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Bags vs bulk mulch
Same mulch engine as our main tool — focused on the weekend decision: haul bags from the big-box, or order bulk yards. Enter your local $/bag, $/yd, and delivery (leave blank if unknown). Prefill is a ~160 ft² bed at 3″.
Inputs
Buy-depth = target − already down. Ext. defaults 2–3 in.
Scenario templates
Area mode
Common depth presets
Optional prices (your yard)
Bed coverage diagram
Volume ≈ length × width × depth (same unit system). Diagram is schematic — not a site survey.
Order this (buy-depth + waste)
1.75 yd³
Rounded up to 0.25 yd · raw with waste 1.56 yd³
21 bags
At 2 ft³ each (rounded up)
Breakdown
- Area
- 160 ft²
- Buy depth 3 in
- Without waste (buy)
- 1.48 yd³
- 40 ft³
- Metric (with waste)
- 1.189 m³
- Waste factor
- ×1.05
- 5% extra
Order round-up step
Keep mulch a few inches off trunks and stems — extension guides warn against “volcano mulching.”
Weight & pickup trips
- Approx. weight
- 1244 lb
- 0.62 ton
- Pickup trips
- 2
- At 1 yd³ per load
Compare scenarios
Same area & waste — side-by-side from your current inputs (no second form).
Current buy-depth
1.75 yd³
21 bags
Full target depth
LEAST VOLUME
Fresh bed (no credit)
1.75 yd³
21 bags
Ignores already-down mulch
LEAST VOLUME
Buy-depth +1″
2.25 yd³
28 bags
Thicker top-up / bed
Coverage by depth (per 1,000 ft²)
Static planning table — no waste. Multiply by your area ÷ 1000.
| Depth | yd³ / 1000 ft² | ft³ / 1000 ft² |
|---|---|---|
| 1 in | 3.09 | 83.3 |
| 2 in | 6.17 | 166.7 |
| 3 in | 9.26 | 250 |
| 4 in | 12.35 | 333.3 |
| 5 in | 15.43 | 416.7 |
| 6 in | 18.52 | 500 |
Worked example (20×8 @ 3″)
20 × 8 × 0.25 = 40 ft³ ≈ 1.48 yd³. With 5% waste → about 1.56 yd³ or 21 bags of 2 ft³. At that volume, bulk usually wins unless delivery is steep — plug your yard’s numbers into the optional price fields and read the ledger.
Refreshing a bed that already has mulch? Set Already down so you order buy-depth, not a full rebuild. Full formulas and extension depth notes live on the mulch calculator.
FAQ
When do bags beat bulk mulch?
When the job is small (often under roughly ⅓ cubic yard), you have no place to dump a truck, or delivery fees wipe out the bulk savings. Enter your $/bag, $/yd, and delivery in the calculator to see the verdict for your numbers.
How many bags of mulch in a yard?
One cubic yard = 27 ft³. At 2 ft³ bags → 14 bags per yard (ceil). At 3 ft³ bags → 9 bags per yard. This page pre-fills a mid-size bed so you can compare both paths.
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