How much does a yard of mulch weigh?
Published weights of a cubic yard of mulch run from 243 to 500 lb across 5 values from 4 documents, measured in different conditions. The calculators use 500 lb per cubic yard, published as “Wood chips, shredded” by U.S. EPA, because three publishers (U.S. EPA, Seattle Public Utilities and the U.S. Census Bureau) print the same 500 lb for wood chips; the lower values are green and dry wood chips. One ton of mulch is about 4 cubic yards.
0 uses the published 500 lb/yd³
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1 ton of mulch is about 4 cubic yards at 500 lb per cubic yard.
- Cubic yards
- 4
- Cubic feet
- 108
- Tons
- 1
- Pounds
- 2,000
- Cubic yards at the published range, same condition
- 4–8.23
- Bags of 1.5 cu ft
- 72
- Rounded up to the next half yard
- 4 yd³
How it is calculated
- Pounds = 1 ton × 2,000 lb = 2,000 lb.
- Cubic yards = 2,000 lb ÷ 500 lb/yd³ = 4 yd³.
- Cubic feet = 4 yd³ × 27 = 108 cu ft.
- Bags = 108 cu ft ÷ 1.5 cu ft, rounded up = 72.
Published weight of a cubic yard of mulch
| Publisher | Category and condition in the document | Value as printed | Pounds per cubic yard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Department of Ecology | “Wood chips (dry) one cubic yard 243 (source Oregon DEQ)” Condition: dry, compaction not stated | 243 lb/yd³ | 243 |
| Washington Department of Ecology | “Wood chips (green) one cubic yard 473 (source Oregon DEQ)” Condition: green, compaction not stated | 473 lb/yd³ | 473 |
| Seattle Public Utilities | “500 lb, one cubic yard, Wood chips” Condition: not stated | 500 lb/yd³ | 500 |
| U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (used by the calculators) | “Wood chips, shredded | 1 cubic yard | 500 | U.S. EPA” Condition: not stated | 500 lb/yd³ | 500 |
| U.S. Census Bureau | “Table 4. One cubic yard of Wood chips, particles (SCTG 26100) 500 pounds” Condition: not stated | 500 lb/yd³ | 500 |
Mulch weight by volume
At 500 lb per cubic yard, 5 cubic yards of mulch weigh about 2,500 lb (1.25 tons) and 10 cubic yards about 2.5 tons.
| Volume | Pounds | Tons | Tons, published range, same condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cubic foot | 19 | 0.009 | 0.005–0.009 |
| 0.5 cubic yards | 250 | 0.125 | 0.061–0.125 |
| 1 cubic yard | 500 | 0.25 | 0.12–0.25 |
| 2 cubic yards | 1,000 | 0.5 | 0.24–0.5 |
| 3 cubic yards | 1,500 | 0.75 | 0.36–0.75 |
| 5 cubic yards | 2,500 | 1.25 | 0.61–1.25 |
| 10 cubic yards | 5,000 | 2.5 | 1.22–2.5 |
| 15 cubic yards | 7,500 | 3.75 | 1.82–3.75 |
| 20 cubic yards | 10,000 | 5 | 2.43–5 |
How many yards in a ton of mulch?
One ton of mulch is about 4 cubic yards at 500 lb per cubic yard, and 4–8.23 cubic yards across the published values in the same condition. Five tons is about 20 cubic yards.
| Tons | Cubic yards | Cubic yards, published range |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 4–8.23 |
| 2 | 8 | 8–16.46 |
| 3 | 12 | 12–24.69 |
| 4 | 16 | 16–32.92 |
| 5 | 20 | 20–41.15 |
| 6 | 24 | 24–49.38 |
| 7 | 28 | 28–57.61 |
| 8 | 32 | 32–65.84 |
| 9 | 36 | 36–74.07 |
| 10 | 40 | 40–82.3 |
| 15 | 60 | 60–123.46 |
| 20 | 80 | 80–164.61 |
| 25 | 100 | 100–205.76 |
Why the weight of mulch differs between sources
The published values for mulch range from 243 to 500 lb per cubic yard across 5 values from 4 documents. A cubic yard weighs more when the material is wet than when it is dry, and more when it is compacted than when it is loose; the documents above measured it in different conditions.
For an order, ask the supplier for the weight per cubic yard of the material they deliver, and use it as your own density in the converter.