How much does garden design cost?

How much does it cost to have a garden professionally designed?  This is a hard question to answer without taking into account the many factors involved in designing a garden.  Each garden is different - large, small, flat, sloping, narrow.  Ground conditions vary - boggy, dry, sandy, clay soil.  Requirements vary - a complex garden with retaining walls will take longer to design (and therefore cost more) than a simple, flat garden.

 Garden Design Master Plan for Medium-Sized Garden in Marlow, Buckinghamshire

When people phone me and ask me how much my services will cost, my reply is usually unsatisfactorily vague.  This is because I don't really know until I see the garden and talk to the client how much I will need to charge for designing their garden. The cost of a garden designer's services are based on how long it will take them to complete the garden design.

 Garden Design 3-D visual for small/medium- sized garden in Camberley, Surrey

However, deciding to employ a garden designer should involve considerations other than cost.   Having a professionally designed garden is an investment in your property.   Employing an experienced garden designer ensures you will get the garden you want and need.  Garden design plans help you to visualise your new garden.  Garden design plans are given to landscape contractors so they know what they are being asked to build and therefore how much to quote for carrying out the work.  Having garden design plans prepared is the only way to ensure that you get exactly what you are paying for when employing landscape contractors. 

Garden Design 3-D visual for large garden in Ascot, Berkshire

A great deal of time, thought and creativity is involved in arriving at the final garden design and then translating this into plans that can be used by landscape contractors to construct the garden.  The garden design process is set out in detail on my Web site.  

Garden Design Master Plan for Large Garden in Ascot, Berkshire

It is extremely hard to provide fixed costs for designing a garden as fees are based on how long the practical and creative elements of the design process take.  The garden design process is not simply about preparing plans it also involves thinking about how to solve specific issues relating to each site such as level changes (slopes), and awkward-shaped sites.  The garden design process also involves coming up with an aesthetically pleasing and unique solution to each client’s brief.  The value added by a designer is more than simply practical advice, it is about giving the garden balance, symmetry and making it a wonderful place to relax and spend time with friends and family.  

 Garden Design 3-D visual for a small front garden in Woking, Surrey

However, having said all this here are some rough costs that you should allow if you are employing a competent, qualified, experienced garden designer:-

A small, flat garden 10m x 5m, allow £700 - £1000 in fees for the first phase plans, then another £700 - £1200 if you want construction drawings and some project monitoring services.  A medium, flat, simple garden 10m x 15m allow £1200 - £1500 for phase one, then another £1200 - £1500 for phase two.  A large, flat garden 20m x 50m allow £2000-£2500 for phase one then a further £2000 - £3000 for phase two.  

The above figuresare for guidance only - fees will be quoted individually for each project.

If you need help designing your garden please visit my Web site for all contact details, you can also look on my Facebook Page and Pinterest boards for more garden design inspiration.