If your priority is creating an outdoor space you’ll love and that will boost curb appeal and home value, it’s all about investing your money in the right features—no matter your budget. That’s why it’s best for homeowners to begin landscaping plans by thinking about how they’ll actually use their yards.
Do you want to relax by the fire pit every evening? Do you want a large vegetable garden or flower bed? Should you include space for the kids or dog to run around? How much lawn do you need? Does a pool make sense for you? What structures or hardscapes are you happy with that can stay or be refurbished? These questions, plus others, will help you clarify exactly which elements are must-have items in your landscape design.
Typical Landscaping Cost for a Professionally-Designed Yard
The national average cost to build a landscape from our professional designs is $30,000, but that number depends entirely on what landscape features you include, the size of your yard, and what you plan to repurpose. Because of this, we regularly work with budgets from $15,000 to $150,000 or more.
Curious about the cost of an exterior home renovation? Read our post about exterior makeover costs.
This number is different from what a single, limited scope landscaping service or small project would cost—like say, lawn seeding, tree trimming, or leaf cleanup, which homeowners often diy. This is the full cost of a finished high-end landscape installation that typically encompasses an entire front, side, or backyard (or a complete full yard transformation)!
It’s not unusual for homeowners to phase the installation with their landscaping company. Landscape contractors installing complex designs from professional landscape architects or designers are often used to phasing (and charging in phases) for these types of landscaping projects that often exceed 20k to install.
At the outset of our design process, we ask you for your all-in budget for your project. Our design team will create your design with that number in mind to maximize your budget and create a landscape that is personalized to your needs. Our Build Team, composed of former landscape contractors with over 50 years of combined experience, will consult with you and your design team throughout the process to help ensure your design matches your budget as closely as possible.
However, it's important to keep in mind that there are variables that can impact what a contractor or landscaper charges or quotes you—like the materials and plant sizes you ultimately choose or what their labor costs are—that can bring down price or ratchet it up.
Below are the landscape elements that can significantly impact your cost to build, identified by Yardzen Design Director and Landscape Architect Kevin Lenhart.
How to Lower Your Landscaping Prices
Choose Permeable Hardscapes: Installing materials such as gravel, beach pebbles and decomposed granite can go a long way in covering open spaces in your landscape without breaking your budget. These materials can also be mixed with large, precast pavers where walkways or patios are desired. Another benefit of permeable hardscapes is that you can move them if needed to accommodate a new path, fountain or hot tub.
Be Strategic with Groundcover Plantings: Groundcovers—small ornamental grasses and low-growing perennials—cover a lot of square footage without the expense of buying lots of plants. They provide a base layer of greenery, so your landscape will look lush quickly.
Save What You Have: Often there are parts of an existing landscape that can be saved and remodeled. If you can use what you have and not build new, you’ll save time and money. Inventory your space and discuss it with your designers. If you have a structurally-sound patio cover, consider painting it rather than replacing it. Then add shade cloth to it or grow vines up the side. If you have existing concrete, consider staining it or having a decorative overlay installed.
Keep the Trees You Can: Large trees take years, even decades, to reach their mature size. If you have trees that can be preserved, keep them. Buying and planting large trees can be expensive.
Hardscape with Precast Pavers: Large precast pavers (also known as steppers) are often less expensive to install because they don’t require as much labor as pouring concrete or masonry work. Another benefit is that these types of pavers also provide a sense of permanence. Gaps between pavers can be filled with gravel, beach pebbles, or groundcovers.
Stick to Prefabricated Structures: Prefabricated patio covers, gazebos, pergolas, fences, fire pits, outdoor seating, barbecue islands and other elements are typically more cost effective than custom-built structures. Whenever possible, consider where in your landscape a precast structure could be used. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t custom build elements in your landscape—it’s just important to be selective in order to save money.
Buy Smaller Plants and Prepare Your Soil Well: Softscape with smaller plants that are generally less expensive to buy, but with proper soil preparation and appropriate watering will grow in quickly. In many cases smaller plants (plugs and 1-gallon plants) in properly-prepared soil or mulch grow into the landscape faster than larger plants (5-gallon and 15-gallon).
Go with a Hot Tub Instead of a Pool: In-ground pools and spas can be costly. The material used to construct the pool can affect the final cost. A concrete pool that’s 15 feet by 30 feet can cost around $60,000 while the same sized fiberglass in-ground pool can cost closer to $50,000 and an in-ground vinyl pool closer to $40,000. Consider how much you’ll use your pool. If it makes sense for your family, then go for it. If you’re looking for an alternative, take a look at hot tubs, plunge pools, or Japanese soaking tubs made from cedar.
Reuse Old Materials: If you need to remove structures or hardscapes when remodeling your landscape, consider reusing materials such as concrete, wood, brick or large stones for example. Not only are these heavy materials expensive to remove and dispose of, but they can be turned into beautiful landscape elements: Wood can be turned into planters or a fence. Concrete can be turned into stepping stones or raised beds. Brick can be turned into a built-in barbecue or fire pit.
Purchase Furniture & Containers: Instead of installing built-in seating and planters, buy furnishings online. There’s an infinite selection of styles for nearly any budget. The furnishings you buy are also movable, so you have flexibility during parties or if you change the landscape in the future.
Consider Landscaping Maintenance Costs: Understand that beyond the cost of building your design, there will be long term costs, both monetary and your time, associated with maintaining a landscape. Use mulch, groundcover, and turf instead of new sod to avoid lawn care costs for watering, mowing, aerating, and fertilizing (unless you’re using no-mow sod)—or use native plants that require much less attention to thrive in your city. These maintenance items should be factored into the cost of landscaping. Also remember that low-maintenance yards can oftentimes be more eco-friendly, especially if your low-maintenance yard happens to apply xeriscaping or water-conservation principles.
Cost of High-Impact Landscape Design Elements
The following elements will have the biggest impact on the final cost of building a landscape design. If you want to include any of these features in your landscape, discuss them with a designer in the initial design meeting to plan what features make the most sense for your family, landscape and budget. Below you’ll find a general cost range as well as the factors that affect the cost most.
Cost of Specimen Trees & Extensive Planting: $2,500 to $15,000. One specimen tree can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars but can have a dramatic impact on the look of a new landscape—making it look mature from the beginning. Your plant budget will be affected most by the size of the plants you choose to install and how large your planting space is. Soil preparation and irrigation systems should also be considered by homeowners.
Solid Hardscaping Cost: $15 to $50 per square foot. The cost of concrete or stone patios, pool decks, landscape curbing, walkways or driveways depends largely on the finish of the concrete or the type of stone used.
Deck Cost: $40 to $100 per square foot. The cost of building a deck can vary based on factors such as the slope of your property, the decking material you use, and how big your deck is. If you select a hardwood such as ipe or teak, the cost will be higher than a softwood such as cedar or redwood. Also, if the slope of your property is steep, then more engineering and shoring will be needed which can add to the overall cost.
Custom Patio Cover Cost: $5,000 to $20,000 price range. Steel patio covers typically cost the most, followed by natural hardwoods, aluminum, engineered wood and natural wood. Shade fabrics are often the least costly option.
Built-In Seating Cost: $3,000 to $15,000. Typically, concrete or stone built-ins will cost more than wood seating in your outdoor living space.
Retaining Wall Cost: $50 to $150 per square foot. Retaining walls are often key in landscaping sloped yards. There are a variety of materials options from interlocking concrete blocks to softwood (cedar or redwood) at the lower end of the cost range, to hardwood (ipe or teak), concrete, and stone at the higher end of the cost range. Access to the site, drainage, and the size of the wall can all affect the final cost.
Permanent Landscape Lighting Cost: $2,500 to $10,000. Homeowners that want to use their yard as a living space after dark often incorporate outdoor lighting to their designs. There are certain conditions such as the length of wire runs, the quality of fixtures, and when the wiring is installed that affect the final cost, too. Keep in mind that if your soil is frozen when the wiring is installed, more labor will be needed to trench for electrical lines—this can increase the final cost.
Built-in Gas Fire Pit Cost: $5,000 to $15,000. Running a gas line increases the cost of built-in fire pits. The materials chosen can also affect the overall cost. Precast pavers are less expensive than poured concrete and natural stone.
Built-in Barbecue Cost: $10,000 to $30,000. The costs of built-in barbecues in outdoor kitchens can be affected by the length of the gas line as well as the choices of materials, type and number of grills and whether you decide to run plumbing and power to the unit.
Pool or Spa Cost: $40,000 to more than $100,000. Pool and spa costs can change dramatically based on the size of the pool, the materials, pool equipment, the amount and material of the decking, and the inclusion of other pool and water features (water fountains, lighting, Baja shelf, etc.).
Cost for Demolition of Structures & Hardscapes: $2,000 to $12,000. Basic removal of patio covers, plants, and hardscaping can be straightforward but it’s still a cost to factor in. On the other end of the spectrum if you have a driveway, large concrete patio, deck, or pool that needs to be removed, the cost can increase to well over $10,000.
Examples of Landscapes at Different Budgets
Below you’ll see several landscape designs for our actual clients. Each one includes the budget for the estimated installed cost of the landscape as a general reference that should help provide context for you as you’re thinking about your project. It may also be helpful to check out our article comparing different landscaping budgets for the same yard.
$11,000 Landscaping Budget
A Front Yard in Orange County, California
This clean, contemporary front yard landscape design is a great, cost-effective approach. Cactus not your thing? No problem. This style looks great with many types of plants, like grasses, shrubs, or lavender. In this yard, we added a new, concrete walkway ($7,000), decomposed granite ($2,000), and plants ($2,000).
$19,000 Landscaping Budget
A Backyard in Seattle, Washington
This backyard design in Seattle, WA adds beauty and function to a backyard that already had a fence, a wood deck off the house, and several mature plants and trees. We added a concrete paver walkway ($7,000), decomposed granite ($4,000), an above-ground fire pit ($500), lawn ($3,000), raised beds ($1,500), and additional plants ($3,000).
$35,000 Landscaping Budget
A Backyard in Portland, Oregon
This Portland backyard makes beautiful use of hardscaping. The deck and mature trees are existing, but everything else in the design is new to the yard. Our designers added a concrete patio and walkways ($15,000), a prefabricated pergola ($5,000), pea gravel throughout the yard ($8,000), extensive new plantings ($5,000), and raised beds for edibles and perennials ($2,000).
$42,000 Landscaping Budget
A Backyard in Southern California
This Yardzen design in Southern California adds several new elements to the backyard landscaping, which already had the large, concrete landing at the backdoor. We added a small deck and shade structure ($20,000), several plants and a lawn ($10,000), irrigation and lighting ($7,000), and poured concrete pavers to extend the deck and walkways ($5,000).
$50,000 Landscaping Budget
A Backyard in Oakland, California
This backyard in Oakland, CA features lush plantings ($7,000) and permeable paving ($30,000) that covers much of the space in this backyard. An existing patio along with a wood patio cover are structures that will be preserved and refurbished. New board-formed concrete seating with a wood top and seat back next ($6,000) to a built-in fire pit ($7,000) are a central part of the design.
$65,000 Landscaping Budget
A Backyard in San Mateo, California
This design connects the home and garden through the use of a wrap-around deck. The deck, including a wire railing ($30,000) includes space for outdoor dining as well as a small bar-height counter. A new concrete patio below the steps in the backyard provides space for lounging ($7,000). The existing retaining wall will be updated and retrofitted ($15,000) with built-in seating and new plantings ($8,000). The low level includes a grass area for play, space for a small play structure, and a prefabricated fire pit ($5,000).
$90,000 Landscaping Budget
A Backyard in Dallas, Texas
This Southwestern yard in Dallas’ Highland Park neighborhood features elements perfect for the climate including a new pool ($45,000), lawn ($6,000), pergola ($6,000), a built-in fireplace ($8,000), refreshed hardscaping throughout ($18,000), and new plants ($7,000).
$100,000 Landscaping Budget
A Backyard in Castro Valley, California
This gorgeous property in Castro Valley, CA with a view already had a pool, but it needed to be repaired ($25,000). The design focuses on keeping the views open and using modern finishes to match the home. New concrete paving ($10,000), wood decking ($20,000), and wire and glass railings ($10,000) were added. An existing retaining wall will be refinished with new hardwood and fitted with stairs and built-in seating ($25,000).
Designing to Your Landscaping Budget
At Yardzen, we discuss your budget at the start of the landscape design process to minimize surprises when it comes time to build. We want to make sure our design team can personalize your yard, delivering a vision that includes what’s most important for your outdoor life and unique environment—while keeping costs within range. We do this by utilizing our in-house Build Team made up of former contractors and our Pro Network of vetted professional landscapers across the country.
Ready to level up your home improvement with a professional landscape design? Create your design profile or explore our design packages today!