Mulch Calculator

Calculates how many bags of mulch you will need for a project.Builds up an estimate by measuring each piece of the total area you are spreading mulch over. Select the shape that matches the space (rectange, wedge/triangle, circle). To clear your selections, hit reset. To add additional areas to your project, hit "add piece". Line items can be removed from the total estimate by changing the shape size to "no-bid".

Volume of Parts

Portion Shape Hgt Len Dia Depth Sq. Ft

Total Cubic Yards

cubic yards

Budget Planner

Bags:

Pickup Truckloads:

Labor Hours:

Materials:

Total:

Tool Overview: Mulch Calculator

This landscaping mulch calculator estimates how many bags of mulch you will need for your project. You can build up the total area you as a set of pieces (circles, rectangles, right triangles); the calculator will determine their total volume. Click reset to clear the list of pieces (for a new shape); click add piece to construct a new piece of your total area.

The calculator does some basic sizing around logistics and spreading time. You can estimate how many bags you can spread per hour. It also allows you to size the load in terms of # bags (you set bag size, in cubic feet) and pickup truck trips (conservatively set at 2 yards/load). Numbers are for demonstration purposes only; check with your vendor for accurate estimates.

The waste factor is intended to accomodate spillage, measuring error, and "fine tuning" projects so they looks good. The cubic feet per bag should be printed on the packaging at your local landscape store.

Labor time is estimated using # of bags per hour. It does not include shopping and transportation time.

Practical Example: Mulch Calculator

In the default example, the model looks at a project with three separate parts: a large flower bed (rectangle), a triangular side yard (wedge), and a cherry tree in the back yard (circle). Measurements are entered for each. We add a small overage for materials (5%) to give us a little room in the event we need to fill in part of an area.

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