Mulch Depth Coverage Calculator
Mulch for a bed from its area or shape (rectangle, circle, triangle, border) and depth: cubic yards and bags with 10% extra, and bags against bulk cost. How it works
Use the Mulch Depth Coverage Calculator
About the Mulch Depth Coverage Calculator
A 200 sq ft bed at 3 inches deep needs 1.85 cubic yards of mulch. With the 10% extra the mulch calculator adds, order 2.04 cubic yards, or 28 bags of 2 cu ft: $98.00 at $3.50 a bag, against $71.30 for a bulk load at $35 a cubic yard before delivery. Cubic yards = square feet × depth in inches ÷ 12 ÷ 27.
Mulch to order by bed area and depth
| Area | 2 in deep | 3 in deep | 4 in deep |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 sq ft | 0.68 yd³ (10 bags) | 1.02 yd³ (14 bags) | 1.36 yd³ (19 bags) |
| 200 sq ft | 1.36 yd³ (19 bags) | 2.04 yd³ (28 bags) | 2.72 yd³ (37 bags) |
| 500 sq ft | 3.40 yd³ (46 bags) | 5.09 yd³ (69 bags) | 6.79 yd³ (92 bags) |
| 1,000 sq ft | 6.79 yd³ (92 bags) | 10.19 yd³ (138 bags) | 13.58 yd³ (184 bags) |
With the 10% extra included. Bags are 2 cu ft, rounded up to whole bags.
Frequently asked questions
- How many bags of mulch are in a cubic yard?
- A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so 13.5 bags of 2 cu ft, 9 bags of 3 cu ft or 27 bags of 1 cu ft. The calculator rounds the bag count up to whole bags.
- How many square feet does a yard of mulch cover?
- 108 sq ft at 3 inches deep, 162 sq ft at 2 inches and 81 sq ft at 4 inches, before the 10% extra. For any depth, divide 324 by the depth in inches.
- How do I work out the square footage of a garden bed?
- Pick the bed shape and enter its sides in feet, and the calculator shows the area. A 20 × 10 ft rectangle is 200 sq ft; a round bed 12 ft across is π × 6² = 113.10 sq ft, which at 3 inches needs 1.15 cubic yards or 16 bags of 2 cu ft. Triangles, trapezoids and borders are on the same list. For several beds, add their areas and use Known area.
- How much mulch for a ring around a tree or a border along a bed?
- Choose Circle border or Rectangle border and enter the outer size and the border width. A 2 ft ring inside a 12 ft circle is 62.83 sq ft, 0.64 cubic yards or 9 bags of 2 cu ft at 3 inches. A 2 ft band inside a 20 × 10 ft rectangle is 104 sq ft, 1.06 cubic yards or 15 bags.
- Can I turn off the 10% extra?
- No, it is always added, as an allowance for mulch packing down and uneven spreading. For the exact volume, divide the cubic yards shown by 1.1: the 2.04 shown for 200 sq ft at 3 inches is 1.85 without it. The bulk cost uses the volume with the extra: 100 sq ft at 3 inches is 27.5 cu ft, $41.25 at $1.50 a cubic foot.
- How deep should mulch be?
- About 2 to 3 inches on an established bed and 3 to 4 inches on a new bed or where you want to stop weeds. Keep it 3 to 4 inches back from tree trunks and shrub stems: mulch piled against the bark holds moisture there and can cause rot.
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