One cubic yard of mulch is 27 cubic feet, so it equals 13.5 bags of 2 cu ft mulch — buy 14 bags. With 1.5 cu ft bags it takes 18 bags, and with 3 cu ft bags it takes 9. Want the count for your own bed? Enter its length, width and depth in the QtyLab mulch calculator.
Bags of mulch per cubic yard
Check the bag label for its size in cubic feet, then divide 27 by that number and round up.
| Bag size | Bags in 1 cubic yard | Buy |
|---|---|---|
| 1 cu ft | 27 | 27 bags |
| 1.5 cu ft | 18 | 18 bags |
| 2 cu ft (most common) | 13.5 | 14 bags |
| 3 cu ft | 9 | 9 bags |
How much area does a yard of mulch cover?
A cubic yard covers 324 square feet at 1 inch deep. Divide 324 by your depth in inches:
- 2 inches deep: 162 sq ft per yard (about 9 bags of 2 cu ft per 100 sq ft)
- 3 inches deep: 108 sq ft per yard (about 13 bags per 100 sq ft) — the usual depth for new beds
- 4 inches deep: 81 sq ft per yard (about 17 bags per 100 sq ft)
Topping up an existing bed? 1 to 2 inches is usually enough, so a yard goes much further.
Bags for common bed sizes (3 inches deep)
These include 5% extra for settling and uneven ground, the same as the calculator’s default. Each row opens the calculator with those numbers filled in.
| Bed size | Cubic yards | 2 cu ft bags | 3 cu ft bags |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 × 20 ft border | 0.78 | 11 | 7 |
| 10 × 10 ft | 0.97 | 14 | 9 |
| 12 × 12 ft | 1.40 | 19 | 13 |
| 3 × 50 ft strip | 1.46 | 20 | 14 |
| 20 × 8 ft | 1.56 | 21 | 14 |
| 10 × 20 ft | 1.94 | 27 | 18 |
Bags or bulk?
Under about 2 cubic yards, bags usually win: no delivery fee, no tarp in the driveway, and you can carry them to the back yard. Past 2 yards (roughly 27 bags or more of 2 cu ft), bulk mulch from a landscape yard is usually cheaper even after delivery. Call ahead and ask for the delivered price per yard.
Mistakes that throw the count off
- Going too deep. More than 4 inches can starve roots of air. 2–3 inches is plenty for most beds.
- Forgetting the old layer. If there’s still 2 inches of mulch down, you only need to add 1 inch.
- Measuring a curved bed as a rectangle. Split it into rectangles and add them up, or measure the longest length and average width.
- Mixing up bag sizes. A 1.5 cu ft bag looks almost as big as a 2 cu ft bag, but you’ll need a third more of them.
What to buy for a 10 × 10 bed
- 14 bags of mulch (2 cu ft) — usually cheapest at a local garden center
- Landscape fabric (optional, for weed control): shop landscape fabric
- Landscape rake to spread it evenly: shop landscape rakes
- Bed edging to keep mulch out of the lawn: shop landscape edging
- Garden gloves: shop garden gloves
We may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page.
More on depth, coverage and bulk ordering: How much mulch do I need? Edging a bed with stone instead? Try the gravel calculator.
FAQ
How many 2 cubic foot bags of mulch make a yard?
13.5 bags. Round up and buy 14.
How many bags of mulch do I need for 100 square feet?
At 3 inches deep, 100 sq ft takes 25 cubic feet, which is 13 bags of 2 cu ft (14 with a little extra). At 2 inches it’s 9 bags.
How far does a yard of mulch go?
About 108 square feet at 3 inches deep, 162 sq ft at 2 inches, or 324 sq ft at 1 inch.
Is it cheaper to buy mulch in bags or by the yard?
Bags are usually cheaper for small jobs under about 2 cubic yards because there’s no delivery fee. For bigger jobs, bulk mulch by the yard usually costs less overall.