How to work out bags of mulch
bags = square feet × depth (in) ÷ 12 ÷ bag size (cu ft), rounded up
- Square feet. Length × width for each bed, added together.
- Cubic feet. Square feet × depth in inches ÷ 12.
- Bags. Cubic feet ÷ the bag size. Round up to a whole bag.
Worked example
A 12 × 6 ft bed at 3 inches deep:
- 12 × 6 = 72 sq ft
- 72 × 3 ÷ 12 = 18 cu ft
- 18 ÷ 2 = 9 bags of 2 cu ft, or 6 bags of 3 cu ft, or 12 bags of 1.5 cu ft
At 2 inches the same bed needs 12 cu ft: 6 bags of 2 cu ft.
How much one bag of mulch covers
| Depth | 1.5 cu ft bag | 2 cu ft bag | 3 cu ft bag |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 inch | 18 sq ft | 24 sq ft | 36 sq ft |
| 2 inches | 9 sq ft | 12 sq ft | 18 sq ft |
| 3 inches | 6 sq ft | 8 sq ft | 12 sq ft |
| 4 inches | 4.5 sq ft | 6 sq ft | 9 sq ft |
The pattern: one cubic foot covers 12 square feet at 1 inch deep. Multiply by the bag size and divide by your depth.
How much area will 2 cubic feet of mulch cover? 24 sq ft at 1 inch, 12 sq ft at 2 inches, 8 sq ft at 3 inches. That’s a bed about 4 × 2 ft at the usual 3 inch depth, which surprises a lot of people in the garden center.
Bags of mulch for common bed sizes
At 3 inches deep, rounded up to whole bags:
| Bed area | 1.5 cu ft bags | 2 cu ft bags | 3 cu ft bags |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 sq ft | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| 50 sq ft | 9 | 7 | 5 |
| 100 sq ft | 17 | 13 | 9 |
| 200 sq ft | 34 | 25 | 17 |
| 300 sq ft | 50 | 38 | 25 |
| 500 sq ft | 84 | 63 | 42 |
At 2 inches you need two-thirds as many; at 4 inches, a third more.
How many bags of mulch make a yard?
| Bag size | Bags per cubic yard |
|---|---|
| 1.5 cu ft | 18 |
| 2 cu ft | 13.5 |
| 3 cu ft | 9 |
A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so divide 27 by the bag size. If you’re quoted a price per yard and a price per bag, multiply the bag price by the bags per yard to compare them on equal terms. The cubic feet to yards converter does this for any quantity.
How many bags of mulch are on a pallet?
There’s no single answer. The count depends on the bag size, the product and how the supplier stacks it. Pallets of 2 cu ft bags commonly hold somewhere around 50 to 70 bags; 3 cu ft bags mean fewer per pallet. Before you buy a full pallet, ask the store how many bags are on it and multiply by the bag size to get cubic feet. For example, a pallet of 65 bags of 2 cu ft is 130 cu ft, or 4.8 cubic yards, which covers about 520 sq ft at 3 inches.
Pallets are heavy. A 2 cu ft bag of wood mulch often weighs somewhere around 25 to 45 lb, depending on the type and how wet it is, so a full pallet can weigh a ton or more. Check what your vehicle and the delivery truck’s liftgate can handle. There’s more on this on the mulch weight page.
Bags or bulk?
Bags are easy for small jobs: no tarp on the driveway, no wheelbarrow runs, and leftovers keep. For larger areas, bulk is often cheaper per yard, but delivery fees and minimum orders can wipe that out on a small job. Put both prices into the calculator above and it tells you which wins for your beds. The mulch cost calculator explains what to ask a supplier.
Check the bag. Sizes are printed on the front, usually in cubic feet. Some specialty products, such as rubber mulch, come in smaller bags (0.8 cu ft is common), so pick that size in the calculator.
Questions people ask
- How many bags of mulch do I need?
- Multiply square feet by depth in inches, divide by 12 for cubic feet, then divide by the bag size and round up. A 12 × 6 ft bed at 3 inches needs 18 cubic feet: 9 bags of 2 cubic feet.
- How much does a 2 cubic foot bag of mulch cover?
- About 12 square feet at 2 inches deep, 8 square feet at 3 inches and 6 square feet at 4 inches. At 1 inch it covers 24 square feet.
- How many bags of mulch make a yard?
- 13.5 bags of 2 cubic feet, 9 bags of 3 cubic feet, or 18 bags of 1.5 cubic feet. A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet.
- How many bags of mulch are on a pallet?
- It depends on the product and the store. Pallets of 2 cubic foot bags commonly hold somewhere around 50 to 70 bags. Ask the store for the count on the product you're buying.
- Are bags of mulch filled to the size on the label?
- The label size is the volume when bagged. Shredded mulch can compact in a tight bag and fluff up when spread, and fines can settle, so treat bag coverage as approximate.