Yard Material LabFree material estimate
Mulch calculator
Enter the rectangular bed dimensions and your chosen depth. Calculate cubic yards or cubic feet before comparing bagged and bulk mulch.
Example values — replace them with your own measurements and specified depth.
Cubic yards = length × width × (depth ÷ 12) ÷ 27. Your extra allowance is added to that volume.
0% adds nothing. Confirm any allowance with your supplier; it is not an automatic compaction estimate.
Area: 240 square feet
Includes your 0% extra allowance. Planning estimate, not a supplier quote.
Measure only the bed you intend to cover
Measure length and width in feet, then enter depth in inches from your landscape plan, product instructions or supplier. Separate beds with different depths and leave out spaces that will not receive mulch. For curved borders, use the full planner to measure each shape.
A refresh layer and a new installation can need different quantities. The example values above demonstrate the arithmetic; they are not a recommended depth for every planting bed.
Example: a 20 ft by 12 ft bed
The area is 20 × 12 = 240 square feet. An example depth of 3 inches is 3 ÷ 12 = 0.25 feet. Multiply 240 × 0.25 to get 60 cubic feet, then divide by 27 to get 2.22 cubic yards. These example totals use 0% extra allowance.
If you choose a 10% allowance, the same bed becomes 66 cubic feet, or 2.44 cubic yards. Choose any allowance deliberately and confirm your final quantity with the supplier.
Compare bags with bulk volume
Bag sizes differ. Divide the cubic-foot result by the cubic feet printed on the specific bag, then round up to a whole bag. For example, 60 cubic feet divided by a 2-cubic-foot bag is 30 bags; the 66-cubic-foot example would need 33 of those bags.
Bulk suppliers may round orders or apply minimum quantities. The calculator estimates volume; it does not know the bag size, delivery minimum, current price or condition of your planting beds.