How To Determine How Much Mulch Is Needed

[tomflan947]

Originally Posted by jwingfield2k

1 Bag 3 cu feet at 2" will cover 18 sq feet
1 Bag 3 cu feet at 1" will cover 36 sq feet

You actually put mulch down at 1 inch?

[Critical Care]

Why calculate when you can guess? Here is what happened the other day.

I was working in a nice subdivision several miles outside of town when a couple guys with a trailer full of bark pulled up across the street. They ran short, and in front of the client as well - which isn't ever good. This meant having to go back into town for more bark. When you consider the embarrassment, cost of gasoline, lost time, and wages, it certainly makes sense trying to get your estimates as close as possible.

[cgll1135]

we use 165 square feet 2" depth per yard. Pine straw is 35 square feet per bale. we don't use bags only bulk but if you do 13 1/2 bags equal a yard.:usflag

[mULcHmAN.wLs]

Just remember.....Measure twice, order your mulch once.....

[S & J Landscape-Const.]

I'm doing a sod job but they are paying for sod and soil what would you charge for labor to lay 21 pallets. I'm lost on this one.

[S & J Landscape-Const.]

I'm doing a sod job but they are paying for sod and soil what do i charge for labor of laying 21 pallets of sod and spreading soil. I'm lost on this one.

[SpringHillTnLandscaping]

Anyone know where to get Grade A Cypress mulch in Middle Tennessee Nashville area.
www.landscapenashville.com

[TPnTX]

I'll take a shot at it explaining it and maybe save a visitor a lot of reading.

To calculate mulch you need to know 2 things.

How big is the area and how deep do you want it.

area = length x width.
dont get hung up on odd shapes. Box it out in sections.
If it's a triangle do lxw and divide it in half. add all those up.

Depth I usually do 3 inches of shredded mulch. I never use bark.

3 inches is a fraction of 1 foot or 3/12.
to multiply using a fraction you have to convert it to a decimal. so 3 divided by twelve is (.25). 4 divided by 12 is (.33)

so now you have your area 65ft x 6ft = 390 sqft.
I'd round that up to 400sgft of area you want to mulch.

If you want 3 inches in that area
400 x .25 (3/12) = 100

thats your cubic feet. Now you want to convert it to yards.

100/27 = 3.7 yards of mulch

round that up to 4 yards.

I pay about 25.00 per yard. I can put that on a 16" trailer with a tarp. or you could have it delivered.

I charge 65.00 per yard.

That how you do it in bulk. I you want to use bags you can still charge the same but it will cost you more for supplies. I hardly ever bag.

If you use bags don't do the last step where you divide by 27.

Just divide by the number of feet listed on the bag. The big bags are 3 feet and the smaller home depot bags are 2 feet.

so 100 / 3 = 33.3 you need 34 big bags.


It really simple but if your new to it,it's easy to forget.









s

[Arnolds Lawn & Landscape]

1 Yard of any material will cover 100 sqft at 3 inches. 10x10

[GCL-1]

awesome! Will work for me.