How many bags of mulch equal a cubic yard?
Compare your project costs →The short answer
One cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, because 3 feet × 3 feet × 3 feet = 27. Divide 27 by the volume printed on the bag. That gives 18 bags of 1.5 cubic feet, 13.5 bags of 2 cubic feet, or 9 bags of 3 cubic feet. Since you normally buy whole bags, 14 two-cubic-foot bags cover at least one cubic yard.
Whole bags to buy
The table below rounds up once for the entire order. It does not include an extra-material allowance. Check the bag label: two bags with the same price may hold different volumes.
| Bag volume | 1 yd³ | 3 yd³ | 5 yd³ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 cu ft | 18 | 54 | 90 |
| 2 cu ft | 14 | 41 | 68 |
| 3 cu ft | 9 | 27 | 45 |
Start with area and depth
For a rectangular bed, multiply length by width in feet to get square feet. Add separate bed areas together. Multiply total square feet by your selected depth in inches, then divide by 12 to get cubic feet. This is a volume calculation; select a depth appropriate for your plants and existing mulch.
A worked example
For 600 square feet at a chosen depth of 3 inches: 600 × 3 ÷ 12 = 150 cubic feet. A 10% extra allowance makes it 165 cubic feet, or about 6.11 cubic yards. At 2 cubic feet per bag, 165 ÷ 2 = 82.5, so buy 83 bags. The allowance is an example you can change, not a requirement.
Round only after calculating the total
Five cubic yards equal 135 cubic feet. Dividing by 2 gives 67.5, so you need 68 bags—not 70. Multiplying the rounded one-yard count of 14 by five would overstate the order. Round each separately purchased bag size only after working out the full quantity you need.
Turn quantity into a budget
Multiply whole bags by the price per bag, then add applicable tax, pickup or delivery and equipment. Bag dimensions do not determine the labeled volume, and volume does not tell you loaded weight. Use the calculator to compare the rounded bag order with a bulk quote for the same project.
All prices and work times in these examples are assumptions, not current retailer prices or contractor quotes. Use your local costs.
See calculator assumptions and methodology