Basic services include things like thatching, aerating, flower planting and other basic maintenance style services you’ll get on a yearly basis.
Intermediate levels include more detailed work, like installing landscape curbing, flower beds or raised gardens.
A full tear-out and replacement usually includes a complete exterior design, demolition of the lawn, trees, and any structures, regrading and installing all-new sod, fencing, plants, trees, and shrubs.
How Much Do Landscapers Charge?
Landscapers charge anywhere from $1,000 to $40,000 or more for landscaping services, not including basic lawn care maintenance. For projects, you’ll get a quote for the entire project along with a timeline and any guarantees. Make sure to get at least three quotes before settling on a landscaper.
Landscaping Prices per Hour
Landscapers charge $50 to $100 per hour for a crew of two. However, you’ll almost never find hourly rates from larger companies that prefer project pricing. If you hire a general laborer, you might find hourly rates for maintenance and smaller projects.
Backyard Landscaping Cost
Backyard remodeling costs tend to run from $1,000 to $40,000 or more, significantly higher than most front yard projects since it includes most of your outdoor entertainment areas. For complete outdoor entertainment and relaxation, you’ll want to consider the following:
Backyard Remodel Cost
A total backyard renovation costs $15,000 to $50,000 on average. For a modest remodel, including new sod, bushes, and plants, you’re looking at $5,000. On the high end, you can easily break $100,000 with a pool, patio, outdoor kitchen, and lounge area.
Cost of Landscaping Front Yard
Landscaping a front yard costs $1,500 to $5,000 on average. They’re both much smaller than your backyard and don’t usually have large structures like patios or kitchens. At most, you’re looking at a basic job of sod, trees, bushes, and plants. However, if you need to reslope and add any hardscaping, like walkways, you might push that number to $10,000 or a little more.
Landscaping Costs for New Home
New landscaping costs $3,000 to $15,000 for the basics of sod, walkways, bushes, and trees. However, a couple of things you’ll probably need with a new home that you wouldn’t otherwise include:
Landscape Architects and Other Pros
Landscape pros range from $50 to $150 per hour. The key to a beautiful and successful landscape lies, in large part, in the planning. It can help you make the most of your landscaping dollars. Even those who like to do their own planting can find professional help on the planning stage immensely valuable.
Land surveyors cost: $400–$1,000; get a survey done anytime you have boundary changes or land division, ownership transfer, erection of fences or structures that are related to a property boundary.
Landscape architects cost: $70–$150 per hour; they help you choose plants that play well together. One plant, for instance, can repel insects that would otherwise eat away at its neighbors. They also can help with creating the most interesting and beautiful designs that will stay within your budget.
Landscape designers cost: $50–$150 per hour; keep in mind, while they can help you decide placement of a pond or the types of plants to purchase, some landscape designers will not help with the installation.
DIY vs. Hire a Professional Landscaper
For most landscaping, you can DIY much of the process, hire a professional to do it all, or a little of both. If you have the time and desire to get a little dirty, some parts of landscaping make excellent DIY projects.
Some things you’ll want to leave to the pros include:
Drainage installation: Messing this up can cause yard and basement damage.
Resloping your yard: It requires heavy equipment operation.
Design and architecture: Some plants go well together, others don’t. Some materials work well outside, others don’t. Do you know which are which?
Pools, patios, and kitchens: These require experience and skill to pull off correctly.
There are a few great DIY projects you can do on your own. But know that messing these up, while not catastrophic, can cost you in more materials. These projects include:
Aerating and thatching
Tree and shrub planting
Sod installation
Not sure what you need done? Contact a local landscaper for quotes and consultations.