How much does a yard of mulch cover?
One cubic yard of mulch covers 162 sq ft at 2 inches deep, 108 sq ft at 3 inches and 81 sq ft at 4 inches.
Square feet covered by a cubic yard of mulch by depth
| Depth, in | 1 cubic yard, sq ft | 2 cubic yards, sq ft | 3 cubic yards, sq ft | 5 cubic yards, sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 324 | 648 | 972 | 1,620 |
| 2 | 162 | 324 | 486 | 810 |
| 3 | 108 | 216 | 324 | 540 |
| 4 | 81 | 162 | 243 | 405 |
| 5 | 65 | 130 | 194 | 324 |
| 6 | 54 | 108 | 162 | 270 |
Published mulch depths and the area a cubic yard covers
| Use | Depth, in | One cubic yard covers, sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| Pine or hardwood bark | 2–3 | 108–162 |
| Wood chips or shredded wood | 2–4 | 81–162 |
| Coarse mulch, larger particles | 2–4 | 81–162 |
| Fine or double-shredded mulch | 1–2 | 162–324 |
| Trees and shrubs | 2–3 | 108–162 |
| Playground loose-fill (wood mulch or wood chips), minimum compressed depth | 9 | 36 |
| Playground, initial fill to keep 9 inches of wood chips after compression | 12 | 27 |
| Heavy use area, bark mulch or tanbark, minimum layer | 6 | 54 |
How the area a cubic yard of mulch covers is calculated
Area = 324 × cubic yards ÷ depth in inches. A cubic yard is 27 cu ft; spread 1 inch (1/12 ft) deep it covers 27 × 12 = 324 sq ft. At 3 inches: 324 ÷ 3 = 108 sq ft.
How deep to spread mulch
The right depth depends on the mulch and on what it covers: the published depths above run from a thin layer of fine mulch over beds to deep loose fill under playground equipment. A thicker layer needs more mulch in direct proportion: doubling the depth halves the area a cubic yard covers.
For a bed of any shape, measure its area in square feet and divide it by the coverage at your depth to get the cubic yards to order.