What decides the cost of a landscaping job

"How much do landscape gardeners charge?" is a common search before a garden job. This site does not publish a price list, because a figure that is right for one garden would be wrong for the next. What we can do is set out what actually moves the price, so a quote makes sense when you get one. Quotes are free: in Steve's own words, "Free Quotes on all Landscaping Projects".

1. Size and shape

The obvious one. More square metres means more material and more labour. Shape matters too: a plain rectangle of paving is quicker to lay than one with curves, corners and lots of cut slabs around a step or a drain.

2. Access

A garden you can reach through a wide side gate is far quicker to work in than one where every bag of sand and every barrow of soil has to come through the house. Many terraced homes have no side access at all, which adds time to every stage.

3. What has to come out first

Old patios, concrete, sheds, hedges and tree roots all have to be broken up, dug out and taken away before anything new goes in. Recent reviews mention two garden sheds dismantled and removed, hedges taken out, and old decking and seating demolished. Waste removal is a real part of the cost, so check the quote includes it.

4. The ground and the drainage

Hard, compacted or clay ground takes longer to break up and prepare. One ME6 review describes ground that was super hard to break up before a new lawn could go in. Water is the other hidden factor: a large new patio may need a channel drain or a soakaway, as one DA7 customer had built alongside their new patio.

5. Levels

A flat garden is the simplest. A slope may need a retaining wall, steps or a raised patio to make it usable, and those are built jobs in their own right. A BR6 renovation reviewed in April 2026 included a new patio, a retaining wall and a new lawn with a path and borders.

6. The materials you choose

Within each job there is a range. Porcelain, sandstone and plain slabs differ, as do block paving and gravel for a drive, real turf and artificial grass, and timber and composite decking. Ask Steve about the options when he comes to quote, so you can decide where to spend and where to save.

A note on day rates

People also search for a landscape gardener's cost per day. A day rate on its own tells you little unless you also know how many days the job takes and what is included. For a sense of timescales on real jobs, reviews of Steve's work mention a lawn swapped for artificial grass in two days, a new lawn in 2.5 days, a garden renovation in 6 days and a big patio in just over a week.

How to compare two quotes

• Ask for the work to be broken down rather than given as a single figure.
• Check what is under the surface: how deep the sub-base goes and what edging is used.
• Check the waste is included, and that the site is left clear.
• Ask how long it will take, and who will be doing the work.
• Read reviews from jobs near you: Checkatrade shows the postcode district of each one.

For how Steve's team lay patios and paths, see patios and paths, or browse photos of finished jobs.

Common questions