Mulch calculator
How many bags or cubic yards of mulch you need, and whether bagged or bulk is cheaper.
You need about
11 bags of 2 cu ft
- Bulk
- 0.81 cubic yards
- Volume
- 22.0 cu ft
- Cost in bags
- Cost in bulk
For 80 sq ft, including the extra you set. Bags are rounded up to whole bags.
How much mulch do I need?
Mulch is sold in bags measured in cubic feet, or in bulk by the cubic yard. The calculator finds the volume of your bed, then divides by the bag size.
- Area = length × width (or 3.1416 × radius² for a circle), in square feet
- Cubic feet = area × depth in inches ÷ 12, plus your extra percentage
- Bags = cubic feet ÷ bag size, rounded up
- Cubic yards = cubic feet ÷ 27
Worked example
A 20 ft × 4 ft flower bed, 3 inches deep: 80 sq ft × 3 ÷ 12 = 20.0 cu ft. 20.0 ÷ 2 = 10 bags of 2 cu ft (rounded up), or 20.0 ÷ 27 = 0.74 cubic yards in bulk.
Bags of mulch in a yard
A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so the number of bags in a yard depends on the bag size printed on the bag.
| Bag size | Bags per cubic yard | To buy (rounded up) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 cu ft | 27.0 | 27 |
| 1.5 cu ft | 18.0 | 18 |
| 2 cu ft | 13.5 | 14 |
| 3 cu ft | 9.0 | 9 |
How far mulch goes
Coverage depends only on depth. Use it to check an estimate or plan a budget.
| Depth | Sq ft per 2 cu ft bag | Sq ft per cubic yard |
|---|---|---|
| 1 in | 24 | 324 |
| 2 in | 12 | 162 |
| 3 in | 8 | 108 |
| 4 in | 6 | 81 |
Mulch questions
How many bags of mulch are in a yard?
13.5 bags of 2 cubic feet, so buy 14 to cover the same area as a yard of bulk mulch. For 1.5 cu ft bags it's 18, and for 3 cu ft bags 9. The table above has other sizes.
How many cubic feet are in a yard of mulch?
27. A cubic yard is 3 × 3 × 3 feet, whatever the material. The cubic yard calculator converts other volumes.
How much area does a bag of mulch cover?
A 2 cubic foot bag covers about 8 square feet at 3 inches deep, or 12 square feet at 2 inches.
How deep should mulch be?
For garden beds, 2 to 3 inches is typical: enough to hold in moisture and block weeds without smothering roots. Keep mulch a few inches back from tree trunks and plant stems. Under play equipment, the CPSC's Public Playground Safety Handbook recommends never less than 9 inches of loose fill (6 inches for shredded rubber), and notes it compresses at least 25% over time, so a 9 inch requirement means filling to 12 inches. The Playground button above uses 12 inches.
Is bagged or bulk mulch cheaper?
For more than a few yards, bulk is usually cheaper, but delivery fees and minimums can change that. Compare per yard: one yard is 13.5 bags of 2 cu ft, so bags at $4.00 each work out to $54.00 per yard. Enter both prices above to compare for your job.
Does rubber mulch use the same calculation?
Yes. The volume and bag math are the same for wood or rubber mulch. Check the cubic feet printed on the bag and choose "Other size" if it isn't listed. For play areas, see the depth guidance above.