Mulch Calculator
Get cubic yards and bag count for any bed in seconds.
Inputs
ft ×
ft
in
$
Results update as you type — no submit
ResultsLIVE
Bags to buy
15
Volume
1.1 cu yd
= 30 cu ft ≈ 0.85 m³
Volume1.1 cu yd ≈ 0.85 m³
Estimated cost @ $4.50/bag$67.50
Formula
volume = 10 × 12 × (3 ÷ 12) = 30 cu ft = 1.1 cu yd
bags = ceil(30 ÷ 2) = 15
bags = ceil(30 ÷ 2) = 15
MeasureShedmeasureshed.com/calculator/mulch-calculator
Mulch — material listUNITS: FT · SCALE: NTS
Inputs
Bed size10 × 12 ft
Depth3″
Bag size2 cu ft
Price per bag$4.50
Results
Bags to buy15
Volume1.1 cu yd (30 cu ft)
Estimated cost$67.50
Shopping list
☐ 15 × 2 cu ft bags of mulch
Formula
volume = 10 × 12 × (3 ÷ 12) = 30 cu ft = 1.1 cu yd
bags = ceil(30 ÷ 2) = 15
cost = 15 × $4.50 = $67.50
How it works
Mulch is sold by volume, so the math is bed length × width × depth. The only trap is units: depth is measured in inches while the bed is measured in feet, so the calculator divides the depth by 12 before multiplying. That gives cubic feet; dividing by 27 converts to cubic yards, which is how bulk mulch is quoted.
Bags always round up to the next whole bag — you can't buy four-fifths of a bag. The cost estimate multiplies the rounded bag count by your price per bag, so it matches what the register will actually charge.
Worked example
Bed 10 ft × 12 ft · depth 3″ · 2 cu ft bags @ $4.50
volume = 10 × 12 × (3 ÷ 12) = 30 cu ft = 1.1 cu yd
bags = ceil(30 ÷ 2) = 15 → cost = 15 × $4.50 = $67.50
volume = 10 × 12 × (3 ÷ 12) = 30 cu ft = 1.1 cu yd
bags = ceil(30 ÷ 2) = 15 → cost = 15 × $4.50 = $67.50
Questions from the yard
2–3 in for beds; 3–4 in for weed suppression around trees. Keep it off trunks and stems.
Bulk usually wins past about 1 cu yd — roughly 14 two-cubic-foot bags. Below that, bags come out ahead once you add a delivery fee, and they're far easier to carry to a back yard.
A cubic yard is 27 cu ft, so it takes 14 two-cubic-foot bags or 9 three-cubic-foot bags to cover the same ground — rounding up in both cases.
Directly. One cubic yard covers about 108 sq ft at 3 in deep, 162 sq ft at 2 in, and only 81 sq ft at 4 in — halve the depth and you double the coverage.
Estimates for planning only — verify before purchase