Mulch Calculator

Buy Buy about 0.93 cu yd — or 13 bags at 2 cu ft

Start with a rectangle and a depth to get cubic yards and bag count together — tap a depth preset if you are unsure. Switch the shape for a round bed, a ring around a tree, or multiple beds; switch the mode to find the area an amount you already have will cover, or to size rubber playground mulch by fall height. Open options for a waste allowance or optional bulk-vs-bagged pricing.

What do you want to do?

Default: enter a bed's size and depth to get cubic yards + bag count. Reverse: enter mulch you already have (yards or bags) to get the area it covers. Rubber playground: depth is set by equipment fall height (volume only).

Rectangle is the default. Round bed, ring-around-a-tree, and multiple beds are one click away. Triangle and trapezoid are lower-demand shapes kept at the end of the list.
Bed length in feet. For 'Multiple beds' this is the length of the first bed.
Bed width in feet. For 'Multiple beds' this is the width of the first bed.
For a round bed: the distance straight across the circle, in feet. Area = π × (diameter ÷ 2)².
For a mulch ring around a tree: distance from the trunk centre to the outside edge of the mulched circle, in feet.
Radius of the bare gap kept around the trunk (keep mulch ~2-3 in off the bark). Must be smaller than the outer radius. Ring area = π × (outer² − inner²).
How deep to spread the mulch, in inches. Iowa State Extension recommends 2-4 in for organic mulch; 3 in is a good default for a new bed, 2 in to refresh. Use the depth presets to fill this in one click.
For playgrounds, loose-fill depth is set by how far a child could fall from the equipment. This sets the mulch depth. Confirm the required depth for your specific equipment against CPSC guidance — this preset is a starting point, not a tested safety guarantee.
Retail mulch bag size. 2 cu ft is the most common. This drives the bag count and the bags-per-cubic-yard figure (27 ÷ bag size).
Choose whether you know the amount of mulch in cubic yards (bulk) or in bags.
How many cubic yards of mulch you have or plan to buy. The tool returns the area it covers at your chosen depth.
How many bags you have. Coverage uses the bag size selected above. Answers 'how much will N bags of mulch cover?'
Advanced options
Optional second bed. Leave blank if you only have one bed.
Width of the optional second bed.
Optional third bed. Leave blank if not needed.
Width of the optional third bed.
Base of the triangular bed, in feet. Area = 0.5 × base × height.
Perpendicular height of the triangular bed, in feet.
One parallel side of the trapezoid, in feet. Area = ((A + B) ÷ 2) × height.
The other parallel side of the trapezoid, in feet.
Perpendicular distance between the two parallel sides, in feet.
Optional extra for settling and spillage. A common landscaping allowance is 5-10%. Defaults to 0 so bulk buyers get the true volume; it is never applied silently.
Optional. Enter your local bulk delivered price to compare bulk vs bagged. Leave blank to keep pricing off.
Optional. Enter the in-store price of one bag (at the bag size selected above) to compare bulk vs bagged.
Buy Buy about 0.93 cu yd — or 13 bags at 2 cu ft
Cubic yards (bulk order) 0.93 cu yd
Bags needed 13 bags at 2 cu ft
Cubic feet 25 cu ft
Bed area (sq ft) 100 sq ft
Assumptions Depth 3 in · Bag 2 cu ft · Waste 0%
Cheaper option —
Show calculation details
Bags per cubic yard 13.5 bags per cubic yard at 2 cu ft
Bulk cost —
Bagged cost —
Notes None