Mulch Calculator
Cubic yards, bags and coverage for any bed — round or square, wood or rubber.
Mulch needed
1.85 yd³
- Bed area
- 200 sq ft
- Volume
- 50.0 ft³
- Weight
- 926 lb · 0.46 tons
- 1.5 ft³ bags
- 34 bags
- 2 ft³ bags
- 25 bags
- 3 ft³ bags
- 17 bags
- Coverage at 3.0 in
- 108 sq ft per yd³ · 8.0 sq ft per 2 ft³ bag
Bag counts are alternatives, not a combined order. Mulch settles roughly 20% in the first season, so a bed topped up annually needs less than the first fill.
Amending the bed underneath? Use the topsoil calculator →
How this is calculated
area = L × W (or π × (diameter / 2)² for round beds) volume = area × depth(in) / 12 yards = volume / 27 weight = yards × lb per yd³ bags = ceil(volume / bag size) coverage = 27 / (depth(in) / 12) sq ft per yd³
Bag counts round up independently for each size, so the three numbers are alternatives rather than a shopping list. The bulk comparison charges delivery once regardless of load, which is the whole reason a crossover point exists: bulk saves a fixed amount per cubic yard, and that saving has to accumulate until it covers the delivery fee. Below the crossover, bags genuinely are cheaper — the common advice that bulk always wins ignores the fee.
Mulch weight and usual depth
| Material | Weight | Usual depth | Yd³ per 100 sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shredded hardwood | 500 lb/yd³ | 3 in | 0.93 |
| Pine bark nuggets | 500 lb/yd³ | 3 in | 0.93 |
| Cedar / cypress | 450 lb/yd³ | 3 in | 0.93 |
| Wood chips | 500 lb/yd³ | 4 in | 1.23 |
| Compost mulch | 1,000 lb/yd³ | 2 in | 0.62 |
| Rubber mulch | 1,500 lb/yd³ | 3 in | 0.93 |
| Playground wood fibre | 600 lb/yd³ | 9 in | 2.78 |
Playground wood fibre is listed at nine inches because that is a fall-protection depth, not a decorative one — it needs roughly three times the volume of a normal bed, and the required depth rises with the height of the equipment.
Coverage per cubic yard
| Depth | Coverage per yd³ | 2 ft³ bags per 100 sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| 1 in | 324 sq ft | 5 |
| 2 in | 162 sq ft | 9 |
| 3 in | 108 sq ft | 13 |
| 4 in | 81 sq ft | 17 |
| 6 in | 54 sq ft | 25 |
| 9 in | 36 sq ft | 38 |
Frequently asked questions
How much mulch do I need?
Multiply the bed area in square feet by the depth in feet, then divide by 27 for cubic yards. At the usual three inch depth, one cubic yard covers about 108 square feet, and a 2 cubic foot bag covers about 8 square feet. Most beds want 2 to 4 inches — deeper than that starves roots of air and holds damp against stems.
How many bags of mulch are in a cubic yard?
Thirteen and a half bags at 2 cubic feet, eighteen at 1.5, or nine at 3. Since suppliers do not sell partial bags the practical number is 14, 18 and 9. That is also why bulk delivery wins so quickly: two cubic yards is roughly 27 bags to lift, open and haul from the car.
Is bulk mulch cheaper than bags?
Only once the load is big enough to absorb the delivery fee, and that threshold is higher than most advice admits. Bagged mulch at $4 for 2 cubic feet is $54 per cubic yard against maybe $40 bulk — a $14 saving per yard that has to pay off a $75 delivery, so bulk only overtakes bags somewhere above five cubic yards. Halve the delivery fee and the crossover halves with it, which is why the calculator works it out from your actual prices rather than quoting a rule.
How deep should mulch be?
Two to three inches for most beds, three to four for weed suppression around shrubs, and never piled against trunks or stems. Playground surfacing is the exception and needs 9 to 12 inches of engineered wood fibre for fall protection, which is why it costs several times what a decorative bed does.
How much does a yard of mulch weigh?
Dry shredded hardwood runs about 500 lb per cubic yard, so a half-ton pickup can legally take one yard and not much more. Wet mulch after rain can weigh half again as much, and rubber mulch is around 1,500 lb per yard — three times the wood, which catches people out when a supplier quotes by weight.
How much is a scoop of mulch?
It depends entirely on the yard. Most suppliers scoop either a full cubic yard or two thirds of one, and some use a half-yard bucket. Ask what their scoop measures before comparing prices, because a cheap scoop that turns out to be two thirds of a yard is not cheap at all.
Results are planning estimates. Weights vary with moisture and material, and playground surfacing depths are governed by safety standards tied to equipment fall height — check the requirement for your equipment rather than relying on a general figure.