Why no honest landscaper quotes flat prices
Two gardens on the same street can cost very different amounts to landscape. One has level ground, side access and decent soil; the other slopes away, is only reachable through the house, and hides a layer of rubble under the turf. Any company quoting a flat rate per square metre without seeing your garden is guessing — and the guess usually gets corrected upwards once work starts.
That is why we never publish fixed prices for landscaping. Every quote we give is for your specific job, in writing, before any work starts.
What affects landscaping cost in Birmingham?
- Size and layout of the garden — and how much of it is being changed
- Access — a side gate is very different from carrying everything through the house
- Ground conditions — slopes, clay, poor drainage or rubble under the turf
- Materials — paving, turf, fencing and sleepers vary hugely in quality and price
- Groundwork — digging out, sub-bases and levelling that make the work last
- Waste — soil, rubble and green waste taken to licensed disposal sites
What a proper quote should include
- A clear description of the work — what is being built, laid, planted or removed
- Materials listed or described — the difference between budget and quality materials is where quotes diverge most
- Waste removal — soil, rubble and green waste disposal at licensed facilities costs real money and should be in the quote, not added later
- Preparation and groundwork — sub-bases, levelling and drainage are the unglamorous part that decides whether a patio lasts two winters or twenty
- What happens if something unexpected is found — buried concrete, tree roots, drainage problems
- A timescale — when it can start and roughly how long it takes
Why quotes vary so much between companies
Usually it comes down to three things: materials, preparation and waste. A cheap quote often means thinner paving, a shallower sub-base, or waste left in a skip you are paying for separately. A higher quote frequently includes the groundwork and disposal that the cheap one quietly excludes.
The fairest way to compare quotes is line by line, not by the total. Ask each company what is included for groundwork, materials and waste removal — the answers tell you more than the price does.
Red flags to watch out for
- A price given over the phone without seeing the garden or photos
- No mention of waste removal or disposal
- Pressure to decide immediately or pay a large deposit up front
- No written quote — just a verbal figure
- Vague descriptions like 'landscaping works' with no breakdown
How to get an accurate quote quickly
Photos are your friend. A handful of pictures showing the whole garden, the access route and anything awkward — slopes, steps, manhole covers, trees — lets a landscaper give you a realistic guide price without a visit. For bigger transformations, a site visit is worth it and should be free.
Tell the landscaper what you want the garden to do, not just what you want built. 'Somewhere the kids can play and we can sit in the evening' gets you better suggestions than 'a patio' — and often a better price, because the simplest way to achieve what you want is not always the one you first thought of.
Getting a quote from us
Send us a description and a few photos through the enquiry form and we will come back with a written quote, or arrange a free visit for larger jobs. If the job changes once we start — extra materials, something unexpected under the surface — we agree any change with you before proceeding. You will never get a surprise on the invoice.
We quote landscaping work across Birmingham and the wider West Midlands — Harborne, Edgbaston, Moseley, Kings Heath, Sutton Coldfield, Solihull, Dudley, Stourbridge, Halesowen and everywhere in between.
Useful next steps: see typical prices, check we cover your area or use our full maintenance checklist.