Garden Landscaping Costs in the UK

Quick cost overview

• The average cost to landscape a small garden is £1,000-£3,500 in total.
• Landscape designer fees run from £700 to £150 per m² for a detailed plan.
• Garden size and ground conditions are the biggest factors in your budget.

In this Price Guide we will talk about:

1. Average Garden Landscaping Costs in 2026
2. Garden Landscaping Design Costs
3. How Much Does a Landscape Gardener Cost?
4. Garden Features and What They Cost
5. How to Calculate Your Garden Landscaping Budget
6. How Much Does It Cost to Landscape a Small Garden?
7. Cost of Landscaping a Sloping Garden
8. Find Landscape Gardeners on MyBuilder
9. FAQ: Common Questions about Garden Landscaping Costs

Garden Landscaping Costs in 2026

Garden landscaping costs in the UK vary widely, a basic tidy-up and replant is a very different job to a full redesign with paving, decking, and planting schemes.

• Most homeowners spend somewhere between £2,000 and £8,800 for a small to medium garden, though the figure can climb significantly for larger plots or high-end finishes.

• The main cost drivers are garden size, the materials you choose, ground conditions, and whether you want a landscaper to design and build the whole project or just carry out specific elements. Access is another factor that's easy to overlook, a back garden with no side access will take longer to work in, which adds to the labour bill.

For a full project handled by a professional landscape gardener, most clients find the final cost sits between £3,000 and £6,000 for a medium-sized garden with paving, planting, and lawn. For inspiration on how to make the most of your space, our garden layout ideas article is a useful starting point.

Garden Landscaping Design Costs

Before any soil is turned, many homeowners work with a garden designer to plan the layout.

This is particularly worthwhile for sloping gardens, awkward shapes, or larger plots where getting the design right up front saves expensive changes later.

Design fees vary depending on the level of detail and the designer's experience. A basic consultation gives you advice and rough ideas, while a full design plan includes detailed drawings, planting lists, and material specifications that a landscaper can work from directly.

UK garden landscaping design fees:

Design service	Average cost
Initial garden consultation	From £700
Basic design plan	£30-£80 per m²
Detailed planting and layout plan	£80-£150 per m²

See our garden design cost guide for a more detailed breakdown of design fees specifically. It's worth noting that some landscape gardeners include a basic design service within their overall project quote, always ask upfront whether this is included or charged separately. It’s easy to post your job on MyBuilder with any questions or ideas about your project, and a landscape gardening service in your area will get back to you.

How Much Does a Landscape Gardener Cost?

Labour typically accounts for a large share of the overall garden landscaping cost.

Day rates vary by region, London and the South East tend to run higher than the rest of the UK - but as a general guide, most landscape gardeners charge between £30 and £50 per hour or £150 to £300 per day.

For larger projects, many landscapers will quote a fixed price for the whole job rather than charging by the hour, which makes budgeting more predictable.

Here are some common landscaping services and their costs:

Task	Typical Cost
Garden maintenance	£30-£50 per hour
Lawn mowing	£20-£40
Hedge trimming	£40-£80
Planting flowerbeds or shrubs	£30-£100
Tree pruning or removal	£100-£500
Full garden landscaping project	£2,000-£8,800+

Prices can differ between contractors even for identical work, and reviewing profiles and past job photos helps you judge whether their standard of finish matches what you're looking for. That’s why it’s good to find and compare at least three different places before committing to a landscaper.

Find and compare landscapers

Garden Features and What They Cost

Materials make up a significant portion of garden landscaping prices, in many cases, roughly half the total project cost. The choices you make here affect both how the finished garden looks and how much upkeep it requires year to year. Different gardening landscaping features and costs:

Garden Feature	Typical Cost
Patio	£70-£240 per m²
Decking	£80-£250 per m²
Artificial lawn	£30-£85 per m²
Turfed lawn	£10-£25 per m²
Gravel path or border	£8-£30 per m²
Raised flower beds	£150-£400 each
Garden lighting	£300-£1,500 installed
Pergola	£1,500-£6,000 installed

If you're planning water features, a pergola, or a fire pit as part of your landscaping project, see our guides on pergola costs and fire pit installation costs for detailed pricing on those elements.

How to Calculate Your Garden Landscaping Budget

Before speaking to a landscape gardener, it helps to have a rough figure in mind. Start by measuring your garden, length multiplied by width gives you the square metreage, which is the single most useful number when comparing quotes and estimating material costs. From there, split your project into hard landscaping (paving, decking, walls, fencing) and soft landscaping (turf, planting, borders). Hard landscaping typically costs more per m² but requires less ongoing maintenance; soft landscaping costs less upfront but needs more care over time.

Work through these four steps:

• Measure your space - calculate the total m² and note any awkward areas, slopes, or access restrictions
• List your priorities - separate your must-haves from nice-to-haves; this helps landscapers give you a more accurate quote
• Research material costs - use the tables in this guide to estimate a rough materials budget before labour is added
• Add a contingency - budget an extra 10-15% on top of any quote for unexpected groundwork, drainage issues, or price changes in materials

MyBuilder-Tip; A useful rule of thumb used by many designers is to budget around 10% of your property's value for a full garden transformation.

How Much Does It Cost to Landscape a Small Garden?

Landscaping a small garden, typically under 30m², often costs more per square metre than a larger plot.

That's because the fixed costs of labour, access, and design don't reduce proportionally with the size of the space, and smaller gardens frequently involve more intricate work to make every metre count.

That said, the total cost to landscape a small garden is lower than a larger project. Most homeowners with a compact outdoor space spend between £1,000 and £4,500, depending on the features included.

Task	Typical Cost
Basic design work	£500–£1,500
Paving installation	£70–£150 per m²
Planting	£20–£100 per m²
Decking	£800–£2,000
Artificial grass	£300–£1,000

Keeping the design simple, a single paved area, defined borders, and low-maintenance planting, is the most reliable way to control costs in a small space without the result looking sparse.

Cost of Landscaping a Sloping Garden

A sloping garden is one of the most common reasons landscaping costs run higher than expected.

The ground needs to be levelled, retained, or terraced before any surfacing or planting can begin, and that structural groundwork adds both time and materials to the project.

Retaining walls are often needed to create level tiers, and these can be built in brick, timber sleepers, or natural stone. Each material has a different price point and aesthetic.

Expect to add £500-£3,000 to your overall garden landscaping budget to account for groundworks on a sloped plot, depending on the severity of the gradient and the size of the area.

For steep or large gardens, that figure can be higher. A landscape gardener will usually include a site visit to assess the slope before quoting, which is worth arranging before comparing prices.

Find Landscape Gardeners on MyBuilder

Planning your garden landscaping project is much easier when you can compare quotes from local landscape gardeners who know your area. On MyBuilder, you post your job once and receive responses from available landscape gardeners near you, you can then review their profiles, read customer reviews, and browse photos of completed projects before deciding who to contact.

All tradespeople on MyBuilder undergo checks at registration, such as ID documents, company details, certifications for regulated jobs, and skill assessments, allowing you to hire with confidence.

Landscape gardeners near me

FAQ: Common Questions About Garden Landscaping Costs

Does Garden Landscaping Add Value to a Property?

A well-landscaped garden can meaningfully improve a property's kerb appeal and, in some cases, its sale value. Estate agents generally suggest a well-maintained, attractive garden can add between 5% and 15% to a home's value, though this depends on the property type, location, and quality of the work. Functional improvements - good drainage, level surfaces, and low-maintenance planting - tend to be valued more highly by buyers than elaborate decorative features.

What Is the Cheapest Way to Landscape a Garden?

The most cost-effective approach is to focus on one area at a time rather than attempting a full garden transformation in one go. Gravel, real turf, and concrete paving are the most affordable surfacing options. Choosing plants that spread and self-seed over time also reduces the initial planting cost. If your soil needs work, improving it gradually over a season before planting is cheaper than importing topsoil. You can browse completed garden landscaping projects on MyBuilder to get a sense of what's achievable at different budgets before you commit.

How Long Does Garden Landscaping Take?

A small garden landscaping project typically takes two to five days. Larger projects with groundworks, retaining walls, and multiple features can run to two to four weeks. Ground conditions play a big role - waterlogged or heavily compacted soil takes longer to work with, and sloped gardens always add time. When you post your job on MyBuilder, you can ask local landscape gardeners directly about their availability and expected timelines before deciding who to hire.

Is It Worth Hiring a Professional Landscape Gardener?

For anything beyond basic lawn care and planting, yes. A professional landscape gardener brings knowledge of drainage, ground preparation, and materials that makes a real difference to the long-term result. Poor drainage is one of the most common and costly mistakes in DIY landscaping - a professional will spot and address it before it causes problems. The upfront cost of hiring someone is usually offset by avoiding rework further down the line.

What Is the Best Time of Year to Do Landscaping?

Late spring and early autumn are generally the best times to carry out garden landscaping in the UK. Soil is workable, temperatures are mild, and newly laid turf or planting has time to establish before the harshest weather arrives. Summer is fine for hard landscaping like paving and decking, but newly planted gardens can struggle in dry spells without regular watering. Winter work is possible for structural elements, but ground frost can delay groundworks and make planting impractical.

What Is the Difference Between a Landscaper and a Landscape Gardener?

The terms are often used interchangeably, but there is a practical distinction. A landscaper typically focuses on hard landscaping, construction work such as laying patios, building walls, installing drainage, and erecting fencing. A landscape gardener covers both hard and soft landscaping, including planting schemes, lawn installation, and ongoing garden design. For a full garden transformation that involves both structural work and planting, a landscape gardener is usually the right person to hire. For purely structural jobs, a landscaper may suffice and could be the more cost-effective option.