How to Price Garden Landscaping and Design: Soft Landscaping, Patios and Drainage
Quick Answer: A complete garden landscape project in the UK costs £80–£280/m² of garden area depending on hard:soft mix and finish quality. A small standard rear garden (40m²) typically £4,000–£12,000; medium (80m²) £8,000–£25,000; large designed garden (200m²+) £25,000–£100,000+. The breakdown is patio £80–£240/m² (Indian sandstone to porcelain), turf £8–£25/m² (rolled to instant), planting £30–£120/m² of bed (depending on plant size and density), fencing £80–£180/m run, and design fees 10–15% of build cost for a designer-led project.
Summary
Garden landscaping is one of the most variable trades to price because the same physical garden can be delivered for £4,000 or £40,000 depending on materials and finish. The customer's budget is set by aspiration (Pinterest, gardening magazines, friends' gardens), but the build cost is set by hard landscaping materials (paving, fencing, decking) which dominate the price. A coherent quote breaks the work into hard landscaping (typically 60–75% of cost), soft landscaping (15–25%), and structures/features (10–20%), and puts a realistic per-m² rate against each.
The pricing trap is the customer who wants "design" without paying for design. A landscape designer charges 10–15% of build cost for a fully detailed scheme — that's £2,500–£15,000 on the projects above — and the cost is justified because a designed garden uses materials more efficiently and avoids the £3,000–£8,000 in waste typical of unplanned builds. Builders who act as designer-by-default end up arguing about why the patio doesn't work or why the planting is wrong; getting the customer to a paid design stage avoids this.
The other under-quoted area is drainage. UK gardens with patios over 5m² draining onto adjacent land or to the highway are subject to SuDS rules, and clay or wet sites require land drainage anyway. Skimping on drainage produces patios that pond, lawns that rot, and beds that drown. Budget £10–£30/m² of garden area for drainage on most sites; up to £60/m² on very wet clay.
Key Facts
- Standard rear garden (40m²) — £4,000–£12,000 typical landscape cost
- Medium rear garden (80m²) — £8,000–£25,000
- Large designed garden (200m²+) — £25,000–£100,000+
- Indian sandstone patio — £80–£140/m² supplied and laid
- Yorkstone patio (reclaimed/natural) — £140–£280/m² supplied and laid
- Porcelain patio (20mm vitrified) — £140–£240/m² supplied and laid
- Block paving — £80–£140/m² supplied and laid (200×100×60mm typical)
- Resin-bound surface — £60–£100/m² supplied and fitted
- Rolled turf — £8–£14/m² supplied and laid
- Cultivated turf (sports/instant) — £15–£25/m² supplied and laid
- Wildflower meadow — £6–£15/m² seeded (cheaper than turf, slower establish)
- Planting per m² of bed — £30–£120/m² (3–9 plants/m² depending on size)
- Mature feature plants — £150–£600 per specimen tree, £40–£200 per 5L shrub
- Topsoil — £40–£70/m³ delivered for screened topsoil; £25–£40/m³ as-dug
- Mulch (bark) — £40–£70/m³ delivered
- Featheredge fencing 1.8m — £80–£140/m run supplied and erected
- Closeboard fencing 1.8m — £100–£180/m run supplied and erected
- Trellis above 1.8m fence — £25–£50/m run supply, plus labour
- Decking (composite or hardwood) — £180–£320/m² supply and fit
- Pergola/structure — £600–£3,500 for a 4×3m timber pergola
- Garden lighting — £80–£180 per low-voltage uplight installed; £300–£900 for designer scheme
- Irrigation system — £15–£35/m² of bed for low-pressure dripline; £6,000+ for fully programmed system
- Drainage — £10–£30/m² across garden for slot drains and soakaway crates
- Garden design fee — 10–15% of build cost; or hourly £75–£140; or fixed scheme £1,200–£8,000
Quick Reference Table — Garden Project by Size and Quality
Spending too long on quotes? squote turns a 2-minute voice recording into a professional quote.
Try squote free →| Garden | Build budget | Hard landscape mix | Plant budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small budget (40m²) | £4,000–£8,000 | 60% paved, basic patio | £600–£1,500 |
| Small mid-range (40m²) | £8,000–£14,000 | Sandstone patio + turf + beds | £1,200–£2,800 |
| Small premium (40m²) | £14,000–£25,000 | Porcelain + structures + designer | £2,500–£5,000 |
| Medium mid-range (80m²) | £14,000–£28,000 | Patio + lawn + beds + fencing | £2,500–£6,000 |
| Medium premium (80m²) | £28,000–£55,000 | Porcelain + pergola + lighting | £6,000–£12,000 |
| Large designed (200m²+) | £55,000–£150,000 | Multi-zone with structures | £12,000–£30,000 |
Detailed Guidance
The cost split — hard:soft:structures
A coherent landscape budget breaks roughly into:
- Hard landscaping (patios, paths, walls, fencing, drainage) — 60–75%
- Soft landscaping (planting, lawn, topsoil) — 15–25%
- Structures and features (pergolas, sheds, water, lighting) — 10–20%
The customer often wants the soft to be the highlight — "lots of planting" — but soft landscaping is cheaper to deliver than hard. A garden where the customer expects 50/50 hard:soft will probably get 70/30 once the patio and fencing are quoted properly. Manage this expectation early.
Patio — the price-defining choice
Patio material drives the front-loaded budget. Per-m² installed pricing:
- Indian sandstone (calibrated) — £80–£140/m² supplied and laid
- Yorkstone (natural) — £140–£280/m² supplied and laid
- Porcelain (20mm vitrified) — £140–£240/m² supplied and laid
- Granite setts/slabs — £120–£220/m² supplied and laid
- Concrete slab (premium textured) — £80–£140/m² supplied and laid
- Reclaimed stone — £180–£400/m² (highly variable)
Sub-base: 100mm Type 1 MOT, compacted in 50mm lifts. Bedding: 30–50mm 4:1 sharp sand and cement, or wet-mix concrete bed for porcelain. Joints: 3–8mm wide, brushed-in jointing compound (Geofix, Pavestone Easy Joint).
Don't quote patio installation without pricing the sub-base — it's typically £20–£35/m² of the £80–£240 total.
Lawn — turf vs seed
- Rolled turf — £8–£14/m² supplied and laid; usable in 4–6 weeks
- Cultivated turf — £15–£25/m² (instant lawn quality, often 18–24 months grown on-site)
- Seed — £2–£5/m² supplied; usable in 3–4 months but high failure risk on UK clay
Most domestic clients want turf because of immediate result. Quote prep-work explicitly: topsoil to 100mm minimum (£25–£35/m² for soil + spreading), rotavate, level, fertiliser, then lay.
Planting — per-m² pricing
Plant density depends on plant size:
- 9cm pots (perennials) — 9/m², £40–£70/m²
- 2L pots (small shrubs) — 5/m², £40–£90/m²
- 5L pots (mid shrubs) — 3/m², £60–£140/m²
- 10L+ specimens — 1/m², £80–£250/m²
- Mature feature trees — £150–£800 each, planted
Plus topsoil amendment, mulch, irrigation if specified. Total planting cost typically £30–£120/m² of bed area. Mature gardens with specimens push higher.
Fencing — boundary cost
- Featheredge 1.8m timber — £80–£140/m run supplied and erected
- Closeboard 1.8m timber — £100–£180/m run
- Composite fencing (1.8m) — £180–£280/m run
- Steel/aluminium fencing — £180–£350/m run depending on style
- Hit-and-miss timber slatted — £120–£220/m run (modern aesthetic)
- Trellis topper above 1.8m — £25–£50/m run
Posts at 1.8m centres, concrete-set in 600mm holes. Concrete posts (£40–£80 each) preferred for longevity over timber posts (£15–£30 each, 10–15 year life).
Drainage and soakaways
UK clay soils need drainage on most landscape projects. Three drainage systems commonly priced:
- Slot drains (ACO / Aliaxis Polycast) — £40–£90/m run supplied and fitted (channel + grating + connection)
- French drains / land drains — £30–£60/m run for excavation, perforated pipe, gravel, geotextile
- Soakaway crates — £400–£800 per crate (Wavin Aquacell, Polypipe Polystorm) plus excavation
A typical 80m² garden on clay needs 1–2 soakaway points + 10–20m of drainage = £1,500–£3,500 in drainage budget.
Drainage and SuDS — front gardens
Front-garden hard surfaces over 5m² must comply with SuDS rules (Town and Country Planning [General Permitted Development] [England] Order 2015). Three legal options:
- Permeable surface (porous resin, gravel, permeable block paving)
- Surface drainage to soakaway within property (not to highway)
- Planning permission (£206 householder, 8 weeks)
Specify the option chosen at quote stage. Customers don't usually know this is a regulation.
Design — when to charge for it
A landscape designer should be paid for design work as a separate phase. Three approaches:
- Hourly — £75–£140/hour for an experienced designer; typically 15–30 hours on a small/medium scheme
- Fixed-price scheme — £1,200–£3,500 for a small garden, £3,500–£8,000 for medium, £8,000–£20,000+ for large
- % of build — 10–15% of build cost; designer-led with builder coordination
A builder who tries to "design as we go" without a separate paid design phase typically loses 5–15% on margin to design changes during build.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a complete garden makeover for a typical UK semi?
A 60–80m² rear garden, fully refreshed (new patio, lawn, beds, planted, plus fencing), typical 2026 budget £14,000–£28,000. Premium spec with porcelain patio, lighting, irrigation, mature planting £28,000–£55,000.
Can I get a designed garden for under £10,000?
Possibly for a very small garden (<30m²) with budget materials and minimal planting. £6,000–£10,000 is realistic. Larger or feature-led gardens won't come in under £15,000.
How much should I budget for planting alone?
10–25% of total build cost on most projects. £30–£120/m² of bed area depending on plant size and density. Typical small-to-medium garden: £1,200–£6,000 in planting.
Do I need planning permission for a patio?
Front gardens over 5m² in non-permeable material need planning. Rear gardens typically don't need planning unless the patio is over 30cm above adjacent land, near a boundary, or in a Conservation Area or AONB.
How long does a garden landscape project take?
Small (40m²): 2–3 weeks build time. Medium (80m²): 4–6 weeks. Large (200m²+): 8–16 weeks plus planting season constraints.
Regulations & Standards
Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 — front-garden paving rules
Party Wall etc. Act 1996 — relevant when building walls or excavating near boundaries
Building Regulations Approved Document H — drainage and SuDS
The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 — protects nesting birds; affects when fencing/hedging can be cut
British Standard BS 4428:1989 — code of practice for general landscape operations
BS 7370 series — grounds maintenance standards
BS 3998:2010 — tree work recommendations
HSE Working at Height Regulations 2005 — relevant for fence/structure work above 2m
Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 — relevant if protected species on site
Society of Garden Designers — UK garden design industry body
British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI) — UK landscape contractor body
The Royal Horticultural Society — planting and design guidance
Planning Portal — Paving over front gardens — front-garden rules
Forestry Commission UK — tree-work and felling guidance