MULCH CALCULATOR: How much mulch do I need?

Measure the bed, pick a depth, get cubic yards. Square feet × depth in inches ÷ 324 = cubic yards.

HOW TO MEASURE
  1. 1
    Measure the bed at its widest points.

    Run a tape along the longest edge for the length, then across at the widest spot for the width. Round up to the nearest foot.

  2. 2
    Pick a depth.

    2 inches is the minimum to suppress weeds. 3 inches is standard for flower beds and around trees. 4 inches for fresh installs that haven't settled.

  3. 3
    Plug it in.

    Enter length × width × depth above. The calculator does the cubic-yard math; we round up to a number we can actually scoop.

IRREGULAR SHAPES

For a curving bed, break it into 2–3 rectangles or one big rectangle minus a corner, then add the pieces together. Don't bother being surgical — mulch packs down, and 10% extra is cheap insurance.

Full guide with worked examples: How much mulch do I need?

MULCH CALCULATOR

Most flower beds want 2–4 inches deep. Around trees, 3 inches is plenty.

0.0cubic yards
0.0with 12% overage
0.0≈ tons (rough)
BROWSE MULCH ↗

The short version

Square feet × depth in inches ÷ 324 = cubic yards. A 10 × 20 ft bed (200 sq ft) at 3 inches deep needs 1.85 cubic yards, or 2.07 with the calculator's 12% overage for settling. Bulk mulch is sold by the cubic yard.

Mulch coverage by depth

DepthCubic yards per 100 sq ftSq ft one cubic yard of mulch covers
1 in0.31324
2 in0.62162
3 in0.93108
4 in1.2381

How deep to spread it

  • 2 inches is the minimum to suppress weeds.
  • 3 inches is standard for flower beds and around trees.
  • 4 inches for fresh installs that haven't settled yet.
  • Mulch packs down. Order 10 to 15% extra for settling and waste.

Order it

Order by 10 AM for same-day delivery across south DFW on in-stock material. Details are in the delivery policy.

See all mulch prices and stock · Mulch material guide

Read the full guide

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