How much does bark cost?
Updated July 2026
TopTurf sells one bark product: premium landscaping bark at £87 a bulk bag. A bulk bag covers about 14 m2 at 50mm deep. Delivery starts at £20, priced on your postcode and the size of the order.
Bark is priced by the bulk bag, and across the market the figure swings a fair bit depending on what type you buy. Plain woodchip is the cheapest, ornamental landscaping bark sits in the middle, and graded play bark for under swings and climbing frames costs the most because it is screened and softer underfoot.
What bark actually costs
TopTurf sells one line: premium landscaping bark at £87 a bulk bag. It is the graded decorative bark for borders, beds and around shrubs and trees, and one product at one price keeps the ordering simple.
A bulk bag holds roughly 0.7 cubic metres and covers about 14 m2 at 50mm deep. Garden centres sell bark in small bags too, which suit topping up a bed or two, but if you are covering any real area a bulk bag is far better value per square metre.
The price is per bag, so the real cost of the job comes down to how many bags your area and depth need. That is the maths covered next.
How much bark do you need
Work it out from area times depth. One bulk bag of bark covers about 14 m2 at 50mm deep, about 9 m2 at 75mm, or about 7 m2 at 100mm. So a standard border at 50mm gets you 14 square metres a bag.
For a mulch that actually suppresses weeds, lay it 50 to 75mm deep. Thinner than 50mm and light gets through and the weeds push straight back up. Measure the length and width of each bed, multiply for the area, add the lot together, then divide by the coverage above.
As an example, three beds totalling 28 m2 at 50mm needs two bulk bags. Round up rather than down, you always want a bit spare for topping up.
Border bark, play bark or woodchip
Landscaping bark, sometimes sold as border bark, is the standard decorative bark for beds and around shrubs and trees. It is a graded chip that holds moisture, keeps weeds down and looks tidy. This is what most people mean by bark chippings, and it is the product TopTurf supplies.
Play bark is screened and graded so there are no sharp bits, made to cushion falls under swings, trampolines and climbing frames, and it costs more for that reason. TopTurf does not stock it, so for a play area buy from a specialist and check the grading. Do not use cheap woodchip under play equipment, it is not the same thing.
Woodchip is the coarsest and cheapest mulch yards sell. It breaks down quicker and is best for informal paths, allotments and woodland corners rather than a smart front border. TopTurf does not sell woodchip either: our one bark product is the landscaping grade. Keep fresh woodchip on the surface as a mulch and do not dig it in, or it can rob nitrogen from the soil while it rots.
Laying bark so it lasts
Clear the weeds first. Bark suppresses new weeds but will not kill an established patch of couch grass or bindweed underneath, so dig those out before you start.
A layer of permeable weed membrane under the bark on paths and low maintenance beds cuts the weeding right down and stops the bark mixing into the soil. Around planted borders you can skip the membrane and lay bark straight onto clean soil so plants can still spread.
Top up decorative bark every couple of years as it breaks down and settles. That is the real running cost, the odd bag to keep the depth up, rather than redoing the whole lot.
Delivery
Delivery is from £20, based on your postcode and how much you order.
Delivery is per drop, not per bag, so it pays to order everything in one go rather than running back for one more bag. If you would rather not handle it at all, Barrow Landscaping can spread the bark for you as a supply-and-lay job.
Questions
How many square metres does a bulk bag of bark cover?
About 14 m2 at 50mm deep, 9 m2 at 75mm, or 7 m2 at 100mm. A bulk bag is roughly 0.7 cubic metres, so divide 0.7 by your depth in metres to get the area covered.
Is play bark worth the extra cost over normal bark?
Under play equipment, yes, because it is graded to remove sharp pieces and, laid deep, it cushions falls. For ordinary borders it is not worth paying the play premium. TopTurf does not stock play bark: our landscaping bark at £87 a bulk bag is for borders and beds, not play surfaces.
How deep should I lay bark to stop weeds?
50 to 75mm. Any thinner and light gets through and weeds come back. Clear existing weeds first, as bark stops new seeds germinating but will not kill established roots underneath.
What is the cheapest bark option?
Plain woodchip is usually the cheapest thing yards sell, but it is coarser and breaks down faster, so it suits paths and informal areas rather than a smart front border. TopTurf sells landscaping bark only, at £87 a bulk bag.
Do you deliver bark?
Yes. Delivery is from £20, priced on your postcode and the load. Supply-and-lay can be arranged too if you want it spread for you.
Need the materials?
We supply landscaping bark across Leigh and Greater Manchester. Order by phone or email. Want it laid? Barrow Landscaping can prep the ground and lay it.