How Much Does a Garden Design Transformation Cost?

Small garden costing approx. £25k

Medium garden costing approx. £30k

When a potential new client gets in touch with me i ask a few basic questions about their garden as it is now, what they would like to do to the garden and how much they would be comfortable spending on the transformation. All simple questions and the first two are generally easy for clients to answer but the budget question can be a difficult one for them.  Creating your ideal garden takes design expertise and knowledge, a skilled workforce and a whole host of materials, so it's not a cheap undertaking. It's important to think about how much you are happy to spend and what is feasible with the funds you have available. 

There are a few things to consider when you're thinking about budgets for a garden project:

How big is your garden?  The size of space to be transformed has a huge effect on the overall costs. Large gardens take considerable time to design, landscape and plant plus there will be large quantities of all the materials needed where as small gardens can be much less costly overall. A small garden can be expensive however, if the client has a long wish list of requirements....

Medium garden costing approx. £30k

Medium garden costing approx. £40k

Large garden costing approx £50k+

What features would you like?    A client's wish list can be short and sweet - seating area, pergola, planting.... or it can be as long as your arm!  The more items on a clients wish list the higher the design fees and installation costs.

What is access to the site like and how does the land lie?
Straight forward flat sites with wide easy access are a landscapers dream, there are fewer hours spent to-ing and fro-ing and fewer issues with moving materials around the sight. Bear in mind that sites with awkward access, sloping ground or minimal space to work in will cost more to transform.

What style of garden do you dream of?
Traditional country style gardens can be less expensive to transform as there is a good balance between high cost hard landscaping and lower cost planting and lawn. If your ideal space involves wall to wall hard materials than expect the price of the transformation to be high. 
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​So what should you budget for?
To the left are images and links to a few projects in my portfolio with approximate costs for design, installation and planting to give you an idea of what can be achieved in each price bracket.

You'll see that the lowest project cost is in the region of £25k. This was a small garden with a very awkward sloping site and poor access within the space. Poor quality DIY paving and steps had to be replaced, and although the clients wish list was moderate, there were a lot of features to design and install to create the clients dream garden.  Small gardens with easier access, few issues and a simple wish list generally cost from £20k+In the £30-35k region, these medium sized gardens have been transformed, providing multiple seating areas, paved pathways, bespoke pergolas, plus there's a large gravel garden covering a substantial area with Scottish pebbles, boulders and planting. 

For around £40k we transformed a medium sized blank canvas sloping plot into a WOW factor garden, with curvaceous natural stone walls, multiple seating areas, bespoke pergola, ample planting beds and a large lawned area. 

When the garden is large and in need of a complete overhaul from building site to garden paradise, the budget needs to be available to transform the site, in this instance  creating a bespoke water feature, arches, feature wall, ample planting, garden lighting and more. Gardens such as these require a budget from £50k+ to really create the clients dream garden.  For gardens with an extensive area to transform, such as a paddock or an acre of blank canvas garden, costs can start from £70+ for design, installation and planting.

How much does it cost to have a garden designed?
The overall cost of a project outlined above takes into consideration the design fees, hard landscaping, soil prep and the planting.  The actual design element is only a small proportion of the full cost of a transformation.  The fees associated with a project depend on the size and scope of the garden and the list of requirements. The larger and more complex a project, the longer it will take to design and the more detail will be required. All of our Garden Design packages contain digital CAD 2d and 3d plans and 3D Photo Realistic visuals, Scope of Works, Setting Out Plans, supporting documents etc. Typically fees for a Garden Design Package start from £2000 for a small simple design project. Medium/Larger projects cost from £2450.  ​Planting Design Packages start from £800 for small gardens, from £1200 for medium - larger gardens and there is a minimum size of 50 sq/m for planting projects. Fees mentioned are inclusive of VAT.
Want to know what's included in a design package? Take a look at these articles for more info: Garden Design Package   Planting Design Package 
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In conclusion, when it comes to transforming a site into the garden of your dreams, a starting figure of £20k for design, installation and planting for a small simple space is feasible. If you are lucky enough to have a larger garden then be prepared to spend from £30-50k and above to achieve the results you require. ​ Whether you are looking for a full transformation or just a set of garden design plans, Garden Design fees start from £2000+ and Planting Design from £800+. 

Bel Grierson

Expert Plantswoman and Garden Designer with 20 years experience in horticulture.  Bel loves to share her knowledge and enthusiasm with those with gardens large and small.

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