How Much Is Home Depot Mulch?

In the world of mulch, there are choices galore and benefits for the diligent. Among the early decisions is whether to buy mulch by the yard or by the bag. Certainly, considering the price of mulch at your area’s largest home improvement retailer will be a top priority. 

Home Depot mulch costs $2 – $30 per cubic foot, depending on mulch variety, making it an affordable way to improve your yard’s look with relatively little effort. Keep in mind that the vast majority of mulch types are between $2 and $3 per cubic foot, with relatively few outliers at the higher end of the price spectrum.

Mulch

Let’s look more closely at your mulch choices. By considering the factors we discuss in this article, you will stretch your dollar further and bring green-thumb compliments from friends and neighbors.

How Much is Home Depot Mulch?

Let’s take a look at the key mulch options and their relative pricing at Home Depot.

Bagged forest product mulch:

  • 3 colors available: red/black/brown
  • Under $2/cubic foot
  • Note this product is best purchased by the bag for optimal pricing

Bagged bark mulch:

  • Just over $2/cubic foot
  • Note this product is best purchased in bulk for optimal pricing

Bagged cedar mulch:

  • $2/cubic foot
  • Note this product may affect the growth of plants surrounding 

Bagged rubber mulch:

  • 5 colors available: red/black/brown/green/blue
  • Just under $9/cubic foot
  • Note this product is made from recycled materials

Home Depot also has several groundcover and mulch options in bulk. They are delivered to your site by load (the advertised prices are by the cubic yard; amounts below have been converted to cubic feet for ease of comparison).

Bulk forest product mulch:

  • Several colors available
  • Under $3/cubic foot
  • Note this product is less expensive when purchased by the bag

Bulk bark mulch:

  • $2/cubic foot

Bulk wood chips:

  • $2/cubic foot
  • Note this product is only available in bulk

Bulk rubber mulch:

  • Several colors
  • Just over $9/cubic foot

Bulk cypress loose mulch:

  • Just over $2/cubic foot
  • Note this product is only sold in bulk

Bulk pine mini nuggets:

  • Around $2.50/cubic foot
  • Note this product is only sold in bulk

Crushed landscaping stone:

  • Less than $30/cubic foot
  • Note this product is only sold in bulk

Note that Home Depot delivery charges are in addition to mulch pricing listed above, when applicable.

Here are some specialty alternatives which are available through other distributors:

  • Sawdust
  • Pine needles
  • Crushed seashells
  • Shredded newsprint
  • Shredded garden waste 

Hidden Costs to Consider

As we can see from the pricing variations, a significant materials budget is required for long-lasting options (crushed stones, rubber mulch), less money is needed for annual mulching alternatives (forest products, bark mulch, wood chips, loose cypress double shredded mulch, pine nuggets), or we can look for environmentally friendly options which might be even more affordable (sawdust, pine needles, crushed shells, shredded newsprint, mulched leaves).

However, we also need to consider the hidden costs of the mulch application process: delivery, spreading and ongoing maintenance.

Delivery is dependent on purchase quantity (large orders can receive free delivery incentives and some online ordering options offer delivery included in the purchase price). Delivery also depends on product weight, with stone being the most costly item to have delivered.

Awkward locations will require additional delivery considerations, likely involving more manual labor for transferring the product from flat, stable areas appropriate for drop off and the final landscaping installation location.

The demanding work of laying down the ground cover to the typically recommended 3” depth will, of course, be the time-consuming part of the job that will require DIY commitment or additional installation labor costs.

In terms of ongoing maintenance, all groundcover is intended to protect against weed growth by blocking sunlight and inhibiting weed germination while moderating the soil temperature and conserving the moisture in the soil for the surrounding, desired plants. However, some groundcovers are more effective than others and ongoing weeding will be required. 

Wood-based mulches have a manual turning requirement every 3 – 4 months (to the 1” depth level) in order to keep the product in the best possible condition and to allow for optimal color retention and appearance. Finely shredded wood-based mulches also require annual reapplication.

Project Parameters Overview

The mulch planning process starts with your garden decisions:

  • What areas will benefit from mulch’s advantages? 
  • How deep should the mulch be for optimal plant life? 
  • Approximately how many square feet of coverage do you need?

You’ll need to consider color. What color contrast will highlight your grass areas, plant beds, garden features and house exterior to the best advantage? 

Consider your mulch’s consistency. Based on the plants surrounding it, each area will have specific do’s and don’ts for mulch choices. The choices are many, so you’ll need to think these factors through.

Finally, how much do you want to be involved? Are you content to maintain your garden but want an expert to help with landscaping layout? Do you want to haul the mulch from the retail location or have it delivered? 

Color, Shredding and Texture Variations

With so many options, all with different price points and utilitarian values, we have to keep in mind that a primary consideration is curb appeal and landscaping appearance.

Color choices, shredding degree (which can vary from bulky wood chips to fine wood fibers to pine nuggets), texture variants (rubber is substantially different from wood)….all of these options, plus combinations of several options together, are variables. Consider, for example, a hemmed-in flower bed border that progresses from straw to crushed stone to cedar mulch, all in evenly placed stripes, creating a stunning landscaping effect that promotes the various strengths of each groundcover type and the variety of installation and maintenance requirements.

Mulching is a landscaping staple with many eye-appealing options. Armed with knowledge, we can plan for the expense and make our dollar stretch. Certainly, you will find many options available at your local Home Depot, whether your mulching project is a one-time undertaking or an annual gardening tradition. Our pricing guide will help you to narrow your choices and get your project underway.