Cubic yards, bag counts & job cost for landscape mulch beds
New beds need 3–4″ of mulch for effective weed suppression. Depth below is pre-filled — adjust as needed.
Around shrubs & beds: 2–3″. Around trees/weed suppression: 3–4″. Leave a gap at the trunk — never pile mulch against bark.
Hardwood and bark mulch compress 10–15% within a few weeks of watering and rain. This adds extra volume up front so your bed still measures the target depth after it settles.
A clean spade-cut trench along the bed edge keeps mulch from spilling onto the lawn. Enter your bed's perimeter to estimate the trench volume (this is separate from mulch — it's soil you'll dig and set aside).
Please enter a valid bed size and depth first.
Total Mulch Needed (Order Amount)
–cubic yards
Enter your bed details and calculate to see results.
Enter details above to see coverage.
Retail Bag & Bulk Order Breakdown
Real-World Hauling Equivalents
Edge Trench Estimate
Project Inputs
Estimates are approximate and based on standard mulch bulk densities and industry coverage rates. Actual coverage varies by mulch moisture, texture, and settling. Confirm quantities with your supplier before ordering.
Getting an accurate mulch estimate takes less than a minute on QuickTonnage.
Not all mulch covers the same ground, and it doesn't weigh the same either. Here's a quick reference before you order:
One cubic yard covers roughly 162 square feet at 2 inches deep, or about 108 square feet at 3 inches. The QuickTonnage calculator does this math for your exact bed size automatically, so you never need to memorize these numbers.
One cubic yard equals 18 bags at 1.5 cubic feet each, or 14 bags at 2 cubic feet each. The calculator does this conversion for you based on the bag size you pick.
It depends on the type. Hardwood runs about 800 lbs per cubic yard, bark around 500 lbs, and pine straw closer to 300 lbs.
Two to three inches is standard for established beds. New beds benefit from 3–4 inches for weed control. Going past 4 inches can suffocate plant roots.
Mulch settles 10–15% within a few weeks of rain or watering. QuickTonnage adds that buffer up front so your bed still measures the right depth once it compacts the extra volume isn't overordering, it's planning ahead.
Bags make sense under about 2–3 cubic yards. Above that, bulk delivery is almost always cheaper per yard and saves a lot of trips.