Material Coverage Chart

How far one cubic yard spreads at a given depth. Use it to sanity-check an order or to pick a depth when you know the area you have to cover.

Coverage per cubic yard

One cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. Spread it thinner and it covers more ground; spread it deeper and it covers less.

Coverage = 324 ÷ depth in inches. Figures are exact geometry; real-world yields vary with compaction and settling, so order 5–10% extra.

Not sure how deep to go? These are the depths we see work for most residential projects.

Material	Depth	Notes
Mulch / bark	2–4 in	3 in suppresses weeds without suffocating roots.
Compost topdressing	1–2 in	Thicker layers can smother an established lawn.
Garden / raised bed soil	6–12 in	Match to the root depth of what you are planting.
Decomposed granite path	2–3 in	Compact in lifts for a firm walking surface.
Decorative gravel	2–3 in	Deeper looks better but is harder to walk on.
Gravel base / road base	4–6 in	Go deeper for vehicle loads.
Sand leveling course	1–2 in	Screed flat before setting pavers.

Know your area?

Skip the arithmetic and get the exact cubic yards.

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