Enter length, width, and depth — get cubic yards, bags, and weight for mulch, soil, gravel, DG, and stone. Free, instant, tuned for San Antonio & the Hill Country.
The math is simple: cubic yards = area in ft² × depth in inches ÷ 324. So a 100 ft² bed at 3 inches deep needs about 0.93 cubic yards. Put another way, one cubic yard covers roughly 108 ft² at 3 inches deep — or 324 ft² at one inch.
The estimator does that, then adds a settle allowance (mulch loses ~20% as it breaks down) and returns the bag count and delivered weight — so you order once and don't come up a yard short halfway through the bed.
§ 1 · How it works
Four inputs, one order.
Step 1
Pick the material
Mulch, compost, topsoil, bed mix, gravel, DG, river rock, or crushed limestone — each has its own settle and weight.
Step 2
Length × width
The footprint of the area in feet. For odd shapes, break it into rectangles and add the results.
Step 3
Set the depth
2-3 inches for mulch, 3-4 for a gravel surface, 6-12 for a new planting bed.
Step 4
Read yards, bags, weight
Cubic feet, cubic yards, bag count, and approximate weight — so you know bagged or bulk.
§ 2 · The Hill Country reality
Why depth matters here.
Most Hill Country ground is caliche and thin clay over limestone — it doesn't hold water or feed roots on its own. That's why the numbers run deep: compost amendment goes 4-6 inches into the top 12 to fix caliche, new beds want 6-12 inches of topsoil, and crushed limestone paths set on a 4-6 inch compacted base. Estimate shallow and you'll be back at the yard mid-project.
Order extra for settle, and remember bulk beats bags past 2-3 yards. We never quote a coverage figure we can't stand behind — the math above is the math the tool runs.
How do I calculate cubic yards of landscape material?
Cubic yards = area in ft² × depth in inches ÷ 324. A 100 ft² bed at 3 inches deep needs about 0.93 cubic yards. One cubic yard covers roughly 108 ft² at 3 inches deep, or 324 ft² at one inch.
How much mulch, soil, or gravel do I need?
Multiply length × width × depth in feet to get cubic feet, then divide by 27 for cubic yards. The estimator also adds a settle allowance — ~20% for mulch, ~15% for compost and soil — so you don't come up short.
Should I buy bags or bulk?
Bagged mulch runs about 2 ft³ per bag, so a cubic yard is roughly 14 bags. Past 2-3 cubic yards, bulk delivery is cheaper and faster than hauling bags. The tool shows both the bag count and total yards so you can decide.
How much does a yard of material weigh?
It depends: mulch is light at ~800 lbs/yd³, topsoil runs ~2,200 lbs, and gravel, DG, and crushed limestone run 2,700-2,800 lbs/yd³. The estimator returns the approximate weight so you can match it to your truck or trailer.
Start here
Run the numbers.
Free, instant, no signup. Then book a Site Read and we'll set the right material and depth for your ground.