Garden budgets are harder to research than driveway budgets because no two gardens contain the same list of things. What is consistent is where the money goes: levels, retaining and terrace area, in that order, with planting and lighting a smaller share than most people expect.
We offer a full design service, so the numbers below cover both the drawing stage and the build. They are ranges for larger private gardens, which is the work we are set up for.
Typical garden design and build costs
| Element | Typical cost | What drives it |
|---|---|---|
| Measured survey, concept plan and planting plan | £1,800 to £4,500 | Garden size, level changes and how much drawing detail the build needs. |
| Porcelain or natural stone terrace | £160 to £260 per m2 | Material, cutting detail, and whether a base slab is required. |
| Engineered retaining wall | £450 to £900 per linear metre | Height, foundation depth and drainage behind the wall. |
| Steps, planters and features | £1,200 to £6,000 each | Rendered, sleeper or stone, and the level change involved. |
| Soft landscaping, turf and specimen planting | £45 to £120 per m2 | Topsoil quantity, plant maturity and whether irrigation is included. |
Ranges for substantial private gardens in Essex and south Suffolk. A full scheme on a sloping plot commonly sits between £45,000 and £150,000.
Why the design stage saves money
A drawn scheme lets you make decisions when they are cheap. Moving a terrace on paper costs nothing, moving it after the slab is poured costs a fortnight and a skip.
It also lets a garden be built in phases without looking phased. We regularly design a whole garden, build the levels, retaining and terrace in year one, and return for planting and lighting later.
Levels are the hidden budget
A flat garden is comparatively cheap. A garden falling a metre and a half across its width needs retaining, drainage behind the walls and either terracing or regrading, and that structure is invisible in the finished photograph while accounting for a large slice of the spend.
It is also the part that fails when it is done cheaply. Sleepers stacked without foundations lean within five years. Engineered retaining does not.
What a full scheme includes
- Measured survey, concept layout and material samples at your property
- Level design, drainage and any structural retaining
- Terraces, steps, paths, walls, planters, pergolas, fencing and gates
- Garden lighting and power, ducted before surfaces go down
- Topsoil, cultivation, specimen trees, hedging, borders and turf
- An aftercare schedule and a return visit in the first season
The work we are not the right firm for
A patio replacement, a fence run or a single border is not our work, and taking it on would serve nobody well. We are set up for whole gardens where levels, drainage and structure are part of the job.
Services this relates to
Want the figure for your own property? Call 07770 880587 or email enquiries@breakinggroundltd.com and we will arrange a site visit.