Mulch Calculator
Calculate cubic yards and cubic feet of mulch needed for any garden bed or landscape area based on area and desired depth.
ft
ft
in
Cubic Yards
—
Cubic Feet —
Bags (2 cu ft each) —
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter the area length and width in feet, or the total area in square feet.
- Enter the desired depth in inches.
- Results show cubic yards, cubic feet, and number of 2 cu ft bags needed.
Formula
Cubic yards = Area (sq ft) × Depth (in) ÷ 12 ÷ 27
Bags (2 cu ft) = ceil(Cubic yards × 13.5)
Example
Example: 200 sq ft garden bed, 3 inch depth → 1.85 cubic yards → 25 bags (2 cu ft each).
Frequently Asked Questions
- Most landscape beds benefit from 2–3 inches of mulch. Too little does not suppress weeds; too much can suffocate plant roots.
- A standard 2 cubic foot bag of mulch = 0.074 cubic yards. A typical pickup truckload is 2–3 cubic yards.
- Multiply area (sq ft) × depth (inches) ÷ 12 ÷ 27. This calculator does it automatically.
- One cubic yard = 13.5 standard 2-cubic-foot bags.
- Yes — 2 inches suppresses most weeds. 3 inches is better for perennial weed control. Avoid going deeper than 4 inches.