Calculators for this guide
The short answer
One cubic yard holds 27 cubic feet. The most common bag of mulch is 2 cubic feet, so one cubic yard equals 13.5 bags. Here's the figure for other bag sizes:
| Bag size | Bags per cubic yard |
|---|---|
| 1.5 cu ft | 18 |
| 2 cu ft | 13.5 |
| 3 cu ft | 9 |
How far a yard (and a bag) goes
| Depth | One cubic yard covers | One 2 cu ft bag covers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 in | 324 sq ft | 24 sq ft |
| 2 in | 162 sq ft | 12 sq ft |
| 3 in | 108 sq ft | 8 sq ft |
| 4 in | 81 sq ft | 6 sq ft |
How deep should mulch be?
- Flower and shrub beds: 2–3 inches is enough to block weeds and hold moisture.
- Around trees: 2–4 inches in a wide ring, kept a few inches away from the trunk. Piling mulch against the bark (“volcano mulching”) invites rot and pests.
- Top-up on existing beds: often just 1 inch to refresh the color.
- Paths and play areas: deeper, around 3–4 inches for paths. Playground surfaces have their own safety depth guidance.
Example: a 200 sq ft bed
A 200 sq ft bed at 3 inches deep needs 200 × (3 ÷ 12) = 50 cubic feet. That's 50 ÷ 27 = 1.85 cubic yards, or 50 ÷ 2 = 25 bags of 2 cu ft.
For several beds of different shapes, measure each one, add the areas, then work out the volume. The mulch calculator gives both the cubic yards and the bag count.
Bags or bulk?
Bags are tidy and easy to carry, which suits small beds and top-ups. Bulk mulch, delivered or picked up by the yard, is usually much cheaper per cubic foot once you need more than about two or three yards. You'll need a spot for the pile, a tarp, a wheelbarrow and a few hours of shoveling.
Tips
- Weed and edge the beds first, and water the soil if it's dry.
- Fresh mulch settles after the first rain, so a little extra depth on day one is normal.
- Bulk mulch weight varies a lot with moisture. If you're hauling it in a pickup, ask the supplier what a yard weighs.
- If the soil itself needs building up, use the topsoil calculator first, then mulch on top.