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Mulch Calculator
Work out how much mulch a bed needs from its area and depth, in cubic yards, cubic metres and bags.
Mulch calculator
Bed area: —
Mulch volume: —
Bagged mulch: — using 2 cubic feet per bag
Loose load: — rounded up to the quarter yard
—
How to use the Mulch Calculator
- Measure the length and width of the bed and choose feet or metres.
- Enter the mulch depth you want, usually 2 to 4 inches.
- Read the volume in cubic yards or metres and the number of bags.
Features
- Volume from bed area and mulch depth
- Cubic yards, cubic metres and cubic feet
- Bag count at 2 cubic feet per bag
- Bulk order rounded up to the quarter yard
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Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the free online mulch calculator.
Use the prism formula, volume = area x depth. Multiply the bed length by its width to get the
area, then multiply by the mulch depth.
Most beds do best with 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm) of mulch, which suppresses weeds and holds
moisture without smothering roots.
A cubic yard holds 27 cubic feet, so it takes about 14 bags of 2 cubic feet to equal one
cubic yard of mulch.
Yes. Add about 5 to 10 percent because mulch settles and compacts, so a 4 cubic yard job is
safer ordered as 4.25 yards.
Multiply cubic feet by 0.0283168. For example 27 cubic feet is 0.76 cubic metres, so one
cubic yard is about 0.76 cubic metres.
Bulk mulch is usually far cheaper per cubic yard, but bagged mulch is easier to carry and
better for beds under one cubic yard.
Add the bed areas together first, then enter the combined size once. The area formula is
simply length multiplied by width for each rectangle.
Light types such as straw can go deeper, around 3 to 4 inches, while heavy bark and wood
chips are best kept near 2 to 3 inches.
No. Every calculation runs locally in your browser, so your measurements never leave your
device and nothing is stored.
Last updated: October 10, 2026