DIY Project Calc / Mulch calculator
How many bags of mulch in a yard?
One cubic yard of mulch fills 13.5 bags of 2 cu ft, so buy 14, or exactly 9 bags of 3 cu ft. A cubic yard is 27 cu ft, so divide 27 by the cubic feet printed on the bag.
Bags per yard for common bag sizes
The same math works for bagged soil, compost and gravel: 27 cu ft ÷ bag size. Counts are rounded up to whole bags.
| Bag size | Exact bags per yard | Buy for 1 yd | Half yard | 2 yards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 cu ft | 54 | 54 | 27 | 108 |
| 1 cu ft | 27 | 27 | 14 | 54 |
| 1.5 cu ft | 18 | 18 | 9 | 36 |
| 2 cu ft | 13.5 | 14 | 7 | 27 |
| 3 cu ft | 9 | 9 | 5 | 18 |
How much ground a yard covers
Coverage is volume divided by depth: 27 cu ft ÷ (depth in inches ÷ 12). Clemson University's Home & Garden Information Center says fine wood and bark mulches should be no more than 2 to 3 inches deep.
| Depth | 1 cubic yard covers | One 2 cu ft bag | One 3 cu ft bag |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 in | 324 sq ft | 24 sq ft | 36 sq ft |
| 2 in | 162 sq ft | 12 sq ft | 18 sq ft |
| 3 in | 108 sq ft | 8 sq ft | 12 sq ft |
| 4 in | 81 sq ft | 6 sq ft | 9 sq ft |
Sources: 27 cu ft = 1 cu yd from NIST Handbook 44, Appendix C; mulch depth from Clemson HGIC, Mulch. Bag sizes are the volume printed on the bag; check the label.
Work out your own bed
The mulch calculator takes the length and width of your bed (or a circle) and the depth you want, and lists cubic yards and bags of 2 cu ft, 3 cu ft or your own size.
Questions people ask
- How many 2 cu ft bags of mulch are in a yard?
- 13.5. A cubic yard is 27 cu ft and 27 ÷ 2 = 13.5, so buy 14 bags.
- How many 3 cu ft bags make a yard?
- Exactly 9, because 27 ÷ 3 = 9.
- How many bags of mulch for half a yard?
- 7 bags of 2 cu ft (13.5 ÷ 2 = 6.75) or 5 bags of 3 cu ft.
- How much does a yard of mulch cover?
- 108 sq ft at 3 inches deep and 162 sq ft at 2 inches.