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Mulch Coverage Calculator

Order the right amount of mulch and skip the extra trips.

How it is calculated

Area is entered in square feet and depth in inches. The depth is turned into feet by dividing by 12, which gives the volume in cubic feet, and one cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so cubic yards = area × (depth ÷ 12) ÷ 27. The number of bags assumes a 2 cubic foot bag: bags = ⌈cubic yards × 27 ÷ 2⌉, rounded up to a whole bag.

The cubic yards are shown to two decimals, while the bag count uses the unrounded volume. Both inputs must be above zero. The tool does only the volume arithmetic: it does not add an allowance for uneven ground, settling or waste, and it does not measure irregular shapes. For a bed that is not a rectangle, work out the area yourself first, for example length × width, and for a circle π × radius².

Worked example

A planting bed is 250 square feet and you want a 3 inch layer. The depth is 3 ÷ 12 = 0.25 ft, so the volume is 250 × 0.25 = 62.5 cubic feet. Dividing by 27 gives 2.31 cubic yards. In 2 cubic foot bags that is 62.5 ÷ 2 = 31.25, which rounds up to 32 bags. If you buy in bulk, ordering 2.5 cubic yards would cover the bed with a little to spare.

Try this example →

Common mistakes

  • Entering the area in square metres or the depth in centimetres. The tool expects square feet and inches, so convert first.
  • Entering the depth in feet. A 3 inch layer is 3, not 0.25.
  • Using the bed's length instead of its area. Multiply length by width (square feet) before entering it.
  • Ordering exactly the result. Mulch compacts and edges are uneven, so many people round the bulk order up a little; the tool adds no allowance itself.
  • Confusing cubic yards with cubic feet. Bagged mulch is sold in cubic feet, bulk mulch in cubic yards, and one yard equals 27 cubic feet.

About this calculator

Mulch is sold and priced by volume, so covering a garden bed comes down to converting an area and a desired depth into cubic yards: cubic yards = (area in square feet × depth in inches) ÷ 324. A common landscaping bag holds 2 cubic feet, so dividing the cubic-yard total by that bag size (after converting) tells you how many bags to buy if you’re not ordering mulch in bulk.

Landscapers and home gardeners lean on this calculation because getting the depth right matters as much as getting the area right — a mulch layer that’s too thin (under 2 inches) does little to suppress weeds or retain soil moisture, while piling it too deep (over 4 inches) can smother plant roots and trap excess moisture against tree trunks and stems. Ordering the correct cubic yardage up front also avoids the two most common frustrations: running short mid-project and needing a second delivery, or over-ordering and having leftover mulch with nowhere to use it.

Bag counts assume standard 2-cubic-foot bags, shown next to the cubic yards of mulch required.

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