01
Formula
Yards = (square feet × depth in feet) ÷ 27.
Depth in feet is inches divided by 12. Multiply by 1 plus the waste percent to get the order. A mulch cost calculator line is that order times your price per cubic yard.
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Mulch calculator for cubic yards and cost
This mulch calculator estimates how many cubic yards a bed needs and what that costs at the price you enter. Use it as a mulch cost calculator by typing the price per yard from a supplier. The placeholder price is not a market rate.
Mulch to order
1.63cu yd
Area160.00 sq ft
In-place volume1.48 cu yd
Order with waste1.63 cu yd
Estimated material cost$57.04
One yard covers108 sq ft at this depth
Planning estimate from the numbers you enter. Coverage, density, waste and price are assumptions, not a supplier quote or an engineering specification.
How it works
One yard covers 108 square feet at 3 inches.
A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. At 3 inches deep, 27 ÷ 0.25 = 108 square feet per yard, before waste. At 2 inches a yard covers more; at 4 inches it covers less. The coverage line on the result updates when you change the depth, so you are not stuck with the 3-inch rule of thumb. Waste covers irregular beds and the mulch that ends up outside the edge.
02
Example
A 40 by 4 foot bed, 3 inches deep.
The area is 160 square feet, which is 1.48 cubic yards in place. One yard covers 108 square feet at this depth. With 10% waste, order 1.63 yards. At $35 per yard the material is $57.04.
03
Tips
Do not bury the trunks.
Three inches is a common planting-bed depth away from stems. Against a foundation or a tree flare, follow the plant guidance rather than filling to a number. Bags and bulk yards are the same volume if the bag states its cubic feet. Divide bag cubic feet into 27 to see bags per yard.
04
Equipment
Bulk mulch still has to be moved.
A few yards can be wheelbarrowed. A property's seasonal mulch is often a skid steer or loader day. Dengaro finances that kind of business equipment from $15,000 to $2 million through one application.
Important questions
Know what to expect.
How do I use this as a mulch cost calculator?+
Enter the bed size, the depth, and the price per cubic yard you were given or expect to pay. The cost is material only. Delivery and labor are extra.
Why do some guides say 100 square feet per yard?+
That is a rounded 3-inch coverage that leaves a little extra. The exact figure at 3 inches is 108 square feet per yard. This calculator uses the exact depth you enter.
Does color or wood type change the yards?+
No. Yards are volume. Weight and price change by product. If you buy by the ton, ask the supplier how many yards are in a ton of that mulch.
How do I measure a curved bed?+
Break it into rectangles, or use the average width times the length. For a circle, the square footage calculator can give the area. Then divide cubic feet by 27 yourself, or enter an equivalent rectangle of the same area.
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