If you’re in need of bulk mulch or just exploring different options on how to find bulk mulch near you, we’ve got you covered.
Fortunately for you, we’ve built a guide explaining cost savings, things to consider, and how to find mulch near you.
Let’s find out how to find bulk mulch near me.
Where To Find Bulk Mulch Near You?
If you’re in need of bulk mulch for your landscaping or gardening project, there are several places you can check for suppliers in your area.
Home improvement stores, garden centers, and nurseries are all great options for finding bulk mulch. Additionally, landscaping companies often sell and deliver mulch, so you can search online for local providers.
You can also ask for recommendations from friends, family, or neighbors who have purchased mulch in the past.
Once you have a list of potential suppliers, be sure to inquire about the type of mulch they offer, pricing, and delivery options to find the best fit for your needs.
Why Find Bulk Mulch Near You?
Many of our readers are homeowners or contractors with big landscaping projects on their to-do list. A few have asked, “Where can I find bulk mulch near me?”
When I managed over 500 single-family homes, I bought mulch by truckload. So you could call me an expert on this topic.
And I’ll share my tips and tricks for buying with you.
Armed with the knowledge I’ll share with you, this process is going to be a lot easier for you! I’m using what I learned in my search to show you:
- Why buying mulch in bulk is beneficial
- When you need bulk mulch vs. bagged mulch?
- How to determine how much mulch you need
- How to find bulk mulch suppliers in your area
I’ll walk you through the different types and colors of mulch to determine the best type for your needs. I also included a quick form you can use to find local mulch suppliers in your zip code.
What You’ll Learn in This Article
Whether you’re a landscaping professional who wants to make sure you always have plenty of mulch on hand for client projects or a homeowner with an ambitious plan for the yard, you’re on the right track.
Read this guide, decide which type and how much mulch you want, and then use our form (look for it below) to instantly connect with bulk mulch suppliers in your area. See?
It’s going to be a piece of cake!
Bulk Mulch or Bagged Mulch?
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Do you need bulk mulch or bagged mulch? You might be surprised at how often people buy several bags of mulch from a garden center because they think buying it in bulk will be more expensive.
Sometimes they just aren’t aware it’s an option. Most garden centers only sell bagged mulch, which usually contains two cubic feet of mulch.
Spread at the recommended minimum depth of 3 inches, one bag of mulch covers a meager 8 square feet.
Maybe you’re planning to mulch or re-mulch more than one flower bed or landscaped area.
If so, you’ll probably need more mulch than you originally thought. And if that’s the case, it’s better to buy bulk mulch once than make repeated trips to the store to lug home more heavy bags of mulch.
Benefits of Bulk Mulch
Bulk mulch has several benefits. When you buy in bulk, you’re making a smart, cost-conscious decision.
Here are some of the reasons why it’s a good idea to buy bulk mulch:
Cheaper Than Bagged Mulch
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Bulk mulch is considerably cheaper than bagged mulch. Bulk mulch, on average, costs about $15 to $35 per cubic yard. You’d need 13.5 bags of mulch to make one cubic yard.
And at about $3 per bag, you’d pay $40.50 per cubic yard. If you bought bulk mulch at $25 per cubic yard, you’d save more than $15 on every cubic yard you bought.
Buy More, Save More
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When you buy bulk mulch, you might be able to save more by buying larger amounts. Some mulch suppliers offer additional discounts for large orders and contractors.
If you’re a homeowner, it makes sense to buy more mulch than you think you’ll need right away. Remember that mulched areas should be refreshed annually.
It keeps them looking nice and ensures there’s still adequate depth and coverage. And if you’re a contractor, you know how important it is to buy in bulk.
You’ll need the mulch for other clients sooner or later!
More Convenient
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Another benefit of buying bulk mulch is that it’s more convenient than bagged mulch.
Here are a few reasons bulk mulch is easier.
- You can have it delivered and dumped where you need it, in one big pile or in smaller piles scattered where it will be used.
- You don’t have to carry the mulch by hand to buy it and use it. Mulch is heavy!
- There are no plastic bags to deal with or lug around the yard with you.
- You don’t have to worry about not having enough room to transport large bags of mulch.
- You can pick it up yourself if you have a pickup truck.
Eco-Friendly
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If you’re trying to do your part to reduce waste and plastic use, bulk mulch is the ticket. Buying bagged mulch results in a lot of plastic bags being thrown away.
Buying mulch in bulk means there are no plastic bags needlessly tossed, which reduces your carbon footprint.
Supports Local Businesses
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When you buy bulk mulch from a local supplier, you’re likely supporting a local small business. Some mulch companies are family-owned and operated.
If you’d rather give your money to a local business than a chain store, buying mulch in bulk is the best option. Remember, you can use the form on this page to get a quote from a mulch supplier near you instantly!
We partnered with Networx to help you find local landscapers. Click to below to get a FREE quote.
How Much Mulch Do I Need?
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Figuring out how much mulch you need is important to avoid getting too little or too much. Mulch amounts are given in cubic measurements (length and width) and the depth of coverage needed.
To calculate how much mulch you’ll need, keep in mind the purpose and type of mulch you’ll use. Different types of mulch require different depths.
- Fine mulch: 1–2-inch depth recommended
- Coarse shredded mulch: 3–4-inch depth recommended
- Mulch to kill weeds and grass: 6-inch depth recommended
Mulch Calculation Formula
Divide the number of cubic feet by 27 to get the number of cubic yards you need. Here’s an example of a landscaping bed that is 20 feet long and 4 feet wide.
- Multiply length times width: 20 feet x 4 feet = 80 feet
- Divide the result by 3: 80 feet / 3 = 26.6 cu. ft.
- Divide the cubic result by 27: 26.6 / 27 = 0.98 cu. yd.
There are 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard, which is how bulk mulch is sold. For this example, you’d need a little less than a cubic yard to cover the area at the correct depth.
Bulk Mulch Pricing Discounts
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You know that it’s cheaper to buy bulk mulch than bagged mulch. But how much is bulk mulch actually discounted?
The discount you can get completely depends on the mulch supplier you work with and how much mulch you buy, but for the most part, you can expect to save quite a bit.
The biggest cost savings happen when:
- You’re buying a lot of mulch
- You buy mulch regularly
- You’re a contractor
- You’re buying an economical type of mulch
- You can pick up and transport the mulch yourself
Considering that the average cost for bulk mulch hovers around $15 to $35 per cubic yard (compared to bagged mulch at $40 to $60 per cubic yard), the possibility to save even more is great.
Keep in mind that most mulch companies will offer delivery, but there may be an additional fee for this service if you don’t live very close.
Popular Mulch Colors and Types
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These are the most common colors you’ll see mulch available in.
- Red mulch: Red mulch is usually dyed with iron oxide, a natural and safe vegetable-based dye. Usually, the dye is applied to waste wood chips to create the mulch.
- Black mulch: Black mulch is typically made of hardwood chips. These chips are dyed black with carbon to give them their standout dark color.
- Brown mulch: Brown mulch is made up of chunks of bark and wood chips. It’s usually dyed with carbon, too, but isn’t as dark as black mulch.
- Natural mulch: Natural mulch isn’t dyed at all. It can be made of shredded bark, chunks of bark, or wood chips.
Here’s what you should know about the different types of mulch available to buy in bulk.
- Hardwood vs. softwood: softwood mulches (like pine and cedar) are less expensive but can increase soil acidity; hardwood mulches (like hickory, maple, and oak) are more expensive than softwood mulches but are better for general purposes.
- Ground mulch: This is a wood mulch ground to a finer consistency. It’s available in softwood (cheaper) or hardwood (more expensive) varieties.
- Shredded mulch: This is a wood mulch made from shredded strips of tree bark. It’s a light mulch and can blow away when it’s dry, so it should be kept somewhat damp.
- Chipped mulch: This is a wood mulch that is much coarser than ground or shredded mulch. It’s the type you see most often at garden centers.
How to Find Bulk Mulch Near Me
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Your quest for “bulk mulch near me” will be much simpler using our handy form above. Just enter your name and a couple details about your mulch needs to get a free quote from mulch suppliers in your area.
Once you’ve got your mulch delivery scheduled, go ahead and determine where you want it dumped. Lay tarps down (not on your grass, hopefully) to show the crew where to unload the mulch.
Final Word
Be prepared to water your new mulch thoroughly to rehydrate it. After all, it’s been sitting in a pile outside for a while. Finally, don’t forget that tipping your mulch crew is always a generous and appreciated gesture.
Now that you know a great mulch company in your area, you’ll probably call them back next year! And while you’re here, be sure to check out our other guides to help spruce up your home.