How Much Does Garden Landscaping Cost?

Most landscaping is priced per project, and typical 2026 UK guide prices run from a few thousand pounds for a small refresh to tens of thousands for a full redesign. A good quote will itemise the groundwork, waste removal, materials and labour so you know exactly what you are paying for. Knowing typical costs before you ask for quotes helps you set a realistic budget and spot traders who cut corners.

Typical garden landscaping prices at a glance

Landscaping costs depend entirely on the scale of your plans and the current state of your outdoor space. Hard landscaping refers to the built part of a garden. This includes patios, paths, walls, steps, decking, fencing and drainage. Soft landscaping is the living part of the garden, covering the soil, turf, planting and trees.

A small garden refresh typically costs between £2,500 and £8,000, while a mid-size garden redesign costs between £8,000 and £25,000. If you are planning a large garden transformation, you should expect to pay £25,000 to £45,000 or more. Prices are higher in London and the South East due to increased labour and operating expenses. In London, a small refresh costs £4,000 to £12,000, a mid-size redesign costs £12,000 to £35,000, and a large transformation costs £35,000 to £55,000 or more.

Because the prices vary so much, it helps to plan a garden design and set a firm budget before you contact any tradespeople. A clear plan helps you pay only for the work you actually need.

Landscaper day rates

Typical published prices for 2026 show that an individual landscaper costs between £200 and £400 per day. A two-person team costs between £320 and £600 per day. In London, these rates rise to £300 to £450 per day for an individual and £400 to £700 per day for a two-person team. If a landscaper charges by the hour, the rate is usually £30 to £60.

Published guides often disagree on exact day rates, so you should treat these figures as a broad range. In reality, most landscaping work is quoted as a fixed price for the whole project rather than a daily rate. A fixed project price protects you if the job takes longer than expected due to bad weather or difficult ground conditions.

Landscaping is not a licensed trade, meaning anyone can offer these services. When you choose a landscape gardener, vetted membership of a recognised trade body is a good sign, though it is not a guarantee. The British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI) says its Accredited members are vetted on workmanship, skill and health and safety. The Association of Professional Landscapers (APL) says its members are assessed, regularly inspected and TrustMark accredited. TrustMark is the government-endorsed quality scheme.

Costs for common garden features

Many hard and soft landscaping features are priced by the square metre. This makes it easier to estimate the cost of specific areas of your garden.

This table shows typical published prices for 2026, and your local quotes will differ based on access and ground conditions.

Published guides disagree, and premium materials such as porcelain, natural stone or composite boards cost more than these figures. The square metre prices also scale up quickly. For a typical 50 square metre area, laying turf costs roughly £650 to £1,000. A new patio of the same size costs £4,000 to £6,000, and 50 square metres of decking costs £5,000 to £6,250. You can use these figures to decide which patio slabs are best for your budget.

Decking costs vary depending on the materials used. Softwood boards are the cheapest but require regular maintenance. Hardwood boards cost more but last longer. Composite boards are made from a mix of wood fibres and plastic, offering a durable surface that is less likely to rot. Beneath the boards, the landscaper must build a sturdy timber or composite frame to support the weight.

Other common garden additions carry separate costs. Garden levelling costs between £1,500 and £8,000 depending on the slope and the amount of soil moved. A pergola or gazebo costs £1,200 to £3,500. Installing garden lighting ranges from £200 to £1,100, and building raised vegetable beds costs £150 to £400 each.

Garden design fees

Different professionals handle different stages of a garden project. A garden designer produces the plan, a landscaper or landscape contractor builds it, and a gardener maintains it once it is finished. The Society of Garden and Landscape Designers (SGLD) is the professional body for designers, and membership is a good sign of their expertise.

Design fees are usually separate from the landscaping build costs. An initial consultation with a designer costs £50 to £150, or £75 to £200 in London. A basic concept and planting plan for a small garden costs £600 to £1,500. A full design package costs £1,500 to £4,500, rising to £2,500 to £5,000 or more in London. Broadly, garden design costs between £600 and £4,500 overall. If a garden designer charges a day rate, it typically sits between £400 and £900.

What drives the cost up

Landscapers price every project after a site visit. The main cost drivers are the total area, the groundwork required, changes in levels, access, waste removal, drainage and materials.

Access is a major factor. If you live in a terraced house with no rear access, everything must be carried through the house. This restricted access slows the job down and can add £1,000 or more to the final bill. Labour is a significant part of the cost, typically making up 40 to 60 per cent of the total price for a patio.

The groundwork that nobody sees is where bad tradespeople cut corners. Paving and artificial grass require a compacted crushed stone foundation called a sub-base. This material is often called MOT Type 1 in the trade. A good quote will state the exact excavation depth and sub-base depth. Without a proper sub-base, the surface will sink.

Drainage also impacts the price. Landscapers must build falls into hard surfaces, which is a slight slope that sheds water away from your home. You must also consider whether your new surfaces are permeable or impermeable. Permeable surfaces let water drain naturally into the ground, while impermeable surfaces shed water, so they need a fall and somewhere for the rain to go, such as a lawn, a border, a drain or a soakaway.

Waste removal is another unavoidable cost, usually adding about £200 to the job. A trader who carries waste away from your home must be a registered waste carrier, and this register is public so you can check their credentials.

How long landscaping takes

The duration of a landscaping project depends on the size of the garden and the complexity of the design. Weather also plays a large part, as heavy rain can stop groundwork and damage freshly laid mortar.

These are typical published durations for 2026, and your local quotes will differ depending on the weather and the size of the team doing the work.

What a good quote should include

You should understand the difference between a quote and an estimate before you hire anyone. A quote is a fixed price for the work. An estimate is just a rough guess that can increase once the job starts.

A good written specification protects you from hidden charges and ensures the landscaper does not cut corners on the hidden groundwork. Your quote should clearly list the following points:

• The exact excavation depth required before the new foundation is laid
• The depth of the sub-base and the specific crushed stone being used
• The named materials and brands for the paving, decking or artificial grass
• How drainage and falls will be managed to stop water pooling
• Who is responsible for skip hire and waste removal
• Whether VAT at 20 per cent is included in the final figure or added separately

Deposits and staged payments

Citizens Advice suggests getting written quotes from at least three traders. These quotes should show a fixed total, a breakdown of the costs, a validity period and the VAT. They advise against paying in full upfront, suggesting you keep any deposit to 25 per cent at most and pay by card where possible.

The Royal Horticultural Society advises getting estimates for each part of the work and considering staged payments for larger jobs. They suggest keeping back about 15 per cent of the total to be paid after any faults have been rectified. You should also agree in advance who disposes of the rubbish and who owns any surplus materials left over at the end of the project.

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, all landscaping work must be done with reasonable care and skill. If the work falls short of this standard, you can ask for it to be put right or seek a partial or full refund. If you agree to a contract in your home, you might also be able to cancel within 14 days. If you end up in a dispute with a tradesperson, you should contact Citizens Advice for guidance.

Ways to reduce the cost without cutting corners

Landscaping is expensive, but there are honest ways to lower the price without compromising the quality of the build. You should never accept cash deals with no written specification, and you should ignore doorstep callers offering cheap paving or claiming they have leftover materials.

Instead, use these methods to keep your budget under control:

• Phase the work over a year or two so you do not have to pay for everything at once
• Keep existing features like mature trees or solid retaining walls rather than starting from scratch
• Choose simpler, locally sourced materials instead of premium imported stone
• Do the soft landscaping and planting yourself once the contractors have finished the heavy lifting

You must not try to save money by compromising on the groundwork. Slabs must be laid on a full bed of mortar, not on dabs of mortar. Dabs leave hollow gaps that cause the paving to crack and sink. Likewise, artificial grass must be laid on a proper sub-base, never straight onto soil, or it will quickly become uneven and waterlogged.

Common questions

How much does a landscape gardener cost?

Most landscape gardeners quote a fixed price for the whole project. If they do charge a day rate, typical 2026 guide prices sit between £200 and £400 per day for an individual, and £320 to £600 per day for a two-person team. Hourly rates range from £30 to £60.

What are garden landscaping prices in London?

Landscaping in London and the South East is significantly more expensive than the rest of the UK. A mid-size garden redesign in London typically costs £12,000 to £35,000, while a large transformation costs £35,000 to £55,000 or more.

Do I need planning permission for landscaping?

In England, according to the Planning Portal, decking is permitted development if it is no more than 30cm above the ground and, along with extensions and outbuildings, covers no more than 50 per cent of the garden. Fences and walls can be up to 1 metre high next to a road or its footpath, and 2 metres elsewhere. Paving more than 5 square metres of a front garden with an impermeable surface that does not drain to a permeable area needs planning permission, but permeable surfacing does not. These rights apply to houses, not flats or maisonettes, and listed buildings need consent for significant work. If you live elsewhere in the UK or are unsure, check with your local council.

Can I remove trees to save money?

You must check for legal protections before removing or altering trees. A Tree Preservation Order makes it an offence to cut down, lop, uproot or damage a protected tree without the council's consent. Work on trees in a conservation area also normally needs six weeks' notice to the council.

Why do quotes for the same garden differ so much?

Quotes differ when tradespeople plan to use different materials or groundwork methods. One landscaper might quote for a deep sub-base and proper waste removal, while another might plan a thin sub-base and leave the rubbish behind. Quotes also look very different if one includes VAT and the other does not.

Next steps

Before you hire anyone, you should take the time to prepare your project properly. Rushing into a build without a clear plan usually leads to spiralling costs and poor results.

• Decide exactly what you want to achieve and set a firm maximum budget
• Check with your local council if any of your plans require planning permission
• Ask at least three local landscapers to visit your garden and provide a detailed written quote
• Check their quotes to ensure they specify the excavation depth, sub-base material and waste removal
• Ask to see evidence of their previous work and verify their trade body memberships

You can compare reviews and find a landscaper near you to get started on your garden project today.