What area are you covering?
Measure the actual bed, not the surrounding lawn or paths. For this rectangular tool, plan separate rectangles individually rather than including areas you will not cover.
Mulch Calculator
Plan how much mulch you need for your planting bed.
Start with the bed’s dimensions and the finished depth you want. Then use your supplier’s information to turn that volume into a bulk order.
Enter Your Measurements →Free to use · No account or email required
YOUR MEASUREMENTS
Mulch Order Planner
Choose the depth you want to add. We won’t assume supplier details; enter them when you have them.
- 1 Measure
- 2 Plan Order
- 3 Supplier Details
- 4 Review Project Sheet
1 Measure
Measure the rectangular project area in feet. Enter depth in inches.
Measure the distance along the project area in feet.
Measure across the project area in feet.
Enter the finished mulch depth you have chosen for this bed, in inches. No recommended depth or settling factor is assumed.
Measured Volume
yd³
Calculated from your measurements—not the quantity to order
ft³ m³
2 Plan Order
Add extra material only when your plan calls for it. The default is 0%. Extra allowance is separate from a loose-to-finished adjustment.
Loose-to-finished
No loose-to-finished adjustment applied. This is separate from extra allowance; no supplier factor is assumed.
There is no universal factor. Ask your supplier or check the product information for your material and finished condition. The factor multiplies volume after extra allowance to estimate loose material.
Enter a multiplier of 1 or more, not a percentage. No factor is assumed.
Planning Volume
yd³
ft³ · m³
Planning Volume includes only the choices you made before supplier rounding.
Review planning inputs →3 Supplier Details
Enter how your supplier sells and prices bulk material by the cubic yard.
Enter the quantity interval your supplier uses for bulk sales.
What is a selling increment?
For example, a supplier may sell in 0.5 yd³ increments. This is only an example. Purchase Quantity rounds up to a whole selling increment.
Supplier Costs Optional if you only need Purchase Quantity
Enter the actual price your supplier charges per cubic yard. No price is assumed.
How do I record delivery?
Leave delivery blank if the cost is unknown. Confirm $0 only when your supplier has confirmed there is no delivery charge. Customer pickup means delivery does not apply; it is different from free delivery.
Delivery
Which fees should I include?
Enter only fees you have confirmed. Leave unknown fees blank, and confirm $0 or no additional fees only when that applies.
Additional fees
HOW MUCH TO ORDER
Purchase Quantity
yd³
Planning Volume is what your project needs. Purchase Quantity is what to order based on your supplier’s selling increments.
Add or check Supplier Selling Increment →Material Subtotal
USD
Delivery, additional fees and taxes are not included.
Add or check material price →PRE-TAX TOTAL
USD
Material Subtotal plus confirmed delivery and fees. Taxes are not included. Confirm final pricing with your supplier; this is not a guaranteed final cost.
Review supplier costs →4 Review your Project Sheet
Use this sheet to review your measurements, quantities, supplier information and anything still needing confirmation.
PlanHousin / Mulch Project
Project Sheet
Your current measurements, planning decisions and order details. Review any open items before ordering.
Cost: . Taxes are not included.
Before you order
All calculation inputs are complete for this bulk-by-volume plan.
Before you cover the bed
Fresh layer or top-up?
Use the added thickness you intend to spread. Existing mulch is not a new volume to buy. Decide the depth for your bed before entering it.
Will this mulch settle?
Ask about the specific product and intended finish. Apply a loose-to-finished factor only when you have applicable information; extra allowance is a separate choice.
COVERAGE FIRST, ORDER SECOND
Measure the bed you actually plan to mulch
For a rectangular bed, measure its length and width. Leave surrounding paving and lawn out of the dimensions. Measure curved or separate beds individually. This version calculates one rectangle at a time and does not combine multiple areas.
Choose the added mulch depth
Depth means the finished layer you intend to add. For a top-up, enter only the new layer you plan to add, not the total depth of the existing mulch. Choose a depth appropriate to the bed and product; this calculator does not provide a universal recommendation.
Example: a 24 ft × 6 ft bed
At an illustrative added depth of 3 inches, 144 square feet × 0.25 feet gives 36.0 ft³, or 1.33 yd³ displayed (1.019 m³). Three inches is an example input, not advice for every planting bed.
Keep coverage, planning and purchase separate
Measured Volume describes your chosen layer. Planning Volume adds only your explicit choices: an extra allowance, or an applicable loose-to-finished factor. No settling factor is inferred from the word “mulch.” Purchase Quantity then rounds the full-precision Planning Volume up to your supplier’s selling increment.
For example only, a 0.5 yd³ selling increment would round this unadjusted 1.333… yd³ volume to 1.5 yd³. That is a selling rule, not extra allowance. The tool leaves the increment blank until you supply it.
Before ordering bulk mulch
- Confirm the exact product and whether its volume is quoted loose.
- Ask what increments and minimum orders the supplier accepts. A minimum order is not modeled by this increment field.
- Ask whether a product-specific adjustment applies to your finished layer; record its source if used.
- Confirm the price per cubic yard, delivery access, delivery charge and other fees separately.
Method and limits
Length × width × depth supplies the rectangular volume. Calculations retain full precision through explicit adjustments and upward purchase rounding. Bags, published bag yields, weight and delivery logistics are not calculated. Review the printable Mulch Project Sheet with your supplier; it is not a quote or an accepted order.