Spring and early summer are particularly busy times in British gardens. In many cases, it makes sense to seek professional help from gardeners. Find out what the average cost of a gardener is in the UK and how to save money. Plus: Get free quotes!
What is the average cost of gardeners in the UK?
The average cost of a gardener is around £30 – £60 per hour in the UK. Depending on the gardener, the costs for material, plants and machines are already included, but this should be discussed with the gardener beforehand.
ON AVERAGE: £30 – £60 PER HOUR
Depending on the tasks and the gardener, the costs can also be calculated per square metre or per metre. For example, hedge trimming is often charged per metre, lawn mowing is often charged per square metre.
The larger the garden area to be worked on, the lower the price per hour or square metre. It is also easier to agree on flat rates for larger jobs. Below is a cost example for gardening work in a 200 m² garden near Birmingham as well as a price list for various gardening services. All figures are estimates incl. VAT and may of course vary.
Example: Cost of gardener for 200 m² total area
Mowing the lawn incl. sowing for bare areas | £270 |
Hedge trimming | £265 |
Disposal of green waste | £90 |
Bed maintenance incl. weed removal | £185 |
Travel costs | £60 |
Total cost | £875 |
Price List: Gardening costs for various services
Lawn mowing | from £0.30 per m² | |
Scarify lawn | from £1 per m² | |
Laying lawn (seed or sod) | from £10 per m² | |
Removing leaves and foliage | from £0.20 per m² | |
Maintaining beds and weeding | from £1 per m² | |
Laying out and planting a bed | from £30 per m² | |
Wintering plants | from £50 per m² | |
Hedge pruning | from £7 per metre | |
Planting a hedge | from £50 per metre | |
Hedge removal | from £80 per metre | |
Create pond | from £230 per m² | |
Tree felling, permit and removal | from £450, depending on size | |
Levelling garden (slight slope) | from £15 per m² | |
Levelling garden (steep slope) | from £60 per m² | |
Laying garden paths | from £60 per m² | |
Terrace made of concrete slabs | from £80 per m² | |
Terrace made of WPC | from £90 per m² | |
Terrace made of wood | from £100 per m² | |
Green waste disposal | from £7 per m³ | |
Excavated earth incl. disposal | from £55 per m³ | |
Greenhouse, small | from £3,000 | |
Wooden garden house | from £3,500 |
Save money: Compare gardener prices in your area!
There are now platforms that help you compare prices of contractors and find the best value for money in your area quickly and easily. A recommendable service is that of Bark. It only takes a few clicks to fill out the form. Whether you accept one of the offers or leave it at the price overview is up to you. The service is non-binding and free of charge.
What influences the cost of gardening?
There are a variety of factors that influence the cost of gardening. Here is an overview of the most important cost factors:
- The size of the area (the larger the area, the lower the price per m²)
- The type and complexity of the job
- Qualification of the gardener
- The general price level of the gardener or gardening company
- The region in which the garden is located (prices in the city or near the city are often somewhat higher)
- Material costs for e.g. machines and plants (if not included)
- Possible disposal costs
- Travel costs or flat rate (if not included)
- Is it a one-off job or recurring work (gardener subscription)?
- Special requests
What services are offered by a gardener?
In addition to planning and advice, garden maintenance and garden design are the main services offered by a gardener. Garden maintenance includes tasks such as mowing and scarifying the lawn, cutting, planting and removing hedges, creating and planting beds, weeding, removing greenery and leaves, and pest control.
Somewhat more complex than garden maintenance is the subject of garden design or the creation of a garden. The spectrum here is very broad and includes laying sod, creating a pond, felling trees, levelling the garden (on slopes), building terraces (wood, concrete or stone), paving garden paths, excavating and transporting soil, planting trees and shrubs, and building garden and greenhouses.
Since some of the tasks in the field of garden design are considerably more complex, it should be clarified with the gardener beforehand whether the necessary qualifications are met. Otherwise, for demanding projects, depending on the focus of the task, it may be necessary to hire a landscape gardener, landscape architect or horticulturist.
Savings tips: How to reduce your gardener costs
1. One-off work or recurring work?
Especially when it comes to recurring work, you can save quite a bit of money. Gardeners usually have reduced prices for recurring jobs.
2. Ask for a flat rate price
Especially when it comes to recurring work, you can save quite a bit of money. Gardeners usually have reduced prices for recurring jobs.
3. Contract the gardener together with the neighbour?
If the neighbours are also interested in gardening work, discounts can often be achieved by hiring the gardener together, as the total area or volume of work increases.
4. Carry out a free price comparison
Probably the easiest and quickest way to save money: Carry out a short price comparison in advance to get an overview of the regional price level. You can use the following link for this purpose. The service is free of charge.
