 inches. Those are the three depths that cover almost every landscape bed.
+How much does a yard of mulch weigh?
Dry shredded hardwood is roughly 500-600 lb per cubic yard. Soak it in a week of rain and the same yard can hit 1,000 lb, which is why a half-yard is about all a standard wheelbarrow route wants after a storm.
+How much mulch do I need for a 1,000 square foot bed?
At 3 inches deep, 250 cubic feet — 9.3 cubic yards, or 125 bags. At that size bulk delivery is the only sensible option; a single dump truck load covers it.
+Should I remove old mulch before adding new?
Not usually. Old mulch breaks down into the soil and feeds it. Rake it level, break up any matted crust so water can get through, then top up to a total depth of three inches. Only strip it out if it has gone sour, is harbouring fungus, or has built up past four inches.
+How much does mulch cost per yard?
Bulk delivered mulch runs $30 – $70 per cubic yard depending on product, dye and haul distance. Add $20 – $55 per yard if a crew spreads it.
+When is the best time to mulch?
Mid to late spring, once the soil has warmed but before summer weeds germinate. Mulching too early over cold ground keeps soil temperatures down and slows everything you planted.