Gravel, Mulch & Soil Calculator

There are 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard: 3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft. Bulk gravel, soil and mulch are sold by the cubic yard or by the ton, so the calculator converts your measurements for you.

Multiply the bed area in square feet by the depth in inches, then divide by 12 and by 27 to get cubic yards. At 3″, the usual depth for beds, one cubic yard of mulch covers about 108 sq ft. The mulch calculator adds the 10% spreading buffer for you.

Delivered in Florida, topsoil starts from $46.03/yd³ and red mulch from $46.03/yd³ on a full truck (about 18 yd³). For a small load, topsoil is 2 yd³ from $432.68 delivered and red mulch 2 yd³ from $432.68 delivered. The minimum order is 1 yd³. Small loads cost more per yd³ because delivery is included in the price; there’s no separate delivery fee. Enter your ZIP in the calculator for the exact delivered price.

Length (ft) × width (ft) × depth (in) ÷ 12 ÷ 27 = cubic yards. For a circle, use 3.14 × radius² as the area; for a triangle, ½ × base × height. For a curved bed, measure the longest length and widest width and treat it as a rectangle: the squared-off corners work as a buffer.

Work out the cubic yards (area × depth in inches ÷ 12 ÷ 27), then multiply by about 1.35 to get tons of #57 stone or pea gravel. One ton covers about 120 sq ft at 2″, 80 sq ft at 3″ or 60 sq ft at 4″. Add 10% for edges and settling, which the calculator does for you.

One cubic yard of mulch equals 13.5 bags of 2 cubic feet, or 9 bags of 3 cubic feet. Past about 3 yards, bulk delivery is usually simpler than bags.

A full load is about 18 cubic yards of soil or mulch, or about 21 tons of stone or sand. Bigger orders go out in more than one load, and the calculator shows the truck count with your result.

A cubic yard of topsoil weighs about 1.1 tons (2,200 lb), fill dirt about 1.25 tons and gravel about 1.35 tons (2,700 lb). Mulch is much lighter, about 0.3 tons. The density table above lists every material.

Best if someone is there to show the driver the spot. Not required: ask for a photo of the drop. Dumped from the street or driveway. A backyard works if the entrance is wide enough. Off the public road, you take responsibility for any damage. It comes in one pile and isn’t spread.

It’s better to order slightly too much than too little. Coming up short means stopping your project and paying for a second delivery of a small amount. Leftover material can usually be spread in low spots.