Free Contractor Tool
Mulch Calculator
Enter the length, width, and depth of each bed to get exactly how much mulch you need — in cubic yards, bags, and pounds. Add as many beds as you like and enter a price for an instant material cost.
Built by SubcontractorHub — the software contractors use to quote, finance, and run every job.
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Calculate How Much Mulch You Need
Pick your mulch type, enter each bed’s dimensions and depth, and get cubic yards and bag counts instantly. Results update as you type.
Sets the weight estimate used for hauling and delivery planning.
Used to convert your total into a bag count.
Beds to cover
Enables the material cost estimate.
Mulch needed
Cubic yards
1.48
Bags (2 cu ft)
20
Est. weight
1,185 lb
Est. cost
Enter a price above
Total area
160 sq ft
Cubic feet
40
Mulch type
Shredded Hardwood
Beds added
1
Mulch Coverage by Depth
How far one cubic yard goes at each common depth. Coverage halves every time you double the depth.
How deep should mulch be?
Three inches is the standard for new beds — deep enough to block light from weed seeds and hold moisture in the soil, without suffocating roots. For an annual refresh over mulch that has only partly broken down, two inches is plenty.
Go to four inches in hot, dry climates where evaporation is the main concern. Whatever the depth, keep mulch pulled back a few inches from tree trunks and plant stems — piling it up against bark traps moisture and invites rot and pests.
Bulk or bags?
It takes 13.5 of the common 2-cubic-foot bags to make one cubic yard. At typical retail prices that works out to roughly $70–$110 per yard, against about $30–$60 per yard for bulk delivered mulch.
The break-even point is around two cubic yards. Below that, bags are easier to handle and there is no delivery fee to absorb. Above it, bulk wins on price and on the time your crew spends opening and hauling bags.
How Many Bags of Mulch in a Cubic Yard?
A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. Divide that by the bag size to get the count.
Worked example
A 30 × 6 foot foundation bed plus a 12 × 12 foot island bed is 180 + 144 = 324 square feet. At the standard 3-inch depth that is 324 × 0.25 = 81 cubic feet, or exactly 3 cubic yards.
In bags, that is about 41 of the 2-cubic-foot size. In shredded hardwood it weighs roughly 2,400 pounds — comfortably over a half-ton, so plan the trailer accordingly.
Why weight matters on the estimate
Mulch density varies by a factor of six between pine straw and rubber. A three-yard order is about 600 pounds of pine straw but 3,600 pounds of rubber mulch — the difference between a single pickup load and a trailer plus a return trip.
If you bid landscaping work, that haul time belongs in the labor line. Pricing material without pricing the trips is one of the most common ways a mulch job quietly loses money.
From Material Takeoffs to a Signed Proposal
Working out quantities is one step — turning them into a proposal the customer signs is another. SubcontractorHub lets contractors build branded proposals on a tablet at the property, with materials, labor, and financing options built in.
Present good-better-best options, collect a signature on the spot, and push the signed job straight through to operations with no re-entry.
See How It WorksBuild accurate material proposals in minutes
Roll material, labor, and markup in automatically
Show financing and monthly payments on site
Digital signature collected on the spot
Signed job flows straight to operations — zero re-entry
Mulch quantities are estimates based on the dimensions and depth entered. Actual coverage varies with settling, material texture, and how evenly the bed is graded. Confirm bulk density and delivery minimums with your supplier, and order a little extra for edges and touch-ups.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How much mulch do I need?
- Measure the length and width of each bed in feet and choose a depth in inches. Multiply length × width × (depth ÷ 12) to get cubic feet, then divide by 27 to get cubic yards. For a standard 3-inch depth, one cubic yard covers about 108 square feet. This calculator does the math automatically and can total several beds at once.
- How many bags of mulch are in a cubic yard?
- A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so it takes 13.5 bags of the common 2-cubic-foot size, 9 bags of 3-cubic-foot mulch, or 18 bags of 1.5-cubic-foot mulch. Bulk delivery is almost always cheaper than bags once you need more than about two cubic yards.
- How deep should mulch be?
- Three inches is the standard depth for new beds — deep enough to suppress weeds and hold moisture without smothering roots. Use two inches for an annual refresh over mulch that is still in decent shape, and four inches in hot, dry climates where moisture retention matters more. Never pile mulch against tree trunks or stems.
- How much does a cubic yard of mulch cover?
- One cubic yard covers about 324 square feet at 1 inch deep, 162 square feet at 2 inches, 108 square feet at 3 inches, and 81 square feet at 4 inches. Coverage halves every time you double the depth.
- How much does a cubic yard of mulch weigh?
- Weight varies a lot by material. Pine straw is lightest at roughly 200 pounds per cubic yard, pine bark runs about 500 pounds, cedar around 550, shredded hardwood about 800, compost near 1,000, and rubber mulch is heaviest at roughly 1,200 pounds per cubic yard. Weight matters when you are checking truck and trailer capacity.
- Is bulk mulch cheaper than bagged mulch?
- Yes, for anything beyond a very small bed. Bagged mulch typically works out to $70 to $110 per cubic yard once you account for 13.5 bags, while bulk delivered mulch commonly runs $30 to $60 per cubic yard. Bags make sense only for small touch-ups or when you cannot take a bulk delivery.