How the Bags vs Bulk Math Works
Both formats are just volume in different packaging. The calculator finds your project's total cubic feet (length × width × depth), then divides by 2 or 3 for bag counts and by 27 for bulk cubic yards. If you enter prices, it multiplies out the total for a full bag order versus a bulk order plus delivery fee, and tells you which is cheaper for your exact project. Bag counts are always rounded up — you can't buy 0.7 of a bag.
Worked Example
A 20 × 10 ft bed at 3 inches needs 50 cubic feet — that's 25 two-cu-ft bags or 1.85 cubic yards bulk. At $4.50 per bag, bags total $112.50. Bulk at $35/yard plus a $30 delivery fee totals $94.75 — bulk wins by about $18, and the gap widens fast on bigger jobs. Flip the numbers for a small 4 × 8 ft bed at 2 inches (5.3 cu ft): three bags for ~$13.50 crushes any bulk minimum-plus-delivery order.
When Bags Beat Bulk
Bags earn their premium in four situations: small projects under a cubic yard, homes where a mulch pile on the driveway isn't practical, jobs done in stages (unopened bags store cleanly), and holiday sales when big-box stores run 4-for-$10 promotions that briefly undercut bulk pricing. For everything else — especially 2+ yard jobs — bulk delivery from a local landscape supplier is cheaper, fresher, and involves far less plastic. Start from the main mulch calculator if you just need quantities, or check the coverage chart for per-bag coverage at every depth.