🌱 How much mulch do I need?
A cubic yard of mulch is 27 cubic feet — about 13.5 of the standard 2-cu-ft bags — and covers roughly 160 sq ft at 2 inches deep (about 110 sq ft at 3 inches). Enter your bed size below for the exact yards, bags and cost.
Bed size & depth
A cubic yard is 27 cu ft — 13.5 of the standard 2-cu-ft bags. Bulk mulch by the yard is usually cheaper than bags once you need more than about 10–12 bags. 2–3 inches is the usual depth; 3–4 for weed suppression.
Bags per yard & coverage
| Bag size | Bags per yard | Covers @ 2″ | Covers @ 3″ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 cu ft | 18 | 9 sq ft | 6 sq ft |
| 2 cu ft | 14 | 12 sq ft | 8 sq ft |
| 3 cu ft | 9 | 18 sq ft | 12 sq ft |
A cubic yard is 27 cu ft. Coverage is the bag volume ÷ depth: a 2-cu-ft bag is 12 sq ft at 2″, 8 sq ft at 3″. Bulk by the yard usually beats bags past ~10–12 bags.
Keep going
Frequently asked
How many bags of mulch are in a yard?▾
A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so it equals about 13.5 of the standard 2-cubic-foot bags (round up to 14). If your bags are 3 cubic feet, a yard is 9 bags; if 1.5 cubic feet, it is 18 bags. That is why bulk mulch by the yard is usually cheaper than bags once you need more than about ten of them.
How much does a bag of mulch cover?▾
A standard 2-cubic-foot bag covers about 12 square feet at 2 inches deep, or about 8 square feet at 3 inches — depth is the trade-off. Spread thinner and a bag covers more ground but suppresses fewer weeds; the usual sweet spot is 2 to 3 inches. A 3-cubic-foot bag covers 18 sq ft at 2 inches.
How much mulch do I need?▾
Multiply the bed's length by its width for the area, multiply by the depth in feet (2 inches = 0.167, 3 inches = 0.25), and that's the cubic feet. Divide by 27 for cubic yards, or by the bag size (usually 2 cu ft) for bags. A 100-square-foot bed at 3 inches deep needs about 25 cubic feet — roughly 13 bags or half a yard.
Is it cheaper to buy mulch in bags or bulk?▾
Bulk (by the cubic yard) is almost always cheaper per cubic foot once you need more than about ten to twelve bags — a yard of bulk often costs less than the 13–14 bags it replaces, before you even count the hauling. Bags win for small beds, tidy storage and when you can't take a bulk delivery. The break-even is usually around half a yard.