We install double-ground hardwood mulch at $85 per cubic yard in Apex, delivery included. One yard covers about 100 square feet at three inches - walk your beds with a tape measure, multiply length by width, and divide by 100 to size the job.
Edged and kept off the trunks
Every mulch job starts with a clean spade edge around the beds so the mulch has a crisp line to sit against. We keep mulch two to three inches deep and pull it back from tree trunks so the root flare stays visible - piling it against the bark rots the tree slowly.
Add pre-emergent while the bed is open
Bed redefinition and a spring pre-emergent can be added to any mulch job. That is the cheapest time to do it, before the mulch goes down.