Skip to content
Matholio

Landscaping calculators

Landscaping calculators for garden beds and patios. Turn bed and patio measurements into bags or cubic yards of mulch, paver counts and the gravel and sand underneath.

Quick answer

How much mulch do I need?

Multiply the bed length by its width and by the depth in inches, divide by 12 for cubic feet, then by 27 for cubic yards. A 20 × 10 ft bed 3 in deep needs 50 cu ft, which is 1.85 cubic yards or 25 bags of 2 cu ft.

Choose a calculator

Each card shows the result for a typical project. Open one to enter your own measurements.

Mulch Calculator Bags or cubic yards of mulch for a bed. 20 × 10 ft bed, 3 in deep 1.85 cubic yards Buy 25 bags of 2 cu ft, or 1.85 cubic yards in bulk Open calculator Paver Calculator Pavers, gravel base and sand for a patio. 16 × 12 ft patio, 12 × 12 in pavers 212 pavers Plus 3.65 tons of gravel base and 32 bags of bedding sand Open calculator

Which calculator do I need?

Find your job in the list and go straight to the right calculator.

Landscaping guide

Plan your landscaping project

Depth decides the order

Mulch and base material are bought by volume, so depth matters as much as area. Going from 2 to 3 inches of mulch adds half again to the order. Most beds use 2 to 3 inches; keep mulch a few inches away from trunks and stems.

Bags or bulk?

Bagged mulch is easy to carry and store, but a cubic yard takes 13.5 bags of 2 cu ft. Past two or three cubic yards, a bulk delivery from a landscape yard is usually cheaper and much faster to spread.

What goes under a paver patio

A paver patio sits on a compacted gravel base, commonly about 4 inches for foot traffic, topped with about 1 inch of coarse bedding sand. Dig deep enough for the base, the sand and the paver thickness together.

Coverage and depth figures

Coverage and depth figures
Item Typical figure Note
One cubic yard of mulch at 2 in About 162 sq ft 324 ÷ 2
One cubic yard of mulch at 3 in About 108 sq ft 324 ÷ 3
2 cu ft bags in a cubic yard 13.5 Buy 14
Gravel base under a patio 4 in compacted Deeper for driveways and soft soil
Bedding sand under pavers 1 in Coarse concrete sand

Common mistakes

  • Entering the depth in feet where inches are expected.
  • Piling mulch against tree trunks.
  • Forgetting the gravel base and bedding sand under pavers.
  • Buying pavers with no extra for cuts at the edges.

Frequently asked questions

How many bags of mulch are in a yard?

A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so it takes 13.5 bags of 2 cu ft, 9 bags of 3 cu ft or 18 bags of 1.5 cu ft.

How deep should mulch be?

Most garden beds do well with 2 to 3 inches. Avoid going much past 4 inches, and keep mulch pulled back from trunks and stems.

How deep should the base be under pavers?

About 4 inches of compacted gravel for a patio or walkway, plus about 1 inch of bedding sand. Driveways and soft or freezing soil need a deeper base.

Can I use the mulch calculator for topsoil?

Yes. The volume is the same; enter the bag size printed on the topsoil or compost bag.

Sources

  1. Angi, How to Calculate How Much Mulch I Need for My Project
  2. The Home Depot, How to Install Patio Pavers

More project calculators

Paint Gallons and quarts of paint for walls and ceilings. Flooring Boxes of flooring and tile, waste included. Roofing Roofing squares, shingle bundles and pitch. Concrete Cubic yards, bags and tons of gravel. Fence & Deck Posts, rails, pickets and deck boards. Lumber & Framing Board feet and drywall sheets.