How many bags of mulch are in a cubic yard?

A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so it's 13.5 bags of 2 cu ft mulch (round up to 14) or 9 bags of 3 cu ft.

How much mulch do I need for 200 square feet?

At a 3-inch depth, 200 sq ft needs 50 cubic feet of mulch — that's about 1.85 cubic yards, or 25 bags of 2 cu ft. Above half a yard, bulk delivery is usually cheaper.

BagsAndYards How much you need — and what it costs

Mulch & Topsoil Calculator

Enter your bed and depth to get cubic yards, bags, and an estimated cost — and whether to buy bags or bulk.

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A 2–4 inch layer is typical for beds (3 in is a good default). Mulch is loose fill — no cut waste — so quantities are exact for your area. Above about half a cubic yard, bulk delivery is usually cheaper than bags. Cost is an estimate (as of June 2026); bulk delivery fees vary.

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How the mulch estimate works

Volume = area × depth. We convert with the landscaper's identity: 1 cubic yard covers 324 ft² at 1 inch deep, so cubic yards = area × depth(in) ÷ 324.
200 ft² at 3″ = 200 × 3 ÷ 324 = 1.85 cubic yards = 50 ft³ = 25 bags of 2 cu ft.

Mulch is loose fill with no cut waste, so the quantity is exact for your area. A 2–4 inch layer is typical; go thinner for fine mulch and thicker for paths.

Last updated: 2026-06-28.
Coverage math per Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. Cost is a US-average estimate.