How Many Bags of Mulch Are in a Yard? (Plus Scoops)
Part of Landscaping & Aggregate
Quick answer
It takes 13.5 of the standard 2 ft³ bags to make one cubic yard of mulch (27 ft³ ÷ 2 = 13.5). For 3 ft³ bags it's 9 per yard. A loader 'scoop' at a landscape yard is usually ½–1 cubic yard, so it replaces roughly 7–14 bags.
Bagged mulch lists its volume in cubic feet. Divide a cubic yard (27 ft³) by the bag size to get bags per yard. Bag counts always round up — you can't buy half a bag.
Bags per cubic yard by size
| Bag size | Bags per yard |
|---|---|
| 1.5 ft³ | 18 bags |
| 2 ft³ (most common) | 13.5 bags |
| 3 ft³ | 9 bags |
How many bags is a scoop of mulch?
Landscape suppliers sell bulk mulch by the 'scoop' — one bucket of a front-end loader. Scoop size isn't standardized, so always ask. Common sizes and their bag equivalents:
| Scoop size | Equivalent 2 ft³ bags |
|---|---|
| ½ cubic yard | ~7 bags |
| ⅔ cubic yard | ~9 bags |
| 1 cubic yard | 13.5 bags |
Because one scoop can replace 7–14 bags at a fraction of the per-cubic-foot price, bulk is almost always cheaper for anything bigger than a couple of beds.
FAQs
Is bulk mulch cheaper than bags?
Almost always. A cubic yard of bulk mulch usually costs less than the 13.5 bags it replaces. Bags only win for very small beds where delivery isn't worth it.