Guides

Reference tables and worked examples that go with our calculators. Every number is calculated with the same formulas the calculators use.

Research

• Concrete Bag Yields Compared: US, Canada, UK and AustraliaPublished yields from manufacturers, converted to litres, with the data to download.

Mulch

• How Many Bags of Mulch Are in a Cubic Yard?13.5 bags of 2 cu ft or 9 bags of 3 cu ft make one cubic yard.
• How Deep Should Mulch Be?About 3 in (75 mm) after settling for most beds.

Gravel

• Cubic Yards of Gravel to Tons: Conversion ChartAbout 1.35–1.4 US tons per cubic yard for clean crushed stone.
• Gravel Coverage Chart: Area per Yard, Ton and TonneAt 2 in deep, 1 cu yd covers about 162 sq ft; at 50 mm, 1 m³ covers 20 m².

Topsoil

• How Much Soil Do I Need for a Raised Bed?A 4 × 8 ft bed 12 in deep holds 32 cu ft; buy about 35 cu ft.

Concrete

• Concrete Bag Yield: 40, 50, 60 and 80 lb Bags ExplainedAn 80 lb bag makes about 0.60 cu ft: 45 bags per cubic yard.
• How Much Concrete Does a Fence Post Need?About 1.15 cu ft for a 4×4 in a 10 × 36 in hole: just under two 80 lb bags.