What a landscaper can help with
- Garden design and planting
- Patios and paving
- Driveways (block paving, resin, gravel, tarmac)
- Fencing, gates and garden walls
- Decking, turfing and drainage
When do you need one?
- You want to make better use of your garden
- You need off-street parking or a new driveway
- Fences, walls or paths are damaged
Checks before you hire
- Driveway drainage: in England, a new or replacement front driveway over 5 square metres generally needs planning permission unless it uses permeable surfacing or drains to a lawn or border.
- Dropped kerbs need permission from your local council.
- Membership of a body such as the Association of Professional Landscapers (APL) is a good sign.
- Ask about groundwork: sub-base depth and drainage decide how long a patio or driveway lasts.
What affects the cost?
Prices vary from job to job. The main factors are:
- Size of the area and amount of digging out
- Materials (porcelain, natural stone, block paving, resin)
- Drainage and sub-base
- Access for machinery and waste removal
- Planting, lighting and finishing touches
Every job is different, so the only reliable way to know the price for your home is to get at least three written, itemised quotes for the same scope of work and compare them like for like.
Last updated: 14 October 2026
