Gardener & Garden Maintenance Costs in the U.K. – Q4 2024
Gardens are great spaces to relax in, so it makes sense to keep them looking spick and span. To enjoy the luxury of your garden without worrying about mowing, trimming, and weeding, a garden maintenance professional can give you a hand at a reasonable price.
Contents
- The average cost of a UK gardener
- What’s the difference between a gardener and a landscaper?
- What factors impact the cost of gardening services in the UK?
- How to save money on gardening services
- How often should I hire a gardener?
- Find a garden maintenance specialist today
- Garden maintenance service and cost FAQs
The average cost of a UK gardener
In general, you can expect to pay around £14-£25 per hour for a gardening specialist. However, lots of factors affect the overall price. To give you a better idea of how much you can expect to pay for gardening and landscaping services, we’ve put together a table of estimates based on daily, hourly, and per-project rates.
| Specialist | Time | Average cost |
| Gardener | Per day | £150-£200 |
| Gardener | Per hour | £14-£25 |
| Gardener in London | Per day | £200-£320 |
| Gardener in London | Per hour | £17-£35 |
| Landscaper | Per day | £180-£280 |
| Landscaper | Per hour | £25-£50 |
| Landscaper | Per project | £250-£2,500 |
We can also break down gardening costs depending on the specific task at hand. Here are some examples.
| Specialist | Project | Average UK cost for labour and materials |
| Gardener | Maintenance for a small garden (8x6m) | £57-£175 |
| Gardener | Maintenance for a large garden (12x8m) | £147-£445 |
| Gardener | Fence staining | £100-£200 |
| Gardener | Garden clearance | £100-£200 |
| Gardener | Grass cutting | £25 per hour |
| Landscaper | Decking installation | £800-£2000 |
| Landscaper | Patio installation | £800-£2,000 |
| Landscaper | Garden levelling | £1,000-£7,000 |
What’s the difference between a gardener and a landscaper?
Gardeners tend to focus on maintaining what’s already there; mowing, trimming, weeding, trimming, and tidying. They’ll also plant new vegetation (plants, flowers, shrubs) and remove any unwanted growth.
A landscaper, however, is more likely to consider the design of your space, with a focus on the structure and layout of your garden. They might also be able to do hardscaping and small outdoor building jobs like laying, edging, and installing decks and patios.
There’s a lot of crossover, though, and many gardeners will offer both services. For this reason, it’s always worth double-checking what your chosen garden professional can and can’t do.
What factors impact the cost of gardening services in the UK?
If you’re outsourcing your garden maintenance to a professional and are in the process of exploring quotes, you may come across a large difference in cost and rates. We know that this can be confusing, but there are a few reasons for this.
The two biggest cost factors are your location and the size of your garden. For instance, if you’re based in Central London and have a large garden, you’ll be paying more compared to someone in a town with a small garden. In London, hourly gardening rates tend to be between £3 and £10 higher than those in the rest of the UK.
It’s also worth considering how much work your garden needs. Work at height will typically cost more due to the level of skill involved.
Summer is usually the busiest month for garden maintenance professionals because everyone wants to use their outdoor space when the weather is nice. With this in mind, you can expect to pay more for a specialist in summer when the demand is high.
Finally, the expertise and experience of the person you hire will also be reflected in the overall cost. The same goes for whether you choose a garden maintenance company or an individual. Garden maintenance companies typically cost more due to bigger overheads.
In a nutshell, the price you pay for gardening services usually depends on:
- Your location
- The size of your garden
- How much work the space needs
- The exact gardening tasks
- Whether work at height is required
- The time of year
- Your gardening specialist’s experience and skills
- Whether the gardener is an individual or part of a company
How to save money on gardening services
In comparison to other household services, gardening maintenance tends to be on the lower end of the cost scale — which is good news for you! However, we understand that it’s important to save money where possible, so here’s some advice to help you hold onto your pennies while receiving the best quality gardening support.
Decide on your budget early
Once you’ve done your research and have a better idea of garden maintenance specialist costs, it’s helpful to decide on a set budget and stick to it as best as possible. This will reduce your risk of overspending or making impulse decisions when it comes to choosing a garden maintenance professional.
Discuss your budget and expectations with your chosen garden professional
Your chosen garden professional is there to support you and get the job done, so it’s always a good idea to discuss your expectations with one another. This means there will be no surprises for either party when it comes to payment.
Make sure you outline your budget with your chosen garden professional and have a written agreement in place, detailing the exact tasks you need done and their agreed cost. It’s also worth asking that the garden professional lets you know if they think anything might cost more than your budget. This is because it’s quite common for an estimate to be given, and then upon further inspection, the task is bigger than either of you thought.
The result of being transparent with cost and expectations? A garden specialist with a clear idea of what needs to be done — and no scary extra spends for you.
Choose a few jobs to take on yourself
You may find that there are a few garden maintenance jobs that you’re happy to take on yourself. Whether this be green waste disposal, strimming, or mowing, you’ll probably find that this will save you some money. It also means your garden specialist can focus on the bigger, more strenuous jobs!
Make sure you check this with your chosen specialist, as some include the smaller garden jobs and clean-up services in their overall price.
How often should I hire a gardener?
How often you hire a gardener is completely up to you. You may have a one-off project that you need help with, or you may wish to find someone to help with ongoing garden maintenance throughout the year.
If you’d rather have someone come in regularly, then you may find that this works out cheaper in the long run. It’s also a great way to build a trusted relationship between you and your gardener.
It also depends on how overgrown your garden area is, so you may find that you need more help in the summer months when overgrown gardens are common.
If you enjoy spending time in your garden and appreciate it looking lush, manicured, and full of wildlife, then a gardener can take the hard work off your shoulders. All you need to do is find the right person or company for the job, sit back, and reap the benefits!
Find a garden maintenance specialist today
Ready to connect with a local garden professional to help you with your green spaces?
Use Taskrabbit to find a gardener near you and get help with everything from weeding and mowing to outdoor lighting installation and roof and gutter cleaning.
Garden maintenance service and cost FAQs
What’s included in a standard garden maintenance service?
Standard garden maintenance generally includes mowing the grass, trimming hedges, weeding, clearing leaves, and maintaining flower beds. Some garden specialists also offer extra services like fertilising, pruning, or seasonal planting for an extra cost.
Do garden maintenance companies charge extra for waste removal?
This depends on how much waste needs to be disposed of. If it’s only a small amount, then some garden maintenance professionals may be happy to dispose of your green waste for you. However, some may charge an additional fee for this service.
How often should I schedule garden maintenance?
For most gardens, a bi-weekly scheduled maintenance visit should do the job — even in the growing seasons of spring and summer. You might be able to get away with monthly visits in the colder months.
