Landscaping materials calculator: soil, mulch, sand, gravel and turf
Add each bed, lawn, path and base with its material and depth, and see the cubic metres to order with extra for settling, the tonnes, the bulk bags and the square metres of turf.
Work out the materials
No sign-up. Every bed, lawn and path in one order, and nothing is uploaded.
Open the landscaping materials calculatorOpens in a new tab. Works on a phone, tablet or computer.
What it does
- Every area on one job: garden beds, lawns, paths and bases, each with its own material, length, width and depth.
- Soil, mulch, sand, gravel and road base: in cubic metres and tonnes, with the weight a cubic metre you can change to match the supplier.
- The order, not just the volume: extra for settling and waste, rounded up to 0.1, 0.5 or 1 m³, and the bulk bags it takes.
- Turf by the square metre: rounded up to whole square metres, with the same extra.
- Ready for the quote: copy the order into a quote, a delivery booking or a message, or print it.
Materials for 10 m²
| Material, depth | Measured | Order with 10% extra | About |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mulch, 75 mm | 0.75 m³ | 0.9 m³ | 0.36 t |
| Garden soil or topsoil, 100 mm | 1.00 m³ | 1.1 m³ | 1.43 t |
| Sand (bedding or paving), 30 mm | 0.30 m³ | 0.4 m³ | 0.64 t |
| Gravel or pebbles, 50 mm | 0.50 m³ | 0.6 m³ | 0.96 t |
| Crushed rock or road base, 100 mm | 1.00 m³ | 1.1 m³ | 1.98 t |
Orders rounded up to the next 0.1 m³. Road base compacts, so allow 20 to 25% extra for a compacted base.
How to use it
- Add each area: pick the material and enter the length, width and depth. Split odd shapes into rectangles.
- Set the extra for settling, how the yard rounds orders and how much a bulk bag holds.
- Check the weights against the supplier’s figures if you’re ordering by the tonne.
- Copy or print the order for the delivery and the quote.
Common questions
How much soil do I need?
Area × depth in metres. A 10 × 5 m lawn with 100 mm of topsoil underneath is 10 × 5 × 0.1 = 5 m³. With 10% extra for settling it’s 5.5 m³, about 7.15 tonnes at 1.3 t a m³.
How much mulch for a garden bed?
A 5 × 2 m bed mulched 75 mm deep needs 0.75 m³. With 10% extra, order 0.9 m³. Mulch is light, about 0.4 t a m³, so most yards sell it by the cubic metre.
How many tonnes in a cubic metre?
About 1.3 t for garden soil, 1.6 t for sand and gravel, 1.8 t for road base and 0.4 t for mulch. Wet material weighs more, so check the supplier’s figure and change it on the area.
How much turf do I need?
The lawn’s area plus 5 to 10% for cuts along curves and edges. A 10 × 5 m lawn with 10% extra needs 55 m² of turf. Lay it on 100 mm or so of good soil.
How much does a bulk bag hold?
Most hold about a cubic metre of soil or mulch, but heavy sand and gravel are often bagged by weight, around a tonne, which is less than a cubic metre. Ask the yard and change the bag size.
Is anything uploaded?
No. It all runs in your browser, works offline once open, and remembers your last job on your device.
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