Plan mulch deliveries fast with multi-zone inputs today. Compare suppliers, add waste, and round orders. Know bags, truck loads, and labor before purchase anywhere.
Bark chips protect soil, reduce splash, and improve site appearance, but incorrect quantities raise costs and delay crews. A consistent estimate helps coordinate delivery windows, staging space, and cleanup. This calculator converts field measurements into practical purchase quantities, including rounding, allowances, and transport planning for typical landscaping scopes.
Enter lengths in feet or meters and select depth in inches or centimeters. Choose bark chip type to apply a typical settling factor and density, then adjust as needed. Add waste and compaction percentages to reflect raking, uneven grades, and site constraints. Optional supplier pricing turns quantities into a quick estimate.
Most projects include multiple beds, rings, and narrow strips. Use multi-zone rows to separate areas and keep notes for each section. Shapes include rectangle, square, circle, triangle, and trapezoid. If you already know area from a takeoff, select Custom Area and enter square feet or square meters.
Volume is calculated as Area × Depth. Depth is converted to feet internally for consistent results. Key references: 1 cubic yard equals 27 cubic feet, and 1 square meter equals 10.764 square feet. The tool reports cubic feet, cubic yards, cubic meters, and liters so you can match supplier units.
Fresh bark can settle after installation and rainfall, especially fine material. Settling factors commonly range from 1.05 to 1.15 depending on chip size and moisture. Waste covers spillage, wheelbarrow transfer losses, and trimming at edges. Compaction accounts for raking and foot traffic that reduces thickness.
For retail purchases, bag estimates use your selected bag size in cubic feet and round up to whole bags. Pallet counts help plan forklift drops and storage. For bulk deliveries, the order quantity rounds to your chosen increment (for example, 0.25 yd³) and respects any minimum order threshold.
Weight is estimated from bulk density (lb per cubic yard) to support hauling and access decisions. The truck-load estimator uses common capacity presets and a custom option. This helps determine how many trips are required and whether a trailer or dump delivery is practical for your crew and access.
Suppliers price bark by cubic yard, cubic meter, ton, or bag. Enter pricing, delivery, tax, and minimum quantities to compare totals side by side. Export to CSV for spreadsheets or PDF for job folders, enabling consistent documentation for client proposals, change orders, and field verification.
Many landscape beds use 2–4 inches. Use 2 inches for refresh coats, 3 inches for general coverage, and 4 inches where weed suppression is a priority. Avoid burying plant crowns.
Bark can compress after installation and rainfall. The settling factor adds extra material so the finished depth stays close to your target, especially for fine chips and wetter loads.
Yes, if both apply to your workflow. Waste covers handling losses and trimming. Compaction covers thickness reduction after raking and traffic. If your process is tightly controlled, lower one or both percentages.
Break the bed into simple shapes and add multiple zones. For curved edges, measure a few rectangles and triangles, or use Custom Area if you have area from a CAD takeoff or measurement app.
Suppliers often sell in increments or enforce minimum loads. The calculator rounds your total to the selected increment and minimum order. This helps avoid short loads and ensures enough material arrives.
It is an approximation. Moisture content and chip size change density. Use vendor-provided density when available. The estimate is best for planning hauling limits, access, and equipment selection.
Yes. Use CSV for editable quotes and internal tracking. Use PDF for sharing and job folders. Both exports include the main quantities and key planning figures like bags, loads, and labor.
Important Note: All the Calculators listed in this site are for educational purpose only and we do not guarentee the accuracy of results. Please do consult with other sources as well.