How Much Mulch for 200 Square Feet?
Material needed
1.85 cubic yards
200 square feet at 3 inches deep, bark mulch at roughly 800 lb per cubic yard.
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How that number is worked out
These are the figures this page was built with and every line the calculator produces from them. Change anything above and all of it moves.
- Bed area200 sq ft
- Depth3 in
- MaterialMulch
Material needed1.85 cubic yards
| Volume | 50 cu ft |
|---|---|
| Cubic yards | 1.85most yards sell in half yard steps |
| Order in half yards | 2 cu yd |
| 2 cu ft bags, if bagging it | 25 |
| Approximate weight | 1,481 lb (0.74 tons) |
The material list this produces
| Material, cubic yards | 2 |
|---|---|
| Landscape fabric, sq ft | 200 |
| Edging, linear ft | 57 |
Depth compared
Depth is the whole calculation. Two inches will not suppress weeds, six inches will suffocate roots.
| Depth | Material needed | Order in half yards |
|---|---|---|
| 2 in | 1.23 cubic yards | 1.5 cu yd |
| 3 in | 1.85 cubic yards | 2 cu yd |
| 4 in | 2.47 cubic yards | 2.5 cu yd |
| 6 in | 3.7 cubic yards | 4 cu yd |
What else matters here
Two cubic yards fits in a standard pickup bed, just, and weighs around 1,500 pounds for bark mulch. It will ride fine in a half ton truck; the same volume of topsoil is closer to two tons and it will not.
That weight difference is why this calculator asks what the material is. Volume is identical across mulch, topsoil, gravel and sand, and the weight is not remotely, which matters for the truck, the wheelbarrow and the person pushing it.
Order slightly over rather than under. Bulk material settles during delivery and spreads thinner than expected, and a yard is much cheaper on the first delivery than on a second one made specially for you.
What this calculator assumes
- Three inches is the usual mulch depth. Two is thin and will not hold weeds down, four starts to smother shallow roots and holds water against trunks.
- Weights are approximate and vary with moisture: mulch about 800 lb per cubic yard, topsoil 2200, gravel 2800, sand 2700.
- Bagged material is sold in 2 cubic foot bags, and there are 13.5 of those in a cubic yard.
Questions people ask
How many cubic yards of mulch for 200 square feet?
About 1.85 cubic yards at 3 inches deep, which most yards will sell as 2.
Will 2 yards of mulch fit in a pickup truck?
In a full size bed, roughly, at about 1,500 pounds for bark mulch. The same volume of topsoil or gravel is far heavier and should not go in a half ton.
How much does a yard of mulch weigh?
Around 800 pounds for bark mulch, though it soaks up water and a wet yard can be half again as heavy.
The mulch and gravel calculator takes any dimensions you like and hands back the same list.