How Many Bags of Mulch in a Cubic Yard?
A cubic yard of mulch is 27 cubic feet. How many bags that is depends on the size printed on the bag.
The short answer
| Bag size | Bags in 1 cubic yard |
|---|---|
| 1 cu ft | 27 |
| 1.5 cu ft | 18 |
| 2 cu ft | 13.5 |
| 3 cu ft | 9 |
The two most common sizes you will see are 2 and 3 cubic feet. That is 13.5 bags of 2 cubic feet, or 9 bags of 3 cubic feet. You cannot buy half a bag, so round up, and add a little extra for settling.
Why it works out this way
A cubic yard is a cube that is 3 feet long, 3 feet wide and 3 feet deep. That is 3 × 3 × 3 = 27 cubic feet. To find the number of bags, divide 27 by the volume of one bag. A 2 cubic foot bag gives 27 ÷ 2 = 13.5, and a 3 cubic foot bag gives 27 ÷ 3 = 9.
In metric, one cubic meter is 1,000 liters. If your bags are 50 liters, that is 20 bags per cubic meter.
How many bags do I need for my bed?
Start with the area and the depth. Multiply length by width to get square feet, then multiply by the depth in feet (inches divided by 12) to get cubic feet. Divide that by the bag size and round up.
This table shows how much ground one bag covers at common depths, before any extra allowance:
| Depth | 2 cu ft bag covers (sq ft) | 3 cu ft bag covers (sq ft) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 inches | 12 | 18 |
| 3 inches | 8 | 12 |
| 4 inches | 6 | 9 |
For example, a bed that is 100 square feet at 3 inches deep needs 100 ÷ 8 = 12.5 bags of 2 cubic feet, so buy 13. With 5 percent extra for settling it comes to 13.1 bags, so buy 14.
The mulch calculator does this for you, including several areas at once and the extra allowance.
Bags or bulk?
Bagged mulch is easy to carry and store, which suits small beds. Bulk mulch is delivered by the cubic yard and is usually the better fit for larger areas, though delivery fees and minimum loads can change that. A good rule is to work out the quantity first, then compare the bag price multiplied by the number of bags against the bulk price per yard, plus delivery.
Common mistakes
- Using the wrong bag size. Read the volume on the bag. Two bags that look alike can hold different amounts.
- Forgetting depth. Doubling the depth doubles the mulch. Extension guides commonly suggest 2 to 3 inches for fine mulch and 3 to 4 inches for coarse mulch.
- Not rounding up. Stopping a bag short usually means a second trip.
- Piling mulch against trunks. Keep it back from the trunk.
Related
Questions
How many square feet does a bag of mulch cover?
It depends on the bag size and how deep you spread it. A 2 cubic foot bag covers about 12 square feet at 2 inches deep and 8 square feet at 3 inches. A 3 cubic foot bag covers about 18 square feet at 2 inches and 12 square feet at 3 inches.
How much mulch do I need for 100 square feet?
At 3 inches deep you need 25 cubic feet. That is 12.5 bags of 2 cubic feet or 8.3 bags of 3 cubic feet, so buy 13 or 9. At 2 inches deep you need about 16.7 cubic feet, which is 9 bags of 2 cubic feet or 6 bags of 3 cubic feet. Add a little extra for settling.
Does the type of mulch change how much I need?
The volume for a given area and depth is the same, but coarse mulch is usually spread deeper than fine mulch, which means more of it. Extension guides commonly suggest 3 to 4 inches for coarse mulch and 2 to 3 inches for fine.
Can I use the same figures for compost or soil?
Yes. Volume works the same way for any loose material sold by the cubic foot or cubic yard. Weight is different for each material, so only use bag counts and volumes.