Common landscaping depth
Material (optional) — shows mass
Volume
100 yd² × 3 in = 8.333 yd³
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| Depth | Volume (yd³) | Mulch (US ton) | Topsoil (US ton) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2″ | 5.556 | 1.870 | 6.319 |
| 3″ | 8.333 | 2.806 | 9.479 |
| 4″ | 11.111 | 3.741 | 12.638 |
| 6″ | 16.667 | 5.611 | 18.957 |
Frequently asked questions
Square yards (yd²) measure area, while cubic yards (yd³) measure volume. To convert, multiply the area by the depth in the same unit. The standard formulas are: yd³ = yd² × in ÷ 36, yd³ = yd² × ft ÷ 3, or yd³ = yd² × yd. The calculator above accepts depth in inches, feet or centimeters and handles all the conversions for you.
At the recommended 3″ mulch depth, 100 yd² needs 8.33 yd³ of mulch. At 2″ it is 5.56 yd³, and at 4″ it is 11.11 yd³. Most US bulk mulch is sold by the cubic yard, so round up slightly to allow for settling.
Typical landscaping depths: 2–3 inches for mulch on existing beds (3″ is the standard), 4–6 inches for new garden beds with topsoil, 3–4 inches for decorative gravel or pea gravel, and 4–6 inches for a gravel driveway base. Use the depth presets above for one-tap selection.
One cubic yard covers about 12 yd² at 3 inches deep, 18 yd² at 2″ or 9 yd² at 4″. In square feet that is roughly 108 ft² at 3″ depth. Pick the «Mulch» preset above and enter your area to get an exact figure.
Approximate weights per cubic yard: shredded mulch ≈ 675 lb, compost mulch ≈ 1,180 lb, topsoil ≈ 2,275 lb, gravel ≈ 2,530 lb, sand ≈ 2,700 lb, river rock ≈ 2,830 lb. Wet material can weigh 20–30 % more. Pick a material in the dropdown above to see live mass output in lb, kg and tons.
A standard retail bag of mulch is 2 ft³, and 1 yd³ equals 27 ft³, so 1 yd³ ≈ 13.5 bags. For larger projects bulk delivery is usually cheaper than bagged once you exceed 8–10 yd³.
Results are approximate. Verify quantities and densities against supplier specifications before ordering materials.
How the yd² to yd³ converter works
This calculator turns an area in square yards (yd²) into a volume in cubic yards (yd³) by multiplying by depth. It is the standard math for ordering bulk landscaping materials such as mulch, topsoil, gravel, sand and river rock — which in the US are sold by the cubic yard.
Formulas:
- yd³ = yd² × in ÷ 36
- yd³ = yd² × ft ÷ 3
- yd³ = yd² × yd
Enter the bed area, choose a depth (2″, 3″, 4″ or 6″ presets cover most landscaping jobs), and the calculator returns volume in yd³ plus ft³, m³, liters and US gallons. Pick a material such as shredded mulch, topsoil or gravel to see the bulk weight in lb, kg and tons. Built-in cost estimator shows the price per yd³ in five currencies.
Example: 100 yd² at 3″ mulch depth = 8.33 yd³ ≈ 2.81 US tons of shredded bark.