How Much Does Garden Clearance Cost?

Garden clearance typically costs from about £150 for a small, light job to £2,000 or more for a large, heavily overgrown garden in 2026. Prices in London and the South East are higher. The volume and type of waste you need cleared matters much more than the size of the garden itself.

Typical garden clearance prices

Landscapers price per project after a site visit. The main cost drivers are the volume and type of waste, how overgrown the garden is and access. Everything carried through the house costs more because it takes longer and requires more care from the team.

This table shows the typical cost of garden clearance based on the size and condition of the space, including higher rates for London and the South East.

These figures are typical published prices for 2026 and local quotes will differ.

Prices by how overgrown the garden is

Light clearance sits at the small price band. This involves cutting back a lawn, picking up light debris and removing a few bags of green waste. It is straightforward work that a gardener can often manage.

Moderate clearance sits at the medium price band. This involves clearing overgrown beds, cutting back shrubs and hedges, and taking away several loads of green waste. The volume of material increases significantly once thick branches and deep roots are pulled out.

Heavy clearance sits at the large price band. This means tackling a fully overgrown space filled with saplings, thick brambles and bulky items. The waste volume is massive and the work is physically demanding. Heavy jobs often require specialist cutting equipment and multiple trips to a commercial tip.

Day rates and how long it takes

Small or tidy gardens usually take a few hours to about half a day to clear. Medium gardens take a full day. Large or heavily overgrown gardens take one to two days or more, depending on how difficult it is to reach the back of the property.

A single operator typically charges a day rate of £200 to £350. A two-person team will usually charge between £350 and £550 for a day. Paying for a two-person team is often more cost-effective for large jobs because they can lift heavy items safely and clear the site faster.

Poor access pushes the timeframe up. If the team has to bag every piece of waste and carry it carefully through your hallway, the job will take much longer than if they can wheel a barrow straight out of a side gate.

Getting rid of the waste

Waste disposal is a major part of the final bill. The most common options are heavy-duty bags, skips and tipper trucks. A trade green waste tip charges by the load, while skip companies charge by the size of the container.

This table shows the expected costs for different ways of removing garden waste.

These figures are typical published prices for 2026 and local quotes will differ.

Heavy-duty waste bags are useful for small amounts of light green waste. A mini skip holds two to three cubic yards and suits a small clearance. A midi skip holds four to five cubic yards, while a builder skip holds six to eight cubic yards. A maxi skip is used for very large volumes of light waste.

If you do not have a driveway and the skip has to sit on the road, you will need a road permit. The skip hire company usually arranges this with your local council.

What usually costs extra

A standard clearance quote covers green waste and general surface rubbish. Several heavy or complex items will cost extra to remove.

• Dismantling a shed or outbuilding
• Breaking up and removing old decking
• Digging out and removing soil and rubble
• Hiring a skip and paying for a road permit
• Removing large tree stumps
• Specialist tree surgery and working at height

Taking up old decking takes time, and the boards and the frame beneath them add to the waste volume.

Soil and rubble removal is expensive because it is incredibly heavy. When a landscaper rips up an old patio, they must remove the heavy paving slabs and the old sub-base beneath them. A sub-base is a layer of compacted crushed stone, often called MOT Type 1, that stops paving from sinking. Digging this out adds significant weight to a skip.

Check your waste carrier

Householders have a legal duty of care for their household waste. You must ensure your waste is transferred to an authorised person. In England, you can be given a fixed penalty of up to £600 if you fail this duty, for example if your waste is fly-tipped by someone you did not check. You can read the government guidance on the household waste duty of care to understand your responsibilities.

In England, anyone removing waste from a customer's property needs to be registered as a waste carrier with the Environment Agency. A business that transports waste, including its own, must register and can get an unlimited fine if it does not.

Registered carriers appear on a public register of waste carriers, brokers and dealers that anyone can search online. You should check the public register of waste carriers to ensure your trader is listed. Always ask to see the registration, get a receipt for the waste transfer and be highly wary of cheap cash offers from doorstep callers offering to take everything away.

Nesting birds and protected trees

It is illegal to intentionally take, damage or destroy a wild bird's nest while it is being used or built, or to take or destroy its eggs. Trimming or cutting trees, bushes, hedges and rough vegetation can easily harm nesting birds.

The main bird nesting season in the UK runs from early March to early August but can go on longer. You should check hedges thoroughly before trimming and delay the work if you find an active nest. Heavy cutting is better planned outside that period. In England, penalties can include an unlimited fine and up to 6 months in prison for each offence. You can check the government rules on wild bird protection before cutting back dense vegetation.

Trees are also protected by law in many areas. A Tree Preservation Order makes it an offence to cut down, top, lop, uproot, wilfully damage or wilfully destroy a protected tree without the council's written consent. Confirmed Orders are available for public inspection at the council's offices and are recorded in the local land charges register.

If you live in a conservation area, you normally need to give six weeks' notice to the council before carrying out work on trees unless an exception applies. You should always ask the council if you are unsure about the status of a tree in your garden.

If you find Japanese knotweed

Japanese knotweed is a highly invasive plant that requires specialist treatment. Knotweed and the soil containing it are classified as controlled waste.

You must not put Japanese knotweed into home compost, council green waste or a standard household waste bin. It must go with a registered waste carrier to an authorised disposal site, and in England the Environment Agency must be informed.

If you spot this plant during a clearance, ask the team to stop work in that area straight away. You can read our advice on what to do if you find Japanese knotweed in your garden to understand the next steps.

What a clearance quote should include

Landscaping is not a licensed trade, so vetted membership and evidence of past work matter. The British Association of Landscape Industries says its Accredited members are vetted on workmanship, skill and health and safety. The Association of Professional Landscapers says members are assessed, regularly inspected and TrustMark accredited. TrustMark is the government-endorsed quality scheme. Membership of these bodies is a good sign, but not a guarantee.

Citizens Advice suggests getting written quotes from at least three different traders. A quote is a fixed price, while an estimate is a rough guess that can easily end up higher. You should ask for two to three recent references and check their insurance documents before agreeing to the work.

You should agree a written contract covering the work, timings, clean-up, materials and payment terms. Keep any deposit to 25 per cent at most, pay by card rather than cash for better protection, pay in stages for larger jobs and never pay everything upfront. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, work must be done with reasonable care and skill. If not, you can ask for it to be put right or seek a partial or full refund. You might also be able to cancel within 14 days of telling the trader to go ahead or signing a written contract. If something goes wrong and you cannot resolve it with the trader, Citizens Advice can help.

A professional clearance quote should clearly state:

• The full scope of the clearance work
• Exactly what plants or structures are being kept
• The expected waste volume in cubic yards or skip sizes
• How the waste will be transported and disposed of
• The waste carrier registration details of the trader
• The timing for the work and expected completion date
• The final fixed price and whether VAT is included

What goes wrong with garden clearance

Poor clearance work causes expensive problems later on. The most common issue is doorstep callers offering cheap clearance or leftover paving materials. They often want cash with no written specification, and in England, if your waste is later fly-tipped and traced back to you, you could be fined for not checking they were registered.

A rushed clearance can also leave roots and debris behind for the next trade to deal with, so agree in writing how much of the ground will be cleared, including any roots and stumps.

Common questions

Does garden waste removal include taking down a shed?

Dismantling a shed or taking up old decking is usually charged separately because it takes extra time and tools. The timber, felt and glass will add to the total waste volume and might require a larger skip or a separate trip to the tip.

Can I put garden rubbish in a skip on the road?

You can put most green waste and garden rubbish in a skip, but placing it on a public road requires a permit from your local council. This road permit typically costs between £30 and £60 and the skip hire company usually arranges it for you.

Will a clearance company remove soil and rubble?

Soil and rubble are much heavier than standard green waste and cost more to transport and dispose of. Most clearance firms will take them away, but they are usually priced as an extra rather than part of a standard clearance rate.

Do I need to clear the garden before landscaping?

Clearance is usually the first job before any landscaping begins. It gives the landscape contractor a clean site to work on and makes it easier to measure levels and plan the groundwork accurately. You can read more about how much garden landscaping costs once the site is completely clear.

Do I need a garden designer for a clearance?

A garden designer produces the plan, a landscaper builds it, and a gardener maintains it. The Society of Garden and Landscape Designers is the professional body for designers. You do not need a designer just to clear rubbish, but if you are clearing the space to build a new garden, having a plan first helps make sure you do not accidentally remove plants or trees you actually want to keep. You can learn more about how to plan a garden design before you hire a landscaper.

Next steps

Before you hire a trader to clear your garden, make sure you follow these steps.

• Decide exactly what needs to go and what you want to keep
• Check your hedges for nesting birds if it is between early March and early August
• Ask your council about protected trees or conservation areas if you need tree work
• Get three written quotes that state a fixed price rather than an estimate
• Search the public register to check your chosen trader is a registered waste carrier
• Ask to see a receipt from the commercial tip once the job is finished

Taking the time to check these details protects you from poor workmanship and illegal waste dumping. When you are ready to start, you can find a landscaper near you to get your garden cleared safely.