Landscaping Calculators

Mulch, topsoil, compost, gravel, and stone math — with bulk-versus-bagged price comparison built in. Our landscaping calculators handle any bed shape (rectangle or circle) and any depth, and tell you which purchasing method actually saves money.

Landscaping materials are sold by volume (cubic yard, cubic meter, or 2-cubic-foot bag), but most homeowners think in square feet of coverage. The conversion is simple but easy to get wrong — one cubic yard of mulch at 3 inches deep covers 108 square feet, but at 2 inches deep it covers 162 square feet. Get the depth wrong and you'll order 30% more or less than you need. The calculators in this category handle that conversion precisely and add the bulk-versus-bagged comparison that most landscape suppliers don't advertise.

The Mulch & Topsoil Bulk Estimator is particularly useful because it answers a question every homeowner faces: should I buy bags at the home center or schedule bulk delivery? The answer depends on volume, delivery fees, and your access for a dump truck. The calculator shows you both prices side by side and flags the cheaper option plus the dollar amount you'll save — or spend — by choosing one method over the other.

Landscaping is one of the few trades where the math is straightforward but the material weights surprise people. A cubic yard of mulch weighs 400–600 pounds; a cubic yard of wet topsoil can weigh 2,700 pounds. Knowing these numbers before you load your pickup prevents dangerous overloads.

Material Weight Reference (per cubic yard)

• Mulch (bark hardwood): 400–600 lb. Lightweight.
• Mulch (dyed): 500–700 lb. Slightly heavier due to moisture.
• Topsoil (dry, loose): 1,800–2,000 lb. Heavy.
• Topsoil (wet, compacted): 2,500–2,700 lb. Very heavy — truck-killer.
• Compost: 900–1,200 lb. Medium.
• Sand (dry): 2,400–2,700 lb. Very heavy.
• Gravel (3/4" minus): 2,400–2,800 lb. Very heavy.
• River rock (smooth): 2,500–3,000 lb. Very heavy — fills voids poorly.

Coverage Quick Reference

• 1 cubic yard at 1" depth: covers 324 sq ft
• 1 cubic yard at 2" depth: covers 162 sq ft
• 1 cubic yard at 3" depth: covers 108 sq ft
• 1 cubic yard at 4" depth: covers 81 sq ft
• 1 cubic yard at 6" depth: covers 54 sq ft
• 1 cubic meter at 5 cm depth: covers 20 m² (216 sq ft)
• 1 cubic meter at 10 cm depth: covers 10 m² (108 sq ft)

Truck Payload Reference

• Half-ton pickup (F-150, Silverado 1500): 1,000–1,500 lb payload = 2–3 yards of mulch or 0.5 yards of topsoil/gravel.
• Three-quarter-ton (F-250, 2500): 2,500–3,500 lb payload = 5–7 yards of mulch or 1–1.5 yards of topsoil/gravel.
• One-ton (F-350, 3500): 4,000–6,000 lb payload = 8–12 yards of mulch or 2 yards of topsoil/gravel.
• Single-axle dump truck: 5–7 cubic yards of soil or 10–14 yards of mulch.
• Tandem-axle dump truck: 10–14 cubic yards of soil or 20+ yards of mulch.