How Much Mulch Do I Need?
Not sure how much mulch to buy? Enter your bed's length, width, and depth and we'll tell you the cubic yards and number of bags.
Area: 100 sq ft
1.0cubic yards
Bulk is usually sold in ½-yard increments with a ~1-yard delivery minimum — round up when you order.
Show the math
- Area100 sq ft
- Volume100 sq ft × 3 in ÷ 1225.0 cu ft
- Cubic yards25.0 cu ft ÷ 270.9 cu yd
- + 10% waste0.9 × 1.101.0 cu ydthe amount to buy in bulk, before rounding to bags
- Bags27.5 cu ft ÷ 2 cu ft/bag14 bagsrounded up to whole bags
Est. cost $31–$51typical bulk price · adjust for your supplier
Bags or bulk for this job?
For this size, bags usually wins.
≈ 9 wheelbarrow loads to spread · delivery fee varies by distance — confirm at checkout.
- Low-fi estimate. Confirm coverage and bag sizes with your supplier.
- Includes a 10% overage allowance.
- Bag count assumes 2 cu ft bags. Bulk delivery is sold by the cubic yard.
Doing more than one bed or material?
Want it installed?
Let a local pro know you're interested · no obligation
Planning more than one thing? Open the Yard Planner → to trace your whole yard over an aerial photo and total every material at once.
How to measure for mulch
- Measure the length and width of your area in feet.
- Multiply them for square feet (or just enter length and width above).
- Choose a depth — we default to 3 inches for mulch.
- Read your total in cubic yards, or the number of bags.
How Much Mulch Do I Need? coverage at a glance (3" deep)
| Area (sq ft) | Cubic yards | Bags |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 1.0 | 14 |
| 200 | 2.0 | 28 |
| 300 | 3.1 | 42 |
| 500 | 5.1 | 69 |
| 1,000 | 10.2 | 138 |
Includes a 10% overage allowance. Estimates are low-fi — confirm with your supplier.
Frequently asked questions
How do I figure out how much mulch I need?
Multiply the bed's length by its width to get square feet, then by the depth in feet. Or skip the math: enter your numbers above. One cubic yard covers about 108 sq ft at 3 inches deep.
Is it better to buy mulch in bags or bulk?
For more than about 8–10 bags, bulk by the cubic yard is usually cheaper and means less hauling. Bags win for small touch-ups.