Quick reference for how far a cubic yard goes and how many bags make one. It is plain arithmetic, so you can check every number. Bag sizes and yields differ by brand, so use the yield printed on your bag.
Coverage of one cubic yard by depth
One cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. Divide 27 by the depth in feet to get the square feet covered. This works for mulch, topsoil, gravel, sand and concrete.
| Depth | One cubic yard covers |
|---|---|
| 1 inch | 324 sq ft |
| 2 inches | 162 sq ft |
| 3 inches | 108 sq ft |
| 4 inches | 81 sq ft |
| 6 inches | 54 sq ft |
| 8 inches | 40 sq ft |
| 12 inches | 27 sq ft |
Bags in one cubic yard
Bags per cubic yard = 27 divided by the bag volume in cubic feet, rounded up. These are the bag volumes used in our calculators. Check the label on your product.
| Bag | Volume (cu ft) | Bags per cubic yard |
|---|---|---|
| Mulch or soil, 2 cu ft | 2 | 14 (13.5 rounded up) |
| Mulch or soil, 3 cu ft | 3 | 9 |
| Concrete mix, 80 lb | 0.60 | 45 |
| Concrete mix, 60 lb | 0.45 | 60 |
| Concrete mix, 40 lb | 0.30 | 90 |
Handy conversions
- 1 cubic yard = 27 cubic feet.
- 1 square foot = 144 square inches.
- 1 cubic foot of water = about 7.48 US gallons.
- Inches to feet: divide by 12.
- Area of a rectangle = length x width. Area of a circle = 3.1416 x radius x radius.
Common worked examples
- A 10 x 10 foot area at 4 inches deep = 100 x (4/12) = 33.3 cubic feet = 1.23 cubic yards.
- A 20 x 10 foot bed at 3 inches deep = 200 x (3/12) = 50 cubic feet = 1.85 cubic yards.
- A 12 x 8 foot room: 96 square feet. At 10% extra, 105.6 square feet.
Add 5 to 10 percent for waste and settling. For exact numbers use the calculators, and see How we calculate for the conventions. Estimates only.