A cubic yard is a unit of measure used in construction.
Imagine a box 3’ tall, 3’ wide and 3’ long. Concrete is sold in cubic yards. How big a dump truck is, is determined by how many cubic yards it holds. Not all trucks hold the same amount. A standard full
size pick-up truck holds about 2 ½ cubic yards, level full. My dump truck holds 10.25 yards, level full. It takes 9 big bags (3 cu. ft.) to make a cubic yard, or 13 ½ small bags. When comparing prices, you have
to know how big the scoop is. Most people give you price by the scoop. Ask how many cubic yards the scoop holds so you can figure the price per cubic yard. My scoop holds 1.25 cubic yards. 2
scoops fills a full size pick-up truck level full. 3 scoops…it’s starting to fall off. A cubic yard will cover an area 10 ½’ by 10 ½’, 3” deep.
Estimating Mulch Needs.
Estimating the amount of mulch you need is tricky. Use our mulch calculator below.
Here is a simple way to guesstimate.
Multiply the length and width of the area (in feet). Then multiply that number by 0.25 (1/4 of a foot or 3 inches). Divide that number by 27
(the number of cubic feet in a cubic yard).
Example:
The front of your house is 45 feet long and you want mulch 3 feet wide the entire length.
45 x 3 = 135 x 0.25 = 33.75 / 27 = 1.25
That’s approximately 1.25 cubic yards to cover the area 3 inches deep.
