Reasonable cost of landscaping garden central London?

[Flowerpower234]

Hi everyone - never posted here before, but wondered if you could help

We would like to have our smallish garden redone in central London. It’s about 45m2 (5x9m) and currently covered in decking with earth underneath.

I’d like a patio immediately coming off the back of the house, approx 3.5x5m, followed by lawn strip then gravel strip at the end - so split into approx thirds.

we’ll need to build a retaining wall for the beds around the edge of the garden and patio.

First quote we’ve been given is £15-20k without including materials. This seems like a lot, but would like views!

So 15-20k represents labour only?

If you think of it in terms of hours of work, I'd say that for two people clearing out the decking would take 1-2 days (does the quote include disposal?), building the patio 2-3 days and the rest 1-2 days. So a maximum of 7 days, which means you are being charged 2-3k per day of labour.

I just ran this past my DH who is an experienced landscape gardener.

He agrees about 7 days work (for him on his own) but says he would quote it labour only at about 5k.

Here's a patio he just completed.
Took 8 days and cost 6k in labour.

Was just grass and the wooden deck and a concrete path before.

How many skips will they need for the debris? Is that included because I'm not sure that would count as a "materials" cost, but might be built into their labour? They'll possibly also need to pay for all of the waste disposal costs. Perhaps equipment hire (if needed and they don't own it) is also included?

I'd ask for an itemised quote and to know how long they think that will take - removing old decking, building new patio + building a retaining wall, putting down grass + gravel could take some time!

We had a 50sqm patio put down a few years back with some raised bed, I think it took three of them four days (removing old patio, hardcore putting in + flattening, new stones going in + being set / grouted, then sleepers in) it took longer than expected and they needed to hire equipment and pay for disposal.

Thanks all really helpful!

@CatherinedeBourgh - yes labour only and not disposal

@PeskyRooks - that’s super helpful, and I don’t think ours would even be as complex as that!

@cruffinsmuffin - yes we will definitely ask for this to be itemised

All really helpful with going back to him re the quote as seems a bit off!