Rubber mulch calculator: how much rubber mulch do I need?
160 cubic feet
5.93 cubic yards · 320 sq ft at 6 in · for a 20 × 16 ft play area
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3/8 or 10' 6".
160 cubic feet
5.93 cubic yards · 320 sq ft at 6 in
Source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Public Playground Safety Handbook (Pub. 325), read October 19, 2026. Data sheet (PDF)
A 16 by 20 ft play area at the 6 inches of shredded rubber the CPSC recommends needs 160 cubic feet of rubber mulch, 5.93 cubic yards, which its playground handbook rates for falls up to 10 feet.
A worked example
A backyard swing set area 27 by 13.5 ft at 6 inches of shredded rubber needs 182.3 cubic feet. 364.5 square feet at half a foot deep is 182.25 cubic feet, or 6.75 cubic yards. Divide by the cubic feet printed on your bag for the bag count; in wood chips the same area would take 364.5 cubic feet at the 12 inches the handbook says to lay.
How deep should rubber mulch be for a playground?
6 inches, by the CPSC Public Playground Safety Handbook, which rates that depth of shredded or recycled rubber for falls up to 10 feet. Other loose fill needs at least 9 inches, and wood chips are laid 12 inches deep because they compress at least 25%; rubber does not compress the same way, so 6 inches go down as 6.
How much less rubber mulch than wood chips does a playground take?
Half the volume for the same fall height. A 16 by 20 ft play area takes 160 cubic feet of shredded rubber at 6 inches, and 320 cubic feet of wood chips at the 12 inches the handbook says to lay so that 9 remain once they settle; both are rated for a 10 ft fall.
What else it is called
Rubber mulch is also sold as shredded rubber, recycled tire mulch or playground rubber mulch, in bags labeled in cubic feet and in bulk by the cubic yard. Searched as a rubber mulch calculator or rubber mulch coverage calculator; the volume is the same whatever the color.
Playground depth chart
| Play area | Rubber at 6 in, cu ft | Rubber at 6 in, cu yd | Wood chips at 12 in, cu ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 × 8 ft | 32 | 1.19 | 64 |
| 10 × 10 ft | 50 | 1.86 | 100 |
| 10 × 12 ft | 60 | 2.23 | 120 |
| 12 × 12 ft | 72 | 2.67 | 144 |
| 12 × 16 ft | 96 | 3.56 | 192 |
| 16 × 20 ft | 160 | 5.93 | 320 |
| 20 × 20 ft | 200 | 7.41 | 400 |
Both columns protect to a 10 ft fall height by Table 2 of the CPSC Public Playground Safety Handbook: 6 in of shredded rubber, or 9 in of wood chips once compressed, which the handbook says to lay 12 in deep.
Where the numbers come from
- Depth: the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's Public Playground Safety Handbook (Pub. 325): «Never use less than 9 inches of loose-fill material except for shredded/recycled rubber (6 inches recommended).» Its Table 2 rates shredded or recycled rubber for falls up to 10 feet, the same as 9 inches of wood chips. Loose fill compresses at least 25% over time, so 9 inches of wood chips are laid 12 inches deep; shredded rubber «does not compress in the same manner». Read October 19, 2026. Data sheet (PDF)
- Volume is geometry: square feet × depth in inches ÷ 12 = cubic feet, and 27 cubic feet make a cubic yard. Bag counts are rounded up.
Rubber mulch does not settle the way wood mulch does, but it still gets kicked out from under swings and slide exits, where the handbook says to watch the depth most. The 6 inches are for public playgrounds; a garden bed has no minimum.
By Javier Miralles · Last updated . How this site is made.
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