Solve backwards
How much bed will a yard of mulch cover?
- 3 yd³The example worked below
- Mulch & Gravel CalculatorEvery figure is its own
You have
How much bulk mulch?
That is 3 yd³(2.3 m³). Worked by the Mulch & Gravel Calculator at the settings below.
The settings it uses
- Depth
- 3 in
- Extra for Settling (%)
- 10
What it will do
295 sq ft of bed
27.4 m²
One bed. Enough for a bed 21.3 × 13.8 ft at 3 in deep.
Or several. About 4 beds of the size the Mulch & Gravel Calculator opens on: a bed 10 × 6.5 ft at 3 in deep.
Check it forwards
- Area Length
- 21.3 ft
- Area Width
- 13.8 ft
- It asks for
- 3 yd³
- You have
- 3 yd³
The Mulch & Gravel Calculator asks for 3 yd³ at that size.
If you had more, or less
Around your amount
Each worked by the Mulch & Gravel Calculator at the same settings.
Half
1.5 yd³
147 sq ft
a bed 15.1 × 9.8 ft at 3 in deep
Yours
3 yd³
295 sq ft
a bed 21.3 × 13.8 ft at 3 in deep
Half as much again
4.5 yd³
442 sq ft
a bed 26.1 × 16.9 ft at 3 in deep
Double
6 yd³
589 sq ft
a bed 30 × 20 ft at 3 in deep
Common amounts
What each amount of bulk mulch covers
The sizes it is usually sold in, each worked by the Mulch & Gravel Calculator at the settings above.
| You have | It covers | As one bed | Average beds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 yd³(0.8 m³) | 98.2 sq ft(9.12 m²) | a bed 12.3 × 8 ft at 3 in deep | 1 |
| 2 yd³(1.5 m³) | 196 sq ft(18.2 m²) | a bed 17.4 × 11.3 ft at 3 in deep | 3 |
| 3 yd³(2.3 m³) | 295 sq ft(27.4 m²) | a bed 21.3 × 13.8 ft at 3 in deep | 4 |
| 5 yd³(3.8 m³) | 491 sq ft(45.6 m²) | a bed 27.5 × 17.9 ft at 3 in deep | 7 |
Area times depth, over 324
The trade's shortcut is cubic yards equals square feet times inches of depth divided by 324, the formula the calculator uses. At 3 inches a cubic yard covers 108 square feet; at 2 inches, 162. In metric, a cubic metre covers 13.3 m² at 75 mm and 20 m² at 50 mm — depth moves it more than anything.
The settling allowance comes off
The calculator adds ten per cent for mulch settling and a base that is rarely level, the 5 to 10 per cent its guidance gives. Read backwards, that same tenth comes off the load, so a cubic yard covers about 98 square feet at 3 inches rather than 108. The pile you have is what the bed will actually take, not its face value.
Fresh bed or top-up
Two to three inches (50 to 75 mm) is typical for topping up an existing layer, three to four (75 to 100 mm) for a fresh bed, and the calculator opens at three. Topping up a bed that already carries mulch covers far more ground with the same load — enter only the depth you are adding.
How the answer is worked
Nothing here is a second formula. The Mulch & Gravel Calculator runs forwards — a size in, a quantity out — and this page grows its own starting bed in proportion until the quantity it asks for is what you have. Where it rounds up to whole containers, the answer is the largest size before the next one would be needed.
Where the calculator adds an allowance for cuts or breakage when you order, the same allowance comes off here, because it is the same calculator: a stack you already own finishes less than its face value. Where it adds none, neither does this page — the settings beside the answer say which.
Mulch & Gravel Calculator
runs it forwardsEstimate the mulch, gravel or soil needed to cover an area at a given depth, in cubic yards or cubic metres.
Work out what to buy insteadSolve backwards
Other things you might already have
How big a bed will my bags of mulch cover?
Bagged mulch, worked by the Mulch Calculator.
How much ground will my gravel cover?
Gravel, worked by the Mulch & Gravel Calculator.
How big a bed will my topsoil fill?
Topsoil, worked by the Topsoil Calculator.
How big a raised bed will my soil fill?
Raised bed soil, worked by the Garden Soil Calculator.
How much ground will my compost dress?
Compost, worked by the Compost Blend Calculator.
How big a slab will a yard of concrete pour?
Ready-mix concrete, worked by the Concrete Calculator.
Solve backwards
Start from what is already in the yard
Paint, sheets, rolls, bags and pieces, each read the other way by the calculator that orders it.
The calculator's own figures
Nothing is estimated twice: the page runs the same calculator you would order with.
The largest size that fits
Where a calculator rounds up to whole containers, the answer stops before the next one.
Both unit systems
Gallons and litres, square feet and square metres, side by side.
Frequently asked questions
- How much bed does 3 yd³ of bulk mulch cover?
- At the Mulch & Gravel Calculator's own settings, 295 sq ft (27.4 m²) — a bed 21.3 × 13.8 ft at 3 in deep. That is about 4 beds of the size the calculator opens on: a bed 10 × 6.5 ft at 3 in deep. Every figure follows the settings, which you can change in the calculator.
- How much bed does 2 m³ of bulk mulch cover?
- At the Mulch & Gravel Calculator's own settings, 24.2 m² (261 sq ft) — a bed 6 × 4 m at 75 mm deep. That is about 4 beds of the size the calculator opens on: a bed 3 × 2 m at 75 mm deep. Every figure follows the settings, which you can change in the calculator.
- How many square feet does a cubic yard of mulch cover?
- At 3 inches deep a cubic yard covers 108 square feet (about 10 m²), at 2 inches 162 square feet, and at 4 inches 81. With a ten per cent allowance for settling and an uneven base, plan on about 98 square feet at 3 inches.
- How much does a cubic metre of mulch cover?
- At 75 mm deep a cubic metre covers about 13.3 m² (143 square feet), and at 50 mm about 20 m². Take a tenth off for settling and an uneven base, and plan on about 12 m² at 75 mm for a fresh bed.
- How many bags of mulch equal a cubic yard?
- A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so it is 13.5 bags of 2 cubic feet — call it 14. In metric, a cubic metre is 1,000 litres: about 14 bags of 70 litres or 20 of 50. Above a fairly modest quantity, bulk delivery usually costs less than the same volume in bags.