Estimate the volume of mulch needed to cover a garden bed, walkway, or other area at a chosen depth. Enter a known area or up to 12 rectangles. Results include cubic feet, cubic yards, cubic metres, and liters, plus an optional material-cost estimate.
Use Planner to combine a rectangular bed, circular bed, and tree ring with an inner excluded area, then compare rounded bags with a bulk minimum order and delivery charge.
Bagged versus bulk planner
Planner calculates both purchasing paths from the same required volume:
bags = ceil(required volume ÷ entered bag volume)
bulk purchase = max(required bulk volume, entered minimum order)
bagged total = bags × entered bag price
bulk total = bulk purchase × entered bulk price + delivery
The displayed difference applies only to the products, prices, and delivery terms entered. It does not compare quality, taxes, pickup costs, unloading, leftovers, or every available package combination.
A 10 ft × 20 ft bed plus an 8 ft diameter round bed and a tree ring with a 10 ft outer diameter and 2 ft inner clear circle totals about 325.66 ft². At 2 in depth it needs about 2.01 yd³. Two-cubic-foot bags round to 28 bags. The inner circle is excluded deliberately. University of Minnesota Extension advises keeping mulch away from tree trunks and describes a 2–4 in general range in its mulching guidance. Use plant, site, and material-specific guidance rather than treating the calculator default as a prescription.
Typical coverage
A 2–4 inch layer is a workable baseline for most beds. Landscaping may use the thin end of that range; vegetable gardens often sit closer to 2–3 inches.
| Area | Depth | Volume | 2 cu ft bags |
|---|---|---|---|
| 200 sq ft | 2 in | 33.3 ft³ / 1.23 yd³ | 17 |
| 10 ft × 20 ft | 2 in | 33.3 ft³ / 1.23 yd³ | 17 |
| 10 ft × 20 ft + 5 ft × 8 ft | 2 in | 40 ft³ / 1.48 yd³ | 20 |
| 20 m² | 5 cm | 1,000 L / 1.00 m³ | — |
Mulch is a layer of material on the soil surface. Organic mulches (leaves, wood chips, grass clippings) decompose and feed the soil; synthetic mulches (rubber, plastic, some dyed mixes) last longer but do not add nutrients.
Examples
200 square feet at 2 inches
Default total area. Volume is 33.3 ft³ (1.23 yd³, 0.94 m³, 944 L). At $10 per cubic foot the material cost is $333.33. Seventeen 2 cu ft bags at $4 each are $68.00.
Two rectangular beds
A 10 ft by 20 ft bed plus a 5 ft by 8 ft bed is 240 sq ft. At 2 in the volume is 40 ft³ (1.48 yd³, 1,133 L).
Metric bed
Twenty square metres at 5 cm is 1,000 L (1 m³, 1.31 yd³, 35.3 ft³).
Formula
Lengths convert through metres (1 ft = 0.3048 m). Volume is area × depth.
V_m³ = area_m² × depth_m
V_ft³ = V_m³ / 0.028316846592
V_yd³ = V_ft³ / 27
V_L = V_m³ × 1000
Bags round up. A 2 cu ft bag is V_ft³ / 2; a 60 L bag is V_L / 60.
Purchasing limits
Bag and bulk comparisons use only the package volume, prices, minimum order, and delivery charge entered. They do not compare material composition, moisture, settling, taxes, pickup costs, or leftover value. Whole-bag rounding can make a small job favor bags while a bulk minimum can dominate another job. Confirm the delivered volume and whether the supplier measures loose or settled material. Keep the entered depth aligned with plant and site guidance; the calculator does not prescribe a universal mulch layer.