BuildMath

Mulch calculator

A 10 × 20 ft bed at 3 inches is 1.85 cubic yards of mulch, or 25 bags of 2 cubic feet.

Length
Width
Depth
Material

You need 1.85 cubic yards (50.00 cubic feet, about 0.46 tons at 0.25 tons per cubic yard).

Order about 1.85 cubic yards (0.46 tons at 0.25 tons per cubic yard), or 25 bags (2 cu ft).

Report a problem with this result
10 ft20 ft3 in deep
How we calculated this

10 ft × 20 ft × 3 in (0.250 ft) = 50.00 cubic feet. Divided by 27, that is 1.85 cubic yards.

We used shredded hardwood at 0.25 tons per cubic yard, which gives 0.46 tons.

No extra was added for waste. You can add some under More options if your ground is uneven.

Shredded hardwood and wood chips share the same cited wood-chip density, 0.25 tons per cubic yard (EPA shredded wood chips at 500 lb per cubic yard). Cornell lists hardwood wood chips at 445–620 lb per cubic yard (0.22–0.31 tons).

University of Illinois Extension recommends a 2 to 4 inch mulch layer on well-drained sites (coarse mulch toward 3 to 4 inches; composted or fine mulch toward 2 to 3). Penn State Extension gives the same 2 to 4 inch cap.

Estimate cost (optional)

Sources

Shredded hardwood and wood chips share U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (federal agency, 2016) (opens in a new tab) shredded wood chips at 500 lb per cubic yard (0.25 tons). Cornell Waste Management Institute (university, 1992) (opens in a new tab), On-Farm Composting Handbook, Appendix A Table A.1, lists hardwood wood chips at 445–620 lb per cubic yard (0.22–0.31 tons). We use 0.25.

Bark nuggets use 0.41 tons per cubic yard from FEECO (engineering reference, compiled in EPA 2016) (opens in a new tab): “Wood, bark, refuse” at 30 lb per cubic foot. Cornell hardwood bark is 116–436 lb per cubic yard. Pine bark fines default to 0.20 tons per cubic yard, the low end of Midwest Trading Southern Pine Bark Fines (manufacturer) (opens in a new tab) bulk density 15–30 lb per cubic foot (0.20–0.41 tons).

Depth guidance is 2 to 4 inches from University of Illinois Extension (university) (opens in a new tab), Proper Mulching Techniques, and Penn State Extension (university) (opens in a new tab), Mulching Landscape Trees.

Material price about $30 to $135 per cubic yard: Lawn Love, How Much Does Mulch Cost in 2026? (cost guide, updated October 9, 2026) (opens in a new tab). Pallet count of 80 bags of 2 cubic feet: Michigan Bark Products, Nature’s Mate bagged mulch (manufacturer) (opens in a new tab). Other packers use a different pallet count.

Mulch calculator

A 10 × 20 ft bed at 3 inches needs 1.85 cubic yards of mulch, or 25 bags of 2 cubic feet (17 bags of 3 cubic feet). Volume does not change with the mulch type. Tons do, and only when a cited density exists for that product.

Shredded hardwood and wood chips share the EPA shredded-wood-chip density, 0.25 tons per cubic yard. Bark nuggets and pine bark fines use separate cited figures. University extension guidance is 2 to 4 inches deep.

  1. Enter length and width in feet. For a round bed, open More options, choose Circle, and enter the diameter.
  2. Set depth in inches. Three inches is a common bed. A note appears if you go under 2 inches or over 4.
  3. Choose shredded hardwood, wood chips, bark nuggets, or pine bark fines.
  4. Leave bags on 2 cubic feet unless you are buying 3 cubic foot bags. The count rounds up.
  5. Order 1.85 cubic yards, or 25 bags of 2 cubic feet, for the default 10 × 20 ft bed at 3 inches.

Length × width × (inches ÷ 12) gives cubic feet. Divide by 27 for cubic yards. Bags = cubic feet ÷ bag size, rounded up. Tons = cubic yards × the cited density for that material.

How much mulch do I need?

Multiply length by width by depth in feet, then divide by 27. A 10 × 20 ft bed at 3 inches is 200 × 0.25 ÷ 27 = 1.85 cubic yards, which is 50 cubic feet, or 25 bags of 2 cubic feet (17 bags of 3 cubic feet). Cubic yards = L × W × depth in ft ÷ 27. The type of mulch does not change the yards; it only changes tons when a cited density is on the dropdown.

Worked example: 10 × 20 ft bed at 3 inches

Worked example

A 10 by 20 ft bed, 3 inches of mulch, no extra for waste, 2 cubic foot bags.

10 × 20 = 200 square feet. Three inches is 0.25 feet. 200 × 0.25 = 50 cubic feet. 50 ÷ 27 = 1.85 cubic yards. 50 ÷ 2 = 25 bags of 2 cubic feet. 50 ÷ 3, rounded up, is 17 bags of 3 cubic feet.

Those are the default numbers on this calculator. At the shared wood-chip density of 0.25 tons per cubic yard, 1.85 yards is about 0.46 tons of shredded hardwood or wood chips.

Mulch coverage at 2, 3 and 4 inches

Depth1 cubic yardOne 2 cu ft bagOne 3 cu ft bag
2 in162 sq ft12 sq ft18 sq ft
3 in108 sq ft8 sq ft12 sq ft
4 in81 sq ft6 sq ft9 sq ft

A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so coverage is 27 ÷ (depth in feet). The 10 × 20 ft default at 3 inches is 200 square feet: a little under two cubic yards, or 25 bags of 2 cubic feet.

Questions

How many cubic feet are in a yard of mulch?
One cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. That is the same for every mulch type. The 10 × 20 ft default at 3 inches is 50 cubic feet, or 1.85 cubic yards.
How many bags of mulch are in a yard?
A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so 13.5 bags of 2 cubic feet, or 9 bags of 3 cubic feet. This page rounds the job up, so the default 50 cubic feet is 25 bags of 2 cubic feet.
How much is a yard of mulch?
Lawn Love (cost guide, updated October 9, 2026) puts mulch material at about $30 to $135 per cubic yard, depending on the product. Installed prices are higher. Type your quote under Estimate cost.
How much does a bag of mulch weigh?
We do not ship a bag weight. Landscape bags are sold by cubic feet, and weight moves with moisture and grind. Use the bag size on the sack (2 or 3 cubic feet here) rather than pounds.
How many bags of mulch are on a pallet?
It depends on the packer. Michigan Bark Products (manufacturer) ships Nature’s Mate 2 cubic foot bags at 80 bags per pallet. Other pallets use a different count, so ask the seller.
How much does a yard of mulch cover?
One cubic yard covers 162 square feet at 2 inches, 108 square feet at 3 inches, and 81 square feet at 4 inches. A 2 cubic foot bag covers 12, 8, and 6 square feet at those depths; a 3 cubic foot bag covers 18, 12, and 9.
How deep should mulch be?
University of Illinois Extension recommends 2 to 4 inches on well-drained sites, with coarse mulch toward 3 to 4 inches and composted or fine mulch toward 2 to 3. Penn State Extension gives the same 2 to 4 inch limit. This calculator flags depths under 2 inches or over 4.

Written by The BuildMath team. Formulas tested against worked examples. Updated October 24, 2026.