How to calculate how much mulch you need
Bagged mulch is sold by the cubic foot and bulk mulch by the cubic yard. Work out the volume from the bed area and the depth, then divide by the bag size.
bags = cubic feet ÷ bag size (cu ft), rounded up
cubic yards = cubic feet ÷ 27
A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so it takes 27 ÷ 2 = 13.5 bags of 2 cu ft, or 18 bags of 1.5 cu ft, to make one yard.
Example: a bed along the front of the house
A bed 3 ft deep and 40 ft long, mulched 3 inches deep:
- Area: 3 × 40 = 120 sq ft
- Volume: 120 × 3 ÷ 12 = 30 cu ft = 1.11 cu yd
- 2 cu ft bags: 30 ÷ 2 = 15 bags (or 30 ÷ 1.5 = 20 bags of 1.5 cu ft)
Keep the mulch 6–12 inches back from the wall of the house (see below). Measure the bed from that line if you want an exact count.
Example: a ring around a tree
A ring 8 ft across, with a 1 ft circle left bare around the trunk, mulched 3 inches deep:
- Area: π × ((8 ÷ 2)² − (1 ÷ 2)²) = 49.48 sq ft
- Volume: 49.48 × 3 ÷ 12 = 12.37 cu ft
- 2 cu ft bags: 12.37 ÷ 2 = 6.19 → 7 bags
Choose Ring above to do the same for your trees.
How far a bag or a yard of mulch goes
| Bag | Sold as | Bags per cu yd | At 1 in | At 2 in | At 3 in | At 4 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 cu ft | Scotts Nature Scapes; Timberline hardwood[1][2] | 13.5 | 24.0 sq ft | 12.0 sq ft | 8.0 sq ft | 6.0 sq ft |
| 1.5 cu ft | Scotts Nature Scapes (smaller bag)[1] | 18.0 | 18.0 sq ft | 9.0 sq ft | 6.0 sq ft | 4.5 sq ft |
| 1.15 cu ft | RubberLast rubber mulch[3] | 23.5 | 13.8 sq ft | 6.9 sq ft | 4.6 sq ft | 3.5 sq ft |
| 0.8 cu ft | Rubberific rubber mulch[4] | 33.8 | 9.6 sq ft | 4.8 sq ft | 3.2 sq ft | 2.4 sq ft |
| 1 cu yd (bulk) | — | — | 324 sq ft | 162 sq ft | 108 sq ft | 81 sq ft |
Clemson Extension gives the same 324 sq ft for a cubic yard at 1 inch.[5] Makers’ coverage labels are sometimes rounded down: the Timberline 2 cu ft bag says 12 sq ft at 2 inches, which matches the geometry, but RubberLast’s chart gives 6.5 sq ft at 2 inches for a 1.15 cu ft bag, where the geometry gives 6.9.[2][3] This calculator uses the exact figure and rounds the bag count up.
How deep to spread mulch
| Mulch | Depth | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Around trees | 2–3 in | Penn State[6] |
| Around trees, maximum | 2–4 in | University of Vermont[7] |
| Fine-textured wood or bark mulch | no more than 2–3 in | Clemson[5] |
| Coarse mulch such as pine bark nuggets | up to 4 in | Clemson[5] |
| Grass clippings or shredded leaves | never more than 2 in | Clemson[5] |
| Layer to hold back weeds | 3 in | Scotts[1] |
| Rubber mulch in landscape beds | at least 2 in | RubberLast[3] |
The calculator starts at 3 inches, the top of the extension range for shredded mulch and the depth Scotts gives for weed control. Coarse bark nuggets let more air through, which is why Clemson allows them deeper. Clippings and leaves mat down and block air and water. The depths here are for landscape beds; for mulch under play equipment, follow the CPSC Public Playground Safety Handbook.[8]
Keep mulch off trunks and away from the house
A “mulch volcano” piled against a trunk harms the tree. Penn State lists bark decay, heat, root rot, roots that circle and girdle the trunk, and a dry layer that sheds water instead of soaking it in.[6] Vermont Extension adds that mulch deeper than 4 inches can encourage new roots that circle and girdle the tree, and that the pile gives voles cover.[7]
- Leave at least 3 inches clear around the root flare of a tree (UVM), and 2–3 inches around the stems of woody plants (Clemson).[7][5]
- Keep mulch 6–12 inches away from the walls of buildings, so it doesn’t give termites a path in.[5]
- Spread mulch out toward the drip line of the tree rather than piling it up.[6]
How much mulch weighs
Weight matters only for hauling. Most published figures are for oven-dried mulch; mulch from a bag or a pile is moist and heavier.
| Mulch | Lb per cu yd (as sold) | Published figure | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shredded hardwood mulch | 400–800 | 421 oven-dry | [9][10] |
| Wood chips | 450–650 | 445–620 typical; green chips 508–551 | [10][11] |
| Pine bark mulch or nuggets | 200–500 | 185–287 oven-dry | [9][12] |
| Rubber mulch | 702 | about 26 lb per cu ft | [3] |
The upper ends of the ranges for shredded hardwood and pine bark are our allowance for moisture. We found no published measurement of bagged or bulk mulch as sold.
Hauling mulch in a pickup
Mulch is light, so a pickup fills up before it reaches its payload. An 8 ft bed holds about 2 cubic yards level.[13] Two yards of shredded hardwood weigh 800–1,600 lb, and two yards of rubber mulch 1,404 lb, both under the 2,000 lb of cargo the calculator assumes. Ford lists 2,440 lb as the most a 2026 F-150 can carry, and only in the configuration built for maximum payload; payload also includes the people in the cab.[14] Wet mulch weighs more, so check the payload on your door-jamb label. A single-axle dump truck carries about 6 cubic yards.[15]
Bags or bulk?
One cubic yard is 13.5 bags of 2 cu ft. To compare, multiply the price of one bag by 13.5 and set it against the bulk price per yard plus the delivery fee. Enter either price above to see the cost of your job.
Questions people ask
How can I calculate how much mulch I need?
Multiply the bed’s length × width in feet by the depth in inches ÷ 12 to get cubic feet, then divide by the bag size. A 10 × 10 ft bed 3 inches deep needs 25 cu ft: 13 bags of 2 cu ft, or 0.93 cubic yards.
How much do 20 bags of mulch cover?
Twenty 2 cu ft bags hold 40 cubic feet. That covers 240 sq ft at 2 inches deep or 160 sq ft at 3 inches.
How much will 25 bags of mulch cover?
Twenty-five 2 cu ft bags hold 50 cubic feet, enough for 300 sq ft at 2 inches or 200 sq ft at 3 inches.
How many bags of mulch is 4 yards?
Four cubic yards is 108 cubic feet: 54 bags of 2 cu ft or 72 bags of 1.5 cu ft.
Is it cheaper to get mulch in bulk or bags?
It depends on local prices. One cubic yard equals 13.5 bags of 2 cu ft, so multiply the bag price by 13.5 and compare it with the bulk price per yard plus delivery.
Related calculators
Sources
- ScottsMiracle-Gro, Scotts Nature Scapes mulch, 2 cu ft. Checked 2026-09-26.
- Lowe’s (product listing), Timberline 2 cu ft black hardwood mulch. 2 cu ft bag; covers 12 sq ft at 2 in. Checked 2026-09-26.
- Mahantango Enterprises (RubberLast), Rubber mulch products. Rubber mulch about 26 lb per cubic foot; lay at least 2 in. Checked 2026-09-26.
- Lowe’s (product listing), Rubberific 0.8 cu ft rubber mulch. Checked 2026-09-26.
- Clemson Cooperative Extension, HGIC 1604 Mulch. Depth by mulch type; keep mulch 6–12 in from buildings. Checked 2026-09-26.
- Penn State Extension, Mulch Volcanoes Are Erupting Everywhere!. Mulch 2–3 in deep; keep it off the trunk. Checked 2026-09-26.
- University of Vermont Extension, Beware the Mulch Volcano. Checked 2026-09-26.
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Public Playground Safety Handbook (Pub. 325). Loose-fill depths for pea gravel and sand. Checked 2026-09-26.
- NIST Fire Research Division, Suzuki and Manzello, bulk densities of landscape mulches. Checked 2026-09-26.
- Cornell Waste Management Institute / NRAES, On-Farm Composting Handbook, Appendix A Table 1. Bulk weights of wood chips, bark and leaves. Checked 2026-09-26.
- University of Washington (D. Briggs), Forest Products Measurements and Conversion Factors (1994), chapter 7. Checked 2026-09-26.
- University of Florida, Duryea, English and Hermansen (1999), A Comparison of Landscape Mulches. Checked 2026-09-26.
- Landscape Recycling Center (Champaign–Urbana), Measurements. Pickup bed capacities. Checked 2026-09-26.
- Ford Motor Company, 2026 F-150 specifications. Maximum payload 2,440 lb in the best configuration. Checked 2026-09-26.
- Texas Department of Transportation, Seal Coat and Surface Treatment Manual: Haul Trucks, Size. Single-axle about 6 cu yd; tandem 12–14 cu yd. Checked 2026-09-26.