[HLS]

I am going crazy over a big bid right now and I have totally forgot how to figure mulch and it a big job so i don't want to get it wrong . so could you please tell me how you figure mulch thanks for your help .

Josh

[cutntrim]

I allow one yard for 100sq.ft. This gives 3" coverage. I also allow for 1 man-hour

WooooHoooo! Ya Baby!!!!!...sorry, Calgary just scored!

Anyhow, yeah, 1 man-hour for each yard installed with wheelbarrow & shovel, less if you can do it all with a skid or tractor obviously.

[AZTLANLC]

Measure Area multiply by "." inches depth divide by 30 (should be 27) but 30 works best for me.

let's say you have an area of 20 x 40, and you want to apply 2" of mulch.

20 x 40 = 800 x .2 / 30 = 5.3 yds.

[VoodooChile]

Actually to be completely accurate the above math:
20 x 40 = 800 x .2 / 30 = 5.3 yds
should read:
20 x 40 = 800 x .166/27 = 4.9 yds.

Because we measure landscapes in feet, mulch depth in inches, and volumes in yards, we have to convert to a common unit of measure every time we perform an operation, here multiplication.

So, 2 inches of mulch spread over any landscape is expressed in feet as 1/6th of a foot of mulch, or .166 feet; multiply 800 square feet by .166 feet to generate the volume in cubic feet of mulch required, 133.33 cubic feet.

Because a yard is simply the volume contained in a cube three feet wide, deep and high, we can calculate its volume as (3'x3'x3'), which = 27 cubic feet.

To convert a volume expressed in cubic feet into a volume expressed in cubic yards, we simply divide by 27 to convert the units. So from our example again, 133.28 cu. ft/ 27 cu. ft. per yard = 4.9 yds.

On a large mulching job inaccuracies in calculating can add up to lost time, creditability and dollars, if your calculations yielded a price competitive enough to get the job in the first place!

For example, suppose we were mulching 10,000 s.f, not 800 at a 2" depth.
Using the original math we would have:
10000 x .2/30= 66.66 yards

Using the more accurate math we would have:
10000 x .1666/27= 61.7 yards

Assuming a $50 per yard of mulch plus one $45 man hour to spread it, we are talking about a difference of $95 x 4.96 yards, or $471 greater cost using the original math.

That additional expense might prevent you from getting the job. Even if you do get it, when the last dump truck of mulch shows, you will be looking for places to loose those extra 4.96 yds.

With more accurate calculating you can price more competitively (and mulching jobs usually are competitive), or, better yet, tack on real live profit to your final price, knowing with confidence that if your competitors bid the job accurately they came to the same number as you, and your final price won't be wildly off the mark.

Of course building padding into a bid, like extra amendment, mulch, or flats of plants, is a tried and true practice to cover our butts should we miss something. But...

If we don't have to introduce inaccuracies into our bids, we shouldn't!!!

[Nebraska]

By using accurate formulas and calculations the true variable then really comes into play on the accuracy of the beginning number (the measurements of the landscape).

[VoodooChile]

Right Nebraska, and in the era of flowing curve bed-lines calculating a landscape's surface area can be a real challenge.

Multiply an approximation by an approximation to arrive at a groundless guess.

[HLS]

Thank you to everyone , voofoochile I would have to say you help the most because that was the way i normally did my calculating i just forgot the numbers .

As far as the bid I am working on it for the school system and I know I have already won the job so I just didn't want to make any mistakes to cost me big money .

this site has 27 different beds so figuring out all those beds where hard work .

thanks again everybody .

[VoodooChile]

The numbers game can burn you, but make for some good stories.

Back in the bad old days of overseeing the installation of someone else's bids and designs, I had a job that called for 17 yards of mulch; didn't seem right, but I went and picked up the first 8 yards, returned, and pulled my hair out trying to loose that much, never mind the full 17.

The designer/"artist" went back and checked his math and proclaimed his mulch number was right, reality be damned!!!

Do the math, or the math will do you in!

[mown2long]

this might sound obsurd- if the bed is 3-4' across, i will pace it off and figure a 3cuft bag for each pace-this method hasnt let me down yet. its real easy for me to look at a bed and figure "where the bags would be" and convert it to yrds. $40 per yd install-mulch mark up min. 30%-initial edging $.75 ft/annual- $.37- We average 130 ft per hr with spade-havent purchased bed edger yet- thats another forum

[HLS]

mown2long ,
don't feel bad about now having a bed edger , I just got one myself last thursday . I just got a new Brown mfg . F991H and I am so happy with it since like so much better then a spade and it the new bed edger from brown to so yeah I know how spade work goes i did it myself a lot .

Josh

[Lanelle]

Using a digitizer to measure 'curvy beds' on a plan takes the headache out of figuring the areas. The accuracy is outstanding.

[justgardens]

Voodoo,

[justgardens]

Voodoo, Let's try this again...You almost lost me at hello! I always use a formula of Length x width x depth divided by 27. I will use your .166 for depth from now on though when anyone asks how to measure. I have a handout I give out and will update it. I also have the Brown Easy Trencher using it for 4 years now and it paid for itself the first season. I also found a place that will save you about $300.00 when buying one. ( I want another one) PM me if you want the name. It is the single most valuable time saving piece of equipment I have.

[jwholden]

Do you people have employees who can put down exactly 2" of mulch over a 10,000 square foot area? Wait, today we're doing 3" of mulch, change that guys. Are you calculating mulching for the first time or maintenance mulching? BIG difference!

I use the eyeball system, breaking down each area into a size I can guesstimate within reason, and aim to be 'a little' high. My truck can hold 10 yards of mulch, so any deliveries can be 'a little' short with an additional trip as required (either to get some more or dump the extra at my house at the end of the day).

I am blessed with a coal chute in my tailgate that mulch can slide through, and prefer not to add the extra time of having a 25 yard pile of mulch that is conveniently located for only 1/2 of the job. However, I'm the joker that spreads the mulch so my opinion may change when I get off the mulch fork and what Bill calls an 'standard issue army dump truck'.

[justgardens]

We use 3" on a new landscapes and 2" on an existing landscape after we rough up or remove the old mulch. I have them use the 'Knuckle' formula to measure. Take your pointer finger and each knuckle is an inch. They check as they mulch periodically. I also eyeball my mulch estimates and give the mulch formula to others (seminar attendees) to help them figure what I do by eyeball. Do it enough and it usually works. I have one mulch supplier whose loading guy must really like our company. When I ask for 4 yards I always get 5 -6 in the delivery and it really screws up my estimates. We end up hauling 1-2 yards to the next job. The guys always know when I get a delivery from this company because the yards are BIG!