Landscaping calculators and cost guides
Mulch, gravel and topsoil are all sold by volume but priced in different units — cubic yards in bulk, bags at the garden centre, tons at the quarry. One bed can be quoted three ways. Measure the area, pick a depth, and let the calculator turn it into the number on the delivery ticket.
Start with the calculator
- Mulch, gravel and topsoil calculator Enter length, width and depth to get cubic yards, cubic feet, bags, tons and an estimated cost for bulk or bagged material.
Cost guides
- How much does mulch cost? Bulk and bagged prices per cubic yard, cost per square foot, and delivery fees.
- How deep should mulch be? 2–3 inches for most beds, 4 inches maximum, plus why too much mulch kills plants.
- How much does gravel cost? Prices per ton and per cubic yard for driveways, paths and drainage, with delivery and spreading costs.
Quick numbers before you start
| Item | Typical figure |
|---|---|
| 1 cubic yard | 27 cubic feet |
| 1 cubic yard of mulch | Covers 324 sq ft at 1 in, 108 sq ft at 3 in |
| 1 cubic yard of mulch | About 13.5 bags of 2 cu ft |
| 1 cubic yard of gravel | About 1.4 tons |
| 1 cubic yard of topsoil | About 1.1 tons |
| Bulk mulch | $30–$45 per cubic yard |
| Bagged mulch | $3–$6 per 2 cu ft bag |
| Gravel | $40–$70 per ton, $55–$95 per cubic yard |
| Topsoil | $25–$45 per cubic yard |
| Mulch depth, garden beds | 2–3 in |
| Mulch depth, maximum | 4 in |
| Gravel depth, driveway surface | 4 in over a 4 in base |
| Delivery, short load | $50–$150 |
How landscaping quantities work
Every bulk landscaping material is sold by volume, even when the price is quoted by weight. One cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, which is a cube 3 ft on each side. Spread 1 inch deep it covers 324 square feet; spread 3 inches deep it covers 108. That single relationship explains most of the confusion around mulch: the bag in your hand and the pile in the driveway are the same material, just measured at different scales.
The formula is always area × depth. Measure the bed in feet, convert the depth from inches to feet by dividing by 12, multiply, then divide by 27. A 12 × 24 ft bed at 3 inches is 288 sq ft × 0.25 ft = 72 cubic feet, or 2.67 cubic yards. Add 10% for settling and uneven edges and you are ordering 3 yards.
Bulk or bags?
Bagged material is convenient, consistent and easy to carry, which is why it costs more per cubic foot. A yard of mulch in 2 cu ft bags is 13.5 bags — at $4.50 each that is roughly $60, against $30–$45 for the same yard delivered in bulk. The gap widens with size: a 10 yard job is about $250 more in bags before you count the trips.
Bags win below about half a cubic yard, or when you have no way to move a bulk pile — a narrow side gate, a steep slope, a third-floor balcony. Above one yard, bulk almost always wins even after the delivery fee. The calculator shows both totals side by side so the decision is a number, not a guess.
Depth is where most orders go wrong. Mulch is usually spread 2–3 inches, not the 6 inches many people remember. Gravel for a driveway needs a compacted base plus a surface layer, so the volume is roughly double what the visible depth suggests. Measure the depth you actually want, not the depth you think the pile looks like.
Which material goes where
- Mulch — bark, wood chips or shredded hardwood for beds around shrubs and trees. Insulates soil, holds moisture and suppresses weeds. Reapply 1–2 inches a year.
- Gravel — crushed stone for driveways, paths, drainage and dry creek beds. Angular stone locks together; rounded pea gravel does not, and migrates.
- Topsoil — screened soil for new lawns, raised beds and filling low spots. Needs to be 4–6 inches deep for turf, deeper for vegetables.
Do not substitute one for another to save a trip. Mulch on a driveway grinds into mud; gravel in a bed cooks plant roots in summer; topsoil on a path turns to ruts after rain.