Mulch Calculator
Find how many bags or yards of mulch you need, and what it will cost.
Measure your project
Your answer
That covers 200 sq ft.
If you buy bags
Keep mulch about 3 in away from tree trunks. Don't pile it deeper than 3 in near trees.
Which costs less?
This price is for picking it up yourself. Add a delivery fee in "Change prices" if they bring it.
Prices are US middle prices from Oct 2026. Bulk mulch is for pickup (11 yards). Bags are 2 cubic feet (4 stores). Ask your store for their price.
Quick answers
- Bags in 1 cubic yard
- 13.5 bags of 2 cubic feet (buy 14). Or 9 bags of 3 cubic feet.
- How much does 1 cubic yard cover?
- 108 sq ft at 3 in deep. 162 sq ft at 2 in deep.
- How much does one 2 cubic foot bag cover?
- 8 sq ft at 3 in deep. 12 sq ft at 2 in deep.
- Bags or bulk?
- Bulk costs about $33 a cubic yard if you pick it up. Mulch in 2 cubic foot bags costs about $93 a cubic yard.
- How deep?
- 1–3 in, says the University of Maryland. Keep mulch 3 in away from tree trunks.
How to work it out
- Measure the length and width of each bed in feet.
- Pick a depth in inches. Divide it by 12 to turn it into feet.
- Multiply length × width × depth to find the cubic feet.
- Divide the cubic feet by 27 for cubic yards.
- For 2 cu ft bags, divide the cubic feet by 2. Round up.
20 × 10 × 0.25 = 50 cubic feet
50 ÷ 27 = 1.85 cubic yards
50 ÷ 2 = 25 bags of 2 cu ft
How deep, and how far it goes
UW–Madison Extension says to spread most natural mulches 3 in deep.
The University of Maryland Extension says to keep mulch shallow, from 1 to 3 in. Keep it about 3 in back from tree trunks, too.
This table shows the square feet that one cubic yard or one bag will cover.
| Depth | 1 cubic yard | 1.5 cu ft bag | 2 cu ft bag | 3 cu ft bag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 in | 324 sq ft | 18 sq ft | 24 sq ft | 36 sq ft |
| 2 in | 162 sq ft | 9 sq ft | 12 sq ft | 18 sq ft |
| 3 in | 108 sq ft | 6 sq ft | 8 sq ft | 12 sq ft |
Bag labels agree with this. A 2 cu ft bag of Vigoro mulch says it covers 8 sq ft at 3 in.
Mulch for common bed sizes
Each bed below is 3 in deep. We added no extra.
| Bed size | Cubic yards | 2 cu ft bags | 3 cu ft bags |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 × 8 ft | 0.30 | 4 | 3 |
| 3 × 20 ft | 0.56 | 8 | 5 |
| 5 × 10 ft | 0.46 | 7 | 5 |
| 10 × 10 ft | 0.93 | 13 | 9 |
| 10 × 20 ft | 1.85 | 25 | 17 |
| 20 × 20 ft | 3.70 | 50 | 34 |
For a round bed, tap "+ Add another area" in step 1 and pick "Round".
Bags or bulk?
Garden and hardware stores sell mulch in bags. A landscape yard sells it loose, by the cubic yard. This is called bulk.
Our middle price for bulk hardwood mulch is $33 a cubic yard, from 11 yards. Dyed mulch is about $40, from 12 yards.
A 2 cu ft bag costs about $6.87, the middle price of 4 stores. One cubic yard takes 13.5 of these bags. That comes to about $93.
Delivery
Bulk prices are for picking it up yourself. The yards we checked charged about $50–$100 to deliver nearby. Some charge by zip code, up to about $160.
For delivery, yards often ask you to buy at least 2–3 cubic yards.
Say you need 2 cubic yards, and delivery costs $100. That is 27 bags of 2 cu ft, or about $185. Bulk costs about $166, delivery included.
Bags take work, too. One 2 cu ft bag weighs about 25–34 lb, by brand. A 20 × 10 ft bed needs 25 of them. That is 625–850 lb to lift.
Step 3 in the calculator compares both for your beds. Type in your own prices for the best answer.
Why mulch counts don't agree
Two calculators can give you two answers. Here is why.
- Some charts round down. One supplier's chart says a cubic yard covers 100 sq ft at 3 in. Worked out in full, it is 108 sq ft.
- Bags come in more than one size. Stores sell 1.5, 2 and 3 cu ft bags. Check the size on the bag before you count.
- Beds are not flat. Low spots and slopes take more mulch. We found no expert figure for extra mulch. So we start at 0%, and you can pick 5% or 10%.
- Bags are rounded up. Stores sell whole bags only, so we round up.
Swapping mulch for rock?
The same cubic yards will not weigh the same. Fresh wood chips weigh about 600 lb a cubic yard. River rock weighs about 2,500 lb. That is about 4 times as heavy.
Check the weight with our cubic yard calculator before you load a car or trailer.
Before you spread mulch
- Measure each bed. Add round beds as their own area.
- Pull the weeds and rake the soil smooth.
- Pick a depth from 2 to 3 in.
- Leave a gap of 3 in around each tree trunk.
- Check prices for bags and bulk. Ask the yard about delivery fees and the smallest order.
- Print the shopping list, or share the link, and take it to the store.
Questions people ask
How much mulch do I need?
Measure each bed in feet and pick a depth. At 3 in deep, each cubic yard covers 108 sq ft. The calculator above turns your beds into yards and bags.
How do I calculate how much mulch I need?
Multiply the square feet by the depth in inches. Then divide by 324 to get cubic yards. A 200 sq ft bed at 3 in needs 1.85 cubic yards.
How many cubic feet are in a yard of mulch?
27 cubic feet. That fills 13.5 bags of 2 cu ft, or 9 bags of 3 cu ft.
How much does a yard of mulch cover?
About 108 sq ft at 3 in deep. Spread 2 in deep, it covers about 162 sq ft.
How many bags of mulch do I need?
Divide your cubic feet by the size of one bag, then round up. A 10 × 10 ft bed at 3 in takes 13 bags of 2 cu ft.
How many yards of mulch do I need?
Add up the square feet of your beds. For mulch 3 in deep, divide by 108. So 500 sq ft of beds needs about 4.6 cubic yards.
How much bark mulch do I need?
Work it out the same way as wood mulch. Lowe's sells pine bark nuggets in 3 cu ft bags. The label says one bag covers 18 sq ft at 2 in.
Is bulk mulch cheaper than bags?
For each cubic yard, yes. Bulk costs about $33 at our middle price, and 2 cu ft bags cost about $93. But delivery can add $50–$100.
Where our numbers come from
- Bag sizes: Scotts mulch bags (checked Oct 2026)
- 3 cu ft mulch bags: Lowe's product page (archived)
- Mulch bag labels: Vigoro and Timberline 2 cu ft bags (Home Depot, archived)
- How deep: UW–Madison Extension
- Keep it away from trunks: University of Maryland Extension
- Coverage and weights: Front Range Material conversion sheet
- Mulch prices: the middle price of 11 yards (bulk) and 4 stores (bags), Oct 2026
- Dyed mulch price: the middle price of 12 US yards (Oct 2026)
- Delivery fees: price lists from 7 US landscape yards (Oct 2026)
- Mulch weight: US EPA and University of Washington conversion tables
- Rock weight: Southwest Boulder & Stone rule of thumb (1.25 tons a cubic yard, not lava rock)
Made by BuildersCount. Last checked 3 Oct 2026.
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