Pricing·7 min read

How to Price Landscaping Work in the UK

Landscaping quotes cover a huge range of work — from a simple lawn tidy to a full garden redesign with hard landscaping, drainage, and irrigation. The common thread in underpriced landscaping jobs is not accounting for the time it takes to shift and dispose of material. This guide covers pricing by job type and the key items to include.

Patio pricing: what to charge per m²

Patio prices vary significantly based on material choice. These are supply and fit rates including sub-base, edging, and jointing — but not groundworks for uneven or steeply sloping sites.

Material	Supply & fit rate	Notes
Indian sandstone	£80 – £130 / m²	Most popular for mid-range patios
Porcelain paving	£100 – £180 / m²	Premium look, higher material cost
Natural slate	£90 – £150 / m²	Looks great but more wastage
Block paving	£75 – £120 / m²	Flexible, repairable, common in driveways
Concrete slabs (budget)	£50 – £80 / m²	Lowest cost, shortest lifespan

What's always included in a patio quote

Sub-base — 100–150mm of MOT Type 1 compacted hardcore. Never skip this — it's why patios fail.
Bedding layer — 50mm sharp sand or wet mix (or adhesive for porcelain). Material choice affects long-term stability.
Edging restraints — necessary wherever the patio meets grass or loose ground.
Jointing — brush-in jointing compound or mortar pointing. Budget 1–2 days on a typical 40m² patio.
Disposal of excavation material — typically 100–150mm of soil plus sub-base depth. Work out how many skip loads and price accordingly.

Fencing pricing guide

Type	Rate	Notes
Close board fencing (supply & fit)	£90 – £140 / m	Including concrete posts and gravel boards
Lap panel fencing	£60 – £100 / m	Budget option, shorter lifespan
Feather edge board on existing posts	£40 – £70 / m	Labour only if posts are good
Post replacement only	£80 – £150 per post	Depending on depth and concrete required

Turf and lawn work

Turf supply and lay — £15–£25 per m² supply and laid, depending on quantity and access.
Ground preparation — rotovating, raking, and levelling before turf is typically priced at a day rate (£250–£350/day) plus skip hire for topsoil removal if needed.
Topsoil — 100mm of screened topsoil before turf costs £30–£50 per tonne. A 50m² lawn needs around 5 tonnes.
Seeding — much cheaper than turf (£3–£8/m²) but takes longer to establish. Worth offering as an option.

What landscapers commonly undercharge for

Excavation and disposal — digging out for a patio creates a lot of spoil. At 150mm depth, a 50m² patio creates around 7.5m³ of material. That's 2–3 large skip loads at £300–£500 each.
Site access — a garden with no side access means every skip of spoil is hand-wheeled through the house. Add at least a day's time for access restrictions.
Level changes — a sloping garden requires either steps, a retaining wall, or significant cut-and-fill. Any of these adds significant cost that's easy to miss on a quick site visit.
Drainage — water has to go somewhere. If you're covering a large area with hard paving, drainage must be considered. A channel drain or soakaway adds £300–£800.
Plant sourcing time — if the quote includes planting, the time spent at the nursery selecting and transporting plants is often uncosted.

Tip

Take your time on the site survey. The difference between a profitable landscaping job and an unprofitable one is usually visible during the survey — slope, access, existing drainage, and soil type all matter. If you're not sure about groundworks, price in a contingency of 15%.

Quote faster with QuotePilot

Describe the job by voice and get a professional quote in seconds. Free to try.

Start free →

More guides

How to Quote for a House Extension→How to Price Labour and Materials as a UK Tradesperson→How to Create a Building Quote by Voice→