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Mulch & Topsoil Calculator: Cubic Yards and Bags

Enter your garden bed size in feet and the depth in inches to see cubic yards of mulch, topsoil or compost and how many 2 or 1.5 cu ft bags to buy.

Tool inputs stay in your browser · optional AI search sends your query

Good to know: Scope: how much mulch, topsoil, garden soil or compost you need to cover a flat garden bed, tree ring or lawn area at an even depth, in cubic yards and cubic feet, and how many bags to buy. It uses the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension formula: cubic yards = length in feet × width in feet × (depth in inches ÷ 12) ÷ 27, and bags = cubic feet ÷ the cubic feet printed on the bag, rounded up. Circles use the area of a circle (π × radius²). The mulch depth tip (3 to 4 inches, kept about 3 inches away from stems and trunks) is from UF/IFAS Extension. The extra amount is your choice. Not included: sloped or uneven ground, how much soil settles after watering, raised-bed fill blends, gravel and stone (use a gravel tool), prices or delivery fees in your area, and weight per yard (it changes with the material and how wet it is). Everything stays in this browser tab; nothing is sent or saved. Independent ToolsKo estimate. Sources reviewed November 11, 2026.

How to use it (step by step)

  1. 1Pick what you are spreading (mulch, topsoil or compost) and the shape of the area: a rectangle, a circle such as a tree ring, or type the square feet if you already know them.
  2. 2Enter the size in feet and how deep you want it in inches (3 inches is a common mulch depth). Add how many identical beds you have.
  3. 3Pick the bag size printed on the bag and read the cubic yards and number of bags. Round up if your ground is uneven.

Words to know

Cubic yard
A box 3 feet long, 3 feet wide and 3 feet high, which is 27 cubic feet. Landscape suppliers sell bulk mulch and soil by the cubic yard.
Cubic feet per bag
How much material is in one bag, printed on the front, for example 2 cu ft. Bagged mulch is sold by volume, not by weight.
Depth
How thick the layer is, in inches. Divide by 12 to get feet: 3 inches is one quarter of a foot.
Square feet
The flat area you are covering: length × width in feet. A 10 × 10 ft bed is 100 square feet.

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Sources & methods

References checked November 11, 2026. Read each tool’s scope and assumptions before relying on its result.

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