Bulk Bag Calculator

Bulk Bag Calculator

Calculate how many cubic yard bags of soil, gravel, or mulch you need.

1.0 Cubic Yard Bag 0.75 Cubic Yard Bag 0.5 Cubic Yard Bag (Half Yard) 1.25 Cubic Yard Bag

Calculation Results:

Total Volume Needed: 0 Cubic Yards
Bulk Bags Required: 0

*Note: We recommend adding 10% extra for settling and uneven terrain.

How to Calculate Bulk Bags

Planning a landscaping project requires precision. Whether you are ordering topsoil, decorative gravel, or mulch, bulk bags (often called "totes" or FIBCs) are the industry standard for delivering large quantities of material without the mess of a loose tip delivery.

The Calculation Formula

To find the number of bulk bags you need, follow these steps:

  1. Calculate Square Footage: Multiply the length (ft) by the width (ft).
  2. Convert Depth: Convert your desired depth from inches to feet by dividing by 12.
  3. Find Cubic Feet: Multiply your Square Footage by the Depth (in feet).
  4. Convert to Cubic Yards: Divide the total Cubic Feet by 27 (since there are 27 cubic feet in one cubic yard).
  5. Determine Bags: Divide the total Cubic Yards by the capacity of your chosen bag size.

Project Example

Suppose you have a garden bed that is 20 feet long and 15 feet wide, and you want to cover it with 4 inches of mulch using 1 cubic yard bags.

  • Area: 20′ × 15′ = 300 sq. ft.
  • Depth in Feet: 4″ ÷ 12 = 0.333 ft.
  • Volume: 300 × 0.333 = 100 cubic feet.
  • Cubic Yards: 100 ÷ 27 = 3.70 cubic yards.
  • Total Bags: Rounding up, you would need 4 bulk bags.

Common Bulk Bag Sizes

While the standard bulk bag typically holds 1 cubic yard (roughly 27 cubic feet), some suppliers sell "half bags" (0.5 yards) or heavy materials like stone in metric ton bags. A metric ton of gravel usually occupies roughly 0.6 to 0.7 cubic yards depending on the density of the stone.

function calculateBulkBags() { var length = parseFloat(document.getElementById('areaLength').value); var width = parseFloat(document.getElementById('areaWidth').value); var depthInches = parseFloat(document.getElementById('areaDepth').value); var bagSize = parseFloat(document.getElementById('bagCapacity').value); var resultDiv = document.getElementById('bulkResult'); if (isNaN(length) || isNaN(width) || isNaN(depthInches) || length <= 0 || width <= 0 || depthInches <= 0) { alert("Please enter valid positive numbers for all dimensions."); return; } // Convert depth to feet var depthFeet = depthInches / 12; // Calculate Cubic Feet var cubicFeet = length * width * depthFeet; // Calculate Cubic Yards var cubicYards = cubicFeet / 27; // Calculate Total Bags (rounded up) var totalBags = Math.ceil(cubicYards / bagSize); // Update UI document.getElementById('totalVolumeResult').innerText = cubicYards.toFixed(2); document.getElementById('totalBagsResult').innerText = totalBags; resultDiv.style.display = 'block'; // Smooth scroll to result resultDiv.scrollIntoView({ behavior: 'smooth', block: 'nearest' }); }

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