MC360 // Landscaping & Grounds
MULCH THE BEDS.SKIP THE FIFTHTRIP TO THE YARD.
How much mulch do I need? One cubic yard covers about 108 square feet at 3 inches deep — but beds are never square and bags never go as far as the label suggests. Enter bed dimensions and depth; get cubic yards and bag counts in one pass.
The Instrument
The Mulch Calculator, up close
Inputs
Outputs
Opens the live calculator on matcalc360.pro
Run your own numbersProcess
Three steps. Zero guesswork.
Enter your measurements
Length, width, depth, pitch — the numbers you already pace off on site. No blueprints, no signup, no spreadsheet.
Calculate materials
The calculator applies the right formulas, density factors and waste allowances for your specific material.
Get your results
Squares, yards, tons, boards or sheets — a clean order list you can hand straight to the supplier.
Field Guide
MULCH MATH, FROM BEDS TO BAGS
Volume is area times depth
Mulch starts with the same math as concrete: square footage times depth in feet, divided by 27, equals cubic yards. The shortcut worth memorizing — one cubic yard covers 162 square feet at 2 inches, 108 at 3 inches, and 81 at 4 inches deep.
- 1 cu yd ≈ 108 sq ft @ 3 in
- Beds: measure each, add together
- Depth in feet (3 in = 0.25 ft)
Bags vs. bulk
Bagged mulch comes in 2 and 3 cubic-foot bags — 13.5 of the 2 cu ft bags equal one cubic yard. Bags make sense under two yards or for spot work; beyond that, bulk delivery costs roughly half per yard and skips a trunkload of plastic.
- 13.5 × 2 cu ft bags = 1 cu yd
- 9 × 3 cu ft bags = 1 cu yd
- Bulk wins above ~2 yards
Depth rules that protect plants
Two to three inches is the working range: enough to block weeds and hold moisture, not so much it suffocates roots. Keep mulch pulled back from trunks and stems — the volcano mound against bark invites rot and rodents, not curb appeal.
- 2–3 in for beds, 4 in max
- Keep mulch off trunks and stems
- Top up 1 in yearly, don't pile on
Keep calculating
ONE CUBIC YARD COVERS
108 ft²
at the standard 3-inch depth — the number behind every mulch order
Related Calculators
Keep the takeoff going
FAQ
Questions from the field
Straight answers on units, waste factors and ordering — the details that decide whether the job finishes on the first delivery.
Ready when you are
STOP GUESSING.START BUILDING.
Free. No signup. Built for the jobsite.