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How Many Bags of Mulch Are in a Cubic Yard?

The bag says cubic feet, the yard sells cubic yards, and you are standing in the aisle doing division.

Short answer

A cubic yard holds 27 cubic feet, so it takes 13.5 bags of the common 2 cubic foot mulch, or 9 bags of the 3 cubic foot size. Round up: 14 bags and 9 bags respectively. At typical retail that is $55–110 in bags against $30–60 for the same yard delivered in bulk.

Run it on your own numbers

Mulch needed
0.74 yd³
Cost
$35.00 – $55.00

Measure these

3 in is the sweet spot — enough to block weeds, not enough to smother roots.

Sensible defaults are already applied — open only if you need to change them.

3″20′4′VOLUME · LENGTH × WIDTH × DEPTH
Mulch needed
0.74 yd³
20 cubic feet over 80 sq ft of bed
Material cost
$35.00 – $55.00
Bagged
10 bags

2 cu ft bags

Bulk order
1 yd³

Rounded to the half yard

Cheaper option
Bags

Under 1 yd³ the delivery fee outweighs the savings

Bagged mulch at $3.50–5.50 per 2 cu ft bag

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Bags per cubic yard by bag size

Bag sizeBags per yd³BuyCovers at 3 in
1 cu ft2727 bags108 sq ft
1.5 cu ft1818 bags108 sq ft
2 cu ftcommon13.514 bags108 sq ft
2.5 cu ft10.811 bags108 sq ft
3 cu ft99 bags108 sq ft

Coverage is identical because it is the same cubic yard — only the packaging changes. 2 cu ft is the most common size in North America.

When bulk beats bagged

The crossover is around 6–8 bags. Below that, bagged is easier and the trip charge on a bulk delivery is not worth it. Above it, bulk is roughly half the price per yard and you stop paying for plastic.

One cubic yard covers 108 square feet at 3 inches, which is the depth most beds want. A typical suburban front bed is 150–300 square feet, so two to three yards — that is 27 to 41 bags, or one small delivery.

Bulk has a second advantage nobody mentions: it is already loose. Bagged mulch is compressed, so a 2 cubic foot bag fluffs up to slightly more than 2 cubic feet when spread, but you also spend the afternoon splitting bags and hauling plastic to the kerb.

What it costs, mid-2026

FormatUnitPrice
Bagged hardwood mulchper 2 cu ft bag$4–8
Bulk hardwood mulchper yd³$30–60
Bulk dyed mulchper yd³$35–70
Deliveryper trip$60–100
Spreading labourper yd³$25–50

Thirteen and a half bags at $6 is $81 for a yard you could have delivered for $45 plus a shared trip charge.

Frequently asked questions

How many 2 cubic foot bags of mulch are in a yard?

13.5, so you buy 14. There are 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard and each bag holds 2.

How many 3 cubic foot bags make a yard?

Exactly 9. This is the tidiest bag size for anyone thinking in yards.

How much area does a yard of mulch cover?

108 square feet at 3 inches deep, 162 square feet at 2 inches, or 81 square feet at 4 inches.

Is bulk mulch cheaper than bags?

Yes, usually by about half per cubic yard, but a delivery charge of $60–100 means bulk only wins once you need roughly a full yard — about 7 bags or more.