Calculators / Kids' play
How much playground mulch do you need?
Put in your playset and swing beam. You get the safety zone CPSC recommends around it, how deep to fill it for its height, and how much to buy.
Updated · How we check our numbers
Fill the zone with this
28.3 cubic yards of wood chips
Cover 764 sq ft 12 in deep: 382 2 cu ft bags. It settles to about 9 in.
- Area
- 764 sq ft
- Fill depth
- 12 insettles to 9 in
- Volume
- 28.3 cu yd764 cu ft
- Bags
- 3822 cu ft bags
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Estimate for planning only, not professional advice. Check the manufacturer’s instructions, your local code and a licensed professional before you buy, build or install. Use at your own risk. Terms.
Plan a swing setA-frame, beam length and hardware
play structure zone = (8 + 12) × (6 + 12) ft = 360 sq ft (6 ft all round)
swing zone = 16 ft along the beam × (2 × 8 ft top bar, front and back) = 512 sq ft
overlap counted once: 108 sq ft
surfaced area = 764 sq ft
wood chips: fill 12 in, settles to 9 in, protects falls to 10 ft (CPSC 325 Table 2)
volume = 764 sq ft × 12 in ÷ 12 = 764 cu ft = 28.3 cu yd
bags = 764 ÷ 2 cu ft = 382
764 sq ft of surfacing. Green is the safety zone; the beam is the swing top bar.
CPSC: never put a playset over concrete or asphalt, and grass and dirt don't count as protective surfacing because wear cuts their cushioning. Rake loose fill back under swings and slides often.
Edge the area with timbers or a border so loose fill doesn't kick out. Put landscape fabric under it, not plastic, so it drains.
Keep the playset 6 ft from fences, sheds, trees and the house, and swings away from other equipment and walkways.
How we work it out
The zone. CPSC's home playground handbook says to extend surfacing at least 6 ft from the equipment in all directions, and in front of and behind swings by twice the height of the top bar. A swing beam 8 ft high needs 16 ft clear each way.
play structure zone = (length + 12 ft) × (width + 12 ft)
swing zone = (beam + 12 ft) × (4 × top bar height)
Where the two overlap we count it once.
The depth. Fill 12 in; it settles to about 9 in, CPSC's minimum. How high a fall that protects depends on the material (CPSC's 2025 table for untested materials): wood chips 10 ft, wood mulch 7 ft, pea gravel 5 ft, sand 4 ft. Rubber mulch goes in 8 in deep, settles to 6 in, and protects 10 ft. The home handbook allows 9 in of engineered wood fiber up to 8 ft.
cubic yards = area × fill depth (in) ÷ 12 ÷ 27
Bags: 2 cu ft for wood mulch, 0.5 cu ft for a 50 lb bag of play sand (Sakrete), 0.8 cu ft for rubber mulch (Liberty Tire). Engineered wood fiber and pea gravel are usually delivered in bulk.
Where the numbers come from
Guides
Kids' play
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