How Much Mulch for a 5×20 Bed?
A 5 × 20 ft bed (100 ft²) at 3″ deep needs 0.9 yd³ of mulch — 0.93 yd³ net. Order 1.0 yd³ — bulk mulch is sold by the ½ yard; a pickup holds about 2 yd³.
5×20 at other depths
| Depth | Volume | Order (yd³) | 2 ft³ bag |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2″ | 0.62 yd³ | 0.6 yd³ | 9 |
| 3″ (this page) | 0.93 yd³ | 0.9 yd³ | 13 |
| 4″ | 1.23 yd³ | 1.2 yd³ | 17 |
Other bed sizes
Order 1.0 yd³ — bulk mulch is sold by the ½ yard; a pickup holds about 2 yd³.
- Area
- 100 ft²
- Volume (25.0 ft³)
- 0.93 yd³
- Weight @ 0.40 t/yd³
- ≈ 0.4 tons
- Waste
- + 0.00 yd³
- Order quantity
- 0.93 yd³
- Truckloads
- 1 × dump load (≈10 yd³)
- Metric
- 0.71 m³
- 2 ft³ bag
- 13 bags
- 3 ft³ bag
- 9 bags
- Materials + delivery$25–$60 / yd³ · Sep 2026
- $100 – $135
- Installed (with labor)typ. $147
- $119 – $186
Quantities follow the ticket. Links may earn us a commission at no cost to you; they never change a number.
What will this mulch job cost?
See the installed price range for these quantities and get up to 3 quotes from local contractors. Free, no obligation.
Different size or depth?
Open the full mulch calculator to change every input, pick a material and see truckloads.
How to calculate mulch by hand
Cubic yards = Length (ft) × Width (ft) × Depth (in) ÷ 12 ÷ 27 · 2 ft³ bags = ft³ ÷ 2
Worked example
- Area: 20 ft × 5 ft = 100 ft².
- Volume: 100 ft² × (3 in ÷ 12) = 25 ft³.
- Cubic yards: 25 ÷ 27 = 0.93 yd³ → order 1 yd³ bulk.
- Bagged: 25 ÷ 2 = 12.5 → 13 × 2 ft³ bags, or 25 ÷ 3 = 8.3 → 9 × 3 ft³ bags.
- 1 yd³ of mulch at 3″
- ≈ 108 ft²
- 1 yd³ of mulch at 2″
- ≈ 162 ft²
- 1 yd³ in 2 ft³ bags
- 13.5 bags
- 1 yd³ hardwood mulch
- ≈ 800 lb
Questions crews ask
How many bags of mulch are in a cubic yard?
A cubic yard is 27 ft³, so it takes 13.5 two-cubic-foot bags or 9 three-cubic-foot bags. Round up — you cannot buy half a bag. Above about a yard, bulk delivery is usually cheaper than bags.
How much does a yard of mulch cover?
One cubic yard covers 108 ft² at 3 inches deep, 162 ft² at 2 inches, and 81 ft² at 4 inches. Multiply your bed’s square footage by depth in inches and divide by 324 to get yards.
How deep should mulch be?
Three inches for new beds and weed suppression, two inches when topping up an existing layer, and up to four inches around trees — but keep it 3–4 inches away from trunks and stems so bark can breathe.