How Many Bags of Mulch Are in a Yard? Bags per Cubic Yard and Coverage
A cubic yard of mulch is 27 cubic feet, which equals 13.5 bags of 2 cu ft mulch (buy 14) or 9 bags of 3 cu ft mulch, and at the recommended 3 in depth it covers 108 square feet.
Always check the bag: sizes vary, and some are labeled in liters.
How many bags of mulch are in a cubic yard?
Divide 27 cubic feet by the volume of one bag. Round up to whole bags.
| Bag size | Bags per yard | Buy |
|---|---|---|
| 1 cu ft | 27 | 27 |
| 1.5 cu ft | 18 | 18 |
| 2 cu ft | 13.5 | 14 |
| 3 cu ft | 9 | 9 |
Two and three cubic feet are the sizes most often sold in the US. If your bag shows liters, divide by 28.316846592 to get cubic feet. A 42.5 L bag, for example, is about 1.5 cu ft.
How many square feet does a yard of mulch cover?
Coverage depends on depth. One cubic yard covers 324 sq ft at 1 in deep, and the area drops in proportion as the layer gets thicker. The formula for one bag is the bag volume × 12 ÷ depth in inches.
| Depth | 1 cubic yard | 2 cu ft bag | 3 cu ft bag |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 in | 162 | 12 | 18 |
| 3 in | 108 | 8 | 12 |
| 4 in | 81 | 6 | 9 |
How much mulch do I need?
cubic feet = bed area (sq ft) × depth (in) ÷ 12
cubic yards = cubic feet ÷ 27
bags = ceil( cubic feet × (1 + allowance) ÷ cu ft per bag )Example 1. A 10 ft × 10 ft bed, 3 in deep.
- Cubic feet: 100 × 3 ÷ 12 = 25.000
- Cubic yards: 25 ÷ 27 = 0.9259
- 2 cu ft bags: 25 ÷ 2 = 12.5, so 13 bags (14 with a 5% allowance, since 26.25 ÷ 2 = 13.125)
- 3 cu ft bags: 25 ÷ 3 = 8.33, so 9 bags
- Bulk: order 1 cubic yard
Example 2. A 200 sq ft bed, 2 in deep.
- Cubic feet: 200 × 2 ÷ 12 = 33.333
- Cubic yards: 33.333 ÷ 27 = 1.2346
- 2 cu ft bags: 33.333 ÷ 2 = 16.67, so 17 bags (18 with a 5% allowance, since 35.0 ÷ 2 = 17.5)
For a bed that is not a rectangle, find its area first. The method is in how to calculate square feet. For several beds, add the areas of those that share the same depth.
| Bed area | Cubic feet | Cubic yards | 2 cu ft bags | 3 cu ft bags |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 sq ft | 12.5 | 0.463 | 7 | 5 |
| 100 sq ft | 25 | 0.926 | 13 | 9 |
| 150 sq ft | 37.5 | 1.389 | 19 | 13 |
| 200 sq ft | 50 | 1.852 | 25 | 17 |
| 400 sq ft | 100 | 3.704 | 50 | 34 |
A 5% to 10% allowance for settling and uneven beds is a common convention. It is not a standard, so adjust it for your yard.
Enter bed size and depth, pick your bag size, and get cubic yards, bags and a bulk order amount.
Should you buy bagged or bulk mulch?
Bagged mulch is easy to carry and place. Bulk is delivered by the cubic yard and dumped in one pile. To compare them without guessing prices, convert both to cost per cubic yard:
- Bagged cost per yard = price per bag × bags per yard (13.5 for 2 cu ft bags, 9 for 3 cu ft bags).
- Bulk cost per yard = (price per yard × yards + delivery fee) ÷ yards.
Ask your supplier for current prices, minimum loads and delivery fees. For bulk, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension suggests rounding up to the nearest yard or half yard. You also need a spot to dump the pile near the beds and a plan for wheeling it. Topsoil is ordered the same way, by the cubic yard: see how much topsoil you need.
How deep should mulch be?
- The University of Florida IFAS recommends mulching to a depth of 3 inches. Thicker is not better for plants.
- Keep mulch a few inches away from tree trunks and house siding.
- Fresh mulch settles. If you are topping up an existing bed, measure the depth that is already there and only add the difference.
The volume side of this guide is covered in how many cubic feet are in a cubic yard. For big areas, such as an acre, see how many square feet are in an acre. For other shapes, see how to calculate cubic yards.
Questions people ask
How many square feet does a bag of mulch cover?
Bag volume × 12 ÷ depth in inches. A 2 cu ft bag covers 12 sq ft at 2 in and 8 sq ft at 3 in; a 3 cu ft bag covers 18 sq ft at 2 in and 12 sq ft at 3 in.
How many bags of mulch do I need for a 100 sq ft bed?
At 3 in deep the bed needs 25 cu ft: 13 bags of 2 cu ft (14 with a 5% allowance) or 9 bags of 3 cu ft.
How much mulch do I need for 1,000 square feet?
At 3 in deep, 1,000 × 3 ÷ 12 = 250 cu ft, or 9.26 cubic yards. At 2 in it is 166.67 cu ft, or 6.17 cubic yards. Round bulk up to the nearest yard or half yard.
How much does a yard of mulch cost?
It varies by region and supplier, so BuildLumi does not quote a price. To compare, multiply the bag price by 13.5 (2 cu ft bags) or 9 (3 cu ft bags), and compare with the bulk price plus delivery.
My mulch bag is labeled in liters. How many cubic feet is that?
Divide the liters by 28.316846592. A 42.5 L bag is about 1.5 cu ft.
Sources
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Travis County: How Much Compost, Soil or Mulch. Volume formula, bags-per-yard method and rounding advice. Accessed October 16, 2026.
- University of Florida IFAS, Gardening Solutions: Mulch. 3 inch depth recommendation and coverage of one cubic yard. Accessed October 16, 2026.
- NIST, Handbook 44 (2026), Appendix C. 27 cubic feet per cubic yard and the cubic-foot-to-liter factor. Accessed October 16, 2026.