Mulch Ground Coverage

1 yard of mulch equals approximately 27 cubic feet of loose bulk material. Visually, that is a pile roughly 3 feet high × 3 feet wide × 3 feet long (3′ × 3′ × 3′).

Coverage will depend on how deep the mulch is applied:

  • 1 yard covers about 81 square feet when applied at a depth of 4 inches (roughly a 9′ × 9′ area).
  • 1 yard covers about 100 square feet when applied at a depth of 3 inches (roughly a 10′ × 10′ area).
  • 1 yard covers about 162 square feet when applied at a depth of 2 inches (roughly a 13′ × 13′ area).

For transport reference, a standard pickup truck bed can hold about 3 cubic yards of mulch when heaped.

Mulch Calculations

To calculate how much mulch you need, follow these two steps:

Step 1:
Multiply the length × width × depth of the area to determine the volume in cubic feet.

Step 2:
Convert cubic feet to cubic yards by dividing by 27.

Example 1

If a garden bed is 22 feet long, 6 feet wide, and you want a 3-inch mulch depth:

Step 1: 22 × 6 × 0.25 = 33 cubic feet
(3 inches equals 0.25 feet)

Step 2: 33 ÷ 27 = 1.2 cubic yards of mulch needed

Example 2

If a garden bed is 40 feet long, 6 feet wide, and you want a 2-inch mulch depth:

Step 1: 40 × 6 × 0.17 = 40.8 cubic feet
(2 inches equals approximately 0.17 feet)

Step 2: 40.8 ÷ 27 = 1.5 cubic yards of mulch needed