Mulch Calculator

How many cubic yards of material (mulch, playground wood chips, landscape mix, etc) do you need?

CALCULATOR: To arrive someday, meanwhile....

Here is the manual calculation and some tips:

Area (sq ft) x Depth (in) / 12 in / 27 cu ft = cu yds

Ex: You have 6 ft wide beds running the 80 ft length of your
      backyard and desire 1 inch of mulch.
      Area: 6 ft x 80 ft = 480 sq ft.
      480 sq ft x 1 in / 12 in / 27 cu ft = 1.48 cu yd or ~1.5 cu yd

For comparison to bagged material, if a bag has 2 cu ft, then 13.5 bags make 1 cu yd (27 cu ft in a cu yd), so you would need 20 bags of mulch for 1 inch depth in the above example (13.5 bags/yd x 1.5 yds). Hardwood mulch is $2.86/bag at the local home improvement store, so a cubic yard costs $38.61 + tax. ($57.92 + tax for 1.5 yd in this example).

Depth is how deep you want the material. Many homeowners just barely cover the old mulch with 1/4"-1/2", but 1" is recommended to protect the plants further from heat stress and moisture loss. Maximum recommended is 2" depth.

To calculate area of various shapes:

Rectangle = length x width (plant beds)
Circle = 3.1416 x radius x radius (tree rings)
Triangle = length x width x 1/2
Odd shapes = draw on paper, then divide into triangles and rectangles and calculate the area of each, then total the results.

Ex: A 5.5' diameter tree ring (many curbside trees) is about 24' sq ft and requires 1
      bag of mulch (2 cu ft) to mulch it 1" deep (3.1416 x 2.75' x 2.75' x 1" / 12" =
      ~2 cu ft).

For best results, make a simple drawing of your yard, then measure (don't estimate) your beds and tree rings. Note the measurements on the drawings, then use the calculations above to get the total square footage of the areas you want mulched. Use the first calculation (top of page) to determine the amount of mulch you need.

Residents please note: 5 yard minimum in NW Houston, 10 yard minimum in the rest of Houston for residential jobs. Most residents with average size lots only need 3-5 yards. You might consider getting your neighbors to join you to meet the minimum.

Texas Power Mulch is located in northwest Houston, TX and will install mulch, playground wood chips, and other materials in most communities surrounding Houston. For larger jobs, we will serve most of Texas. Contact Us.