Garden Landscaping Cost

Looking to find out what the cost to landscape a garden is in 2026?

If you'd like to get an idea of the average cost of landscaping, then you can expect to pay around £500.

Our guide includes garden landscaping costs per m² for different types of projects, like laying turf and installing decking or patio. On top of that, we cover how much landscapers charge in 2026, additional landscaping costs you might need to budget for, and more!

We have a range of companies specialising in garden landscaping near you ready to give you a free, no obligation quote!

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How Much to Landscape a Garden?

So, how much does a landscaper cost in the UK?

Landscape gardeners charge between £30 and £60 per hour, or £110 to £180 per day.

Labour costs will fluctuate depending on your location in the UK, and the contractors' experience.

What about job-specific landscaping costs?

The costs involved in garden landscaping vary depending on the individual outdoor space and garden design you're looking for. This is because the garden landscaping cost for laying new turf, a new patio, decking, or building a garden wall can be influenced by:

• The size of your garden
• Your location in the UK
• The ease of access to your property

Garden Landscaping Prices

Ready to see some job-specific garden landscaping prices?

Take a look at our cost table below for representative garden landscaping costs:

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Cost of Garden Landscaping Materials

Let’s now take a look at the garden landscaping cost based on the materials in particular.

This will give you an idea as to how much you might spend to undertake this work DIY:

Additional Garden Landscaping Costs

When hiring a gardener, you may also want to tag on some additional garden work at the same time to make the most of their day's charge.

Let’s take a closer look at outdoor jobs you can get done simultaneously:

Garden Fence Installation

What about having your garden fencing replaced?

The average garden fence installation cost is around £1,500 in the UK. However, the cost depends on the number of fence panels required, the height of the fencing, and the type of fencing you're after.

If your garden fences have been damaged in bad weather, your exterior security is compromised, and can lead to further damage if left broken.

Getting your fences replaced at the same time as other gardening work makes perfect sense to optimise the gardeners' daily rate.

Shed Installation

Don’t have a shed? Or is your current shed worn down beyond repair?

The average new shed cost is around £1,020.

Sheds are great garden additions, helping to keep your home's exterior tidy, and securing any gardening equipment you may have that you don't want left outside or brought into your home.

Garden Waste Removal

After landscaping is complete, there’s likely to be a significant amount of garden waste that needs to be disposed of.

The average garden waste removal cost is around £200.

If you want to hire a skip instead to deal with your waste, this can cost closer to £220 for a mini skip.

It’s possible that the landscaping contractor/company that you’ve hired will deal with the waste removal for you for an added fee, so make sure you check this before booking anything extra.

How Much Do Landscapers Charge?

Now, let’s discuss landscaping labour costs.

In the UK, professional landscape gardeners will usually charge between £30 and £60 per hour, equating to £110 to £180 per day.

This averages out to the total cost of landscaping a garden being around £505.

However, this doesn't take into account the cost of hiring a gardener for general maintainance once your dream garden has come to fruition.

If you would like initial plans for a landscaped garden design produced so you can compare ideas before going ahead with the work, the cost for a basic plan can be anywhere from £300 to £1,500. However, for a more detailed garden design that covers more than adding a few flower beds - such as advice on decking materials, a sloped garden, irrigation systems, bespoke pathways and patios, expect to pay in the region of £1,500 to £4,000.

Garden Landscaping Costs Across the UK

Garden design services can charge different rates, depending on whereabout in the UK you are located. For example, London tends to be above the national average due to a higher cost of living and transport expenses.

As such, the below table helps to give a rough idea of approximate landscape gardening fees based on labour only for various key locations around the UK:

How Long Do Landscaping Jobs Take?

Depending on the job's scope, your timeframes will be different. Here's what you can generally expect:

• Turf laying - Half a day up to 3 days
• Artificial turf laying - 1 to 2 days
• Decking installation - 2 to 4 days
• Raised vegetable bed - 1 to 2 hours
• Building a garden pond - 1 to 5 days
• Laying a patio - 1 to 2 days

Both the labour cost and timescale will vary depending on the size of the installation, the number of labourers hired, ease of access, and the current condition of the work area.

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Factors That Impact How Much Garden Landscaping Costs

Type of Landscaping

One of the most important cost factors is the type of work that's being carried out within your outdoor space.

For instance, laying turf or installing a patio would likely cost a few hundred pounds, but the installation of artificial grass is likely to cost thousands.

Size of Garden

The scale of your garden may or may not be directly linked with the cost. That obviously depends on whether or not the landscaping work is to cover the entire garden.

However, as a rule of thumb, the bigger the garden, the larger the work is likely to be.

The larger the landscaping work, the pricier the supplies will be, and most likely, the higher the labour cost will be. Therefore, garden size often correlates with a two-fold increase in job price.

Condition of Garden

The better the state of the garden, the easier the work will likely be, and the lower you can expect your labour costs to end up.

Not only that, but if the garden is in a poor condition to start with (e.g., overgrown trees, shrubs, and other plants), there’ll be more waste to remove at the end of the project, increasing your overall costs.

Likewise, if it is difficult to access your outdoor space, the job can take longer and cost more as a result.

Location of Property

Labour prices tend to be higher in the southeast of England and London in particular, but lower in regions such as Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the north of England.

As an example, for regular garden maintenance in London, you can expect to pay an additional £3 to £10 per hour to cover travel expenses and the cities overall higher cost of living. As such, a professional landscape gardener working on your outdoor space is also going to charge proportionally more in such high value areas too.

What's Involved in Garden Landscaping?

We’ll now take a closer look at the steps involved in landscaping a garden:

Initial Planning

Before you begin anything, you’ll need to decide what type of landscaping work you want.

Once you've decided, you can start reaching out to local landscapers that fit the bill. We suggest you gather at least three quotes to compare costs.

Preparation

Before any work begins, you can reduce your overall project costs by carrying out some prep work yourself.

This can be as simple as removing garden furniture and pruning shrubs/plants.

Your chosen landscaper will need to visit the site before the project begins to measure the space and survey the land to make sure there aren't any unexpected issues (e.g., the land is significantly uneven, requires levelling, or pitches to be adjusted).

Then, on the day of the work, the landscaper will begin to prepare the garden and set up any necessary supplies and equipment.

Landscaping

Once everything is in place, it’s time for the landscaping to get underway.

This step of the work may be broken up into several phases (e.g., cut the decking boards, assemble the subframe, lay the boards out, add the solid composite deck boards, depending on your exact project).

Waste Removal and Wrapping Up

Once the work is complete, any waste will be disposed of, and the area will be tidied up before work concludes.

Types of Landscaping

Let's break down the various types of landscaping in more detail:

Laying Turf Cost

Natural turf installation costs around £15 per m², and gives your outdoor space an organic, traditional feel.

Pros

• ✔ Authentic grass, traditional-looking
• ✔ Less expensive than artificial grass

Cons

• ✖ Requires quite a bit of maintenance
• ✖ Prone to damage and disease over time

Artificial Grass Cost

Unlike real turf, artificial grass doesn't require much maintenance, but it does cost more at around £20 per m².

Pros

• ✔ Durable and long-lasting
• ✔ Little to no maintenance required

Cons

• ✖ More expensive than real turf
• ✖ Less authentic in appearance

Decking Cost

Installing decking is a great way of creating a social fixture in your garden. The average cost of decking is around £1,750.

Pros

• ✔ Quicker to install than paving
• ✔ Fits in aesthetically with most modern gardens

Cons

• ✖ Can become slippery when wet
• ✖ Regular cleaning and treatments required

Patio Installation Cost

Installing a patio is an alternative to decking. Like with a deck, a patio can create a nice social spot that is especially valuable during the summer months in the UK.

There are various patio materials (e.g., concrete, tile, brick, and granite) and styles to choose from. The average cost of laying a patio is £1,200.

Pros

• ✔ Durable and low-maintenance
• ✔ Lots materials and designs available

Cons

• ✖ Can be expensive to install
• ✖ Hard to install if you don't have a perfectly even surface

Planting Cost

Landscaping often involves plenty of planting. Whether that means adding new plant pots, fresh flowers to a small plot of land, creating a raised garden bed, installing crawlers, or strategically adding plants to attract pollinators like bees.

The typical garden maintainance cost is around £200 in the UK.

Pros

• ✔ Decorative, instantly improving your garden's appearance
• ✔ Lots of plants to choose from for different settings

Cons

• ✖ Upkeep will be required throughout the year
• ✖ If you have a large garden, adding plants/shrubs to it can become expensive

Checklist: Hiring Contractors for Garden Landscaping Work

Here are a few things you should consider when hiring a professional landscaper:

• Have you asked friends and family for recommendations? If you already know someone that's recently had their outdoor space transformed into your dream garden, or they have a contact in garden landscaping, ask their opinion.
• Have you received at least three quotes? With the help of MyJobQuote you can receive multiple quotes from local landscape gardeners so you can compare prices before making any further decisions.
• Do they have positive reviews? Check their online presence and social media, visit their MyJobQuote profile, and read through any reviews and testimonials from previous clients to gain feedback from real customers.
• How much experience in garden design do they have? Find out how long they've been involved in garden landscaping, and although no formal training is necessary, they may have a Royal Horticultural Society certificate or similar qualification.
• Have you seen examples of their previous work? Garden design services are very much a visual concept, and as such you should expect to see photographs of recent projects or a portfolio covering a range of examples.
• Do you have an itemised breakdown of the work? When you're choosing your landscaper, ask for an itemised quote so you can gauge prices for everything from potted plants and flower beds to decking materials and waste removal.
• Have you checked for hidden extras? As well as ensuring waste removal and such like is included, ask what happens should work be delayed or affected due to unforeseen weather, in case you're expected to pay additional fees.
• Are they covered by Public Liability Insurance? Although not a legal requirement, a reputable and professional landscape gardener will at least be insured in the event of an injury or accidental damage to your property.

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