Free tool
Mulch & Gravel Calculator
Enter your bed dimensions and depth and get exactly how much to order — cubic yards, bag count, tons for gravel, and cost, with a waste factor built in. Free, no signup for the estimate.
Material needed
0 yd³
- Area0 ft²
- Volume0 ft³
- Cubic yards0 yd³
- 2 ft³ bags (mulch)0
- Tons (gravel)0
- Estimated cost—
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Or download it now (PDF)How to calculate mulch, gravel, or stone
Bulk landscape material is sold by the cubic yard, so every order comes down to volume: area times depth, converted to yards. Order short and you’re back at the yard mid-job; order long and you’ve paid to haul away the extra. A quick, careful takeoff avoids both.
1. Measure the bed area
Length × width gives square feet. For curved or irregular beds, break them into rectangles (and rough triangles as half-rectangles), figure each piece, and add them together. Round generously on odd shapes.
2. Pick a depth
Depth is the number people get wrong. Mulch goes 2–3 inches for weed control and moisture; decorative gravel and stone run 2–3 inches over fabric; a gravel driveway base wants 4 inches or more. Depth is entered in inches — the calculator converts to feet before figuring volume.
3. Convert to cubic yards
Multiply area (ft²) by depth in feet for cubic feet, then divide by 27 for cubic yards. Bagged mulch comes in 2-cubic-foot bags — about 14 to a yard — so the bag line tells you when bulk delivery is the cheaper move.
4. Gravel by the ton
Many suppliers sell gravel and stone by weight, not volume. Gravel runs roughly 1.35 tons per cubic yard, so the tonnage line lets you order and price either way. For a large or wet load, confirm the exact conversion with your supplier.
Measuring the job is step one. Turning it into a priced, professional quote is faster inside CrewRivet. See the concrete calculator, the job pricing calculator, or the roofing calculator.
Mulch & gravel calculator FAQ
- How many cubic yards of mulch do I need?
- Multiply the bed’s length × width to get square feet, multiply by your depth in feet (depth in inches ÷ 12), then divide by 27 — there are 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard. For an irregular bed, split it into rectangles, figure each, and add them up. This calculator does the unit conversions for you.
- How deep should mulch or gravel be?
- Mulch is typically laid 2–3 inches deep — enough to suppress weeds and hold moisture without smothering roots. Decorative gravel and stone usually go 2–3 inches over landscape fabric; a gravel driveway base wants 4 inches or more. Set the depth field to match and the volume updates instantly.
- How many bags of mulch are in a cubic yard?
- Bagged mulch is usually sold in 2-cubic-foot bags, and a cubic yard is 27 cubic feet — so about 14 bags per yard (27 ÷ 2 ≈ 13.5, rounded up). Past roughly one yard, bulk mulch delivered by the yard is almost always cheaper and far less hauling than stacking bags.
- How do I convert cubic yards of gravel to tons?
- Gravel weighs roughly 1.3–1.5 tons per cubic yard depending on the stone and moisture; this calculator uses about 1.35 tons per yard as a working estimate. Since many yards sell gravel by the ton, the tonnage line lets you order and price either way. Confirm the exact weight with your supplier for a big load.
- Is this calculator free?
- Yes — the live estimate is free with no email required. Enter your email only if you want the free Job Pricing Kit (pricing worksheet, markup cheat-sheet, and invoice + quote templates) sent to your inbox.