How Many Bags of Mulch in a Yard? (2 and 3 Cu Ft Bags)

By the Mulch Calculator team · Published October 24, 2026 · Facts checked against the sources listed below · About us

Before you order. Results are estimates. Bulk material settles, and loads vary by supplier, so check the bag label or ask your supplier for the real volume and weight. Call 811 before you dig. Keep mulch off tree trunks and away from your house foundation, as UC extension advice explains.

A question that comes up again and again on Reddit’s r/LandscapingTips and r/NativePlantGardening goes like this. The garden supply yard sells mulch by the cubic yard. The big box store sells it in bags. How many bags equal one yard, and which is the better deal? The math is simple once you know one number: a cubic yard holds 27 cubic feet.

The short answer

One cubic yard of mulch is 27 cubic feet. That works out to:

Bag size	Bags per cubic yard	Buy this many
1.5 cu ft	18	18
2 cu ft	13.5	14
3 cu ft	9	9

The 2 cubic foot bag is the most common size you will see at home stores. So a good rule to keep in your head is “about 14 bags to a yard.”

Why a yard is 27 cubic feet

A yard is 3 feet long. A cubic yard is a box 3 feet long, 3 feet wide and 3 feet tall. Multiply 3 x 3 x 3 and you get 27 cubic feet. The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services lists the same figure on its conversion sheet, and adds that one cubic yard is about 202 gallons.

To turn any bag size into bags per yard, divide 27 by the size on the bag:

Bags per yard = 27 / bag size in cubic feet

So a 2 cubic foot bag gives 27 / 2 = 13.5. A 3 cubic foot bag gives 27 / 3 = 9.

How far one yard of mulch spreads

The number of bags only matters once you know how much you need. That depends on area and depth. One cubic yard spread 1 inch deep covers 324 square feet. That number comes from 27 cubic feet x 12 inches in a foot. For any other depth, divide 324 by the depth in inches.

Depth	Sq ft per cubic yard	2 cu ft bags per 100 sq ft	3 cu ft bags per 100 sq ft
1 inch	324	5	3
2 inches	162	9	6
3 inches	108	13	9
4 inches	81	17	12

UC Marin Master Gardeners at UC Agriculture and Natural Resources give the same rule in rounder numbers. They say one yard covers about 325 square feet at 1 inch, 160 at 2 inches, 100 at 3 inches and 80 at 4 inches.

A worked example

Say you have two beds. One is 20 feet by 4 feet. The other is 12 feet by 6 feet. You want 3 inches of mulch.

Area: 20 x 4 = 80 square feet, and 12 x 6 = 72 square feet. Total is 152 square feet.
Depth in feet: 3 / 12 = 0.25 feet.
Volume: 152 x 0.25 = 38 cubic feet.
Cubic yards: 38 / 27 = 1.41 yards.
Bags: 38 / 2 = 19 bags of 2 cubic feet, or 38 / 3 = 12.7, so 13 bags of 3 cubic feet.

Add 10% for settling and you are at about 42 cubic feet. That is 21 bags of 2 cubic feet or 14 bags of 3 cubic feet. Our mulch calculator does every one of these steps for you.

How deep should you go?

Depth is the number people guess most often, and it changes the answer more than anything else. Going from 2 inches to 4 inches doubles the mulch you need.

Most extension services land between 2 and 4 inches. The University of Illinois Extension suggests 2 to 4 inches in general, with compost at 2 to 3 inches and coarse mulch at 3 to 4 inches. UF/IFAS suggests 2 to 3 inches after settling. Deeper is not better. Thick layers can keep air and water from roots. Our guide on how deep mulch should be has the full list of sources.

Bags or bulk: which costs less?

There is no single answer, since prices change by region and season. But you can compare them in a minute. Turn the bag price into a price per cubic yard:

2 cubic foot bags: bag price x 13.5
3 cubic foot bags: bag price x 9
1.5 cubic foot bags: bag price x 18

Then compare that number with the bulk price per yard. Do not forget delivery. Many suppliers add a delivery fee, and some have a minimum order.

Here is how that looks with made up prices. These are only to show the math:

Option	Price	Price per cubic yard
2 cu ft bag	$4.00	$54.00
3 cu ft bag	$6.00	$54.00
Bulk, picked up	$40.00 a yard	$40.00
Bulk, delivered with a $60 fee, 3 yards	$40.00 a yard	$60.00

The last row shows why the fee matters. On a small order, a fee can make bulk cost more than bags. On a big order, it is spread over more yards.

When bags make more sense

You need less than a yard or so.
You have no truck and no space for a pile in the driveway.
The beds are far from where a truck can dump.
You want to mix different colors or types.

When bulk makes more sense

You need several yards.
You have a place for a pile and a wheelbarrow to move it.
You want less plastic waste.

Weight: can your car carry it?

Mulch is light next to soil or gravel, but it still adds up. The New Hampshire DES sheet lists raw mulched yard waste at about 350 pounds per cubic yard. Wet mulch weighs more. Check the bag weight on the label, and check how much your car or truck can carry before you load it.

Tips to avoid buying too much or too little

Measure, do not guess. Use a tape and write down each bed.
Split odd shapes. Break curvy beds into rectangles, circles and triangles.
Measure the old mulch. If there is still 2 inches left, you may only need 1 more inch.
Leave space at trunks. Do not count the bare area around trees and shrubs.
Buy a few extra bags. Most stores take back unopened bags, but check first.

If you also need soil for new beds, see our topsoil calculator. For more about the volume math, read our guide on how to calculate cubic yards.

Bottom line

A cubic yard of mulch is 27 cubic feet. That is 13.5 bags of 2 cubic feet or 9 bags of 3 cubic feet. To find what you need, multiply your square feet by the depth in inches and divide by 324. Then add about 10% for settling, and round up to whole bags.

Tools for this guide

FAQ

How many 2 cubic foot bags make a yard?

It takes 13.5 bags of 2 cubic feet to make one cubic yard, since a yard is 27 cubic feet. Stores do not sell half bags, so buy 14 to match one yard.

How many 3 cubic foot bags make a yard?

It takes exactly 9 bags of 3 cubic feet to make one cubic yard. That is 9 x 3 = 27 cubic feet.

How many 1.5 cubic foot bags make a yard?

It takes 18 bags of 1.5 cubic feet to make one cubic yard, because 27 / 1.5 = 18.

Does bagged mulch settle?

Yes. Fresh mulch settles after rain and watering. UF/IFAS gives its depth goal of 2 to 3 inches as the depth after settling, so buy a little extra. Our calculator adds 10% by default.