Free Bulk Materials Calculator
Price mulch, topsoil and gravel for one yard project on one page, and print a single costed buy-list showing what you need against what you have to buy.
Your buy-list
Your list: 3 materials, 5.5 cu yd, about $245.00
| Material | Area | Depth | Needed | Buy | At your price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shredded hardwood mulch | 96 sq ft | 3.00 in | 0.98 cu yd | 1.0 cu yd | $38.00 |
| Screened topsoil | 60 sq ft | 6.00 in | 1.22 cu yd | 1.5 cu yd | $51.00 |
| #57 crushed stone | 200 sq ft | 4.00 in | 2.59 cu yd | 3.0 cu yd | $156.00 |
| Total | 356 sq ft | 4.79 cu yd | 5.5 cu yd | $245.00 |
Needed and bought are listed separately on purpose: a total that adds only the rounded numbers hides the overbuy.
- Rounding to the increments you chose adds 0.71 cu yd across the 3 lines:
- Shredded hardwood mulch: 0.0222 cu yd × $38.00 = $0.84
- Screened topsoil: 0.2778 cu yd × $34.00 = $9.44
- #57 crushed stone: 0.4074 cu yd × $52.00 = $21.19
- Each line is priced at its own rate; a single blended rate would overstate the overbuy.
- Prices are yours, not ours: the figures in the form are examples to start from.
Buy-list — materials list
| Region | United States (US customary, cu yd increment) |
|---|
| Item | Quantity | At your price |
|---|---|---|
| Shredded hardwood mulch | 1.0 cu yd | $38.00 |
| Screened topsoil | 1.5 cu yd | $51.00 |
| #57 crushed stone | 3.0 cu yd | $156.00 |
YardWise — quantity estimates only. Prices are the ones you entered. yw/print
Free to use. No sign-up, no paywall, no hidden charge.
How this calculator works
The hub runs the same five-stage engine five times — once per material line — and then adds the lines up into one list. Nothing about the arithmetic changes between a single tool and this page; what changes is that you can price a whole project at once and print it.
Each line converts an area and a depth into a volume, adds your overage, rounds up to the increment the yard sells, and multiplies by the price you typed. The list then shows the quantities needed and the quantities bought in separate columns, because a total that only adds the rounded numbers hides how much you are overbuying.
Rounding is costed line by line at that line's own price. A single blended rate would overstate the overbuy: costing every line at the stone price gives a bigger number than the true one.
The formula, in symbols
For each line:
F1 A = length × width
F4 V = A × depth
F5 V′ = V × (1 + waste ÷ 100)
F6 q = ⌈(V′ ÷ 27) ÷ step⌉ × step (US/CA, cubic yards)
q = ⌈(V′ ÷ 1,000) ÷ step⌉ × step (metric, cubic metres)
Then:
total needed = Σ V′ ÷ 27
total bought = Σ q
rounding added = total bought − total needed
rounding cost = Σ (q − V′ ÷ 27) × that line's price
Worked example — one project, three materials
Mulch 96 sq ft @ 3 in → V′ 26.4 cu ft → 1.0 cu yd × $38 = $38.00
Topsoil 60 sq ft @ 6 in → V′ 33.0 cu ft → 1.5 cu yd × $34 = $51.00
Gravel 200 sq ft @ 4 in → V′ 70.0 cu ft → 3.0 cu yd × $52 = $156.00
total bought = 5.5 cu yd, $245.00
total needed = 4.79 cu yd
Rounding adds 0.71 cu yd across the three lines:
mulch 0.0222 cu yd × $38 = $0.84
topsoil 0.2778 cu yd × $34 = $9.44
stone 0.4074 cu yd × $52 = $21.19
total = $31.47
Prices are example values, and each line is costed at its own rate. Costing every line at the stone price would give about $37 — the wrong number.
Questions people ask
Can I calculate several materials at once?
Yes — up to four lines on one page, each with its own material, depth, overage and price, returned as one costed buy-list.
Why are needed and bought shown separately?
Because rounding up to the yard’s increment buys more than you need. A total that adds only the rounded numbers hides that overbuy.
How is the cost of rounding worked out?
Line by line, at that line’s own price. A single blended rate would overstate the overbuy.
Can I print the list?
Yes. The print stylesheet emits the inputs and the buy-list only — no navigation, no ad slots.
Is this list saved?
Only if you press Save, and only in this browser. The copy-link button puts the inputs into the page address so you can keep or share the link.
Formula: the single-tool pipeline, run once per line: F1, F4, F5, F6, then cost per line.
Densities: mulch 550, topsoil 2300, #57 2700, crusher run 2475 — all lb/cu yd, all secondary - primary unverified.
Overage: per line, defaulting to that material’s own figure.
Prices: you enter them; the shown price is an example.
Last updated: 2026-11-06 — see Methodology & Sources.
Found a number that looks wrong? Tell us on the contact page — we cite the source for every constant and correct errors in public with the date.