30k to landscape small London garden is this normal?!

[Jem01]

Interested to find out how much (or little!) people have paid to hire a landscaper to completely redesign garden?

We have a 25 square metre sized garden so fairly small courtyard type garden in SE London.

We got a quote through from a landscaping company that created an amazing design for us. The work includes raised flower beds, patio, fences, lighting, garden steps, new external garden door to the side passage, moving a wall, fences to the side passage, new gate to the front garden and plants throughout so a lot of work for a small garden but the results would be amazing.

They quoted £30k inc vat. To say we were shocked was an understatement! Is this standard for a landscape company? Is this too much? We had other quotes from local gardeners but it was more a basic job and we know wouldn't produce the same results.

Ps. We did get a 2nd quote back from this company which was £16k but included no work to the front garden.

[SLM]

Hi Jem,

Only just spotted this message.

I'm a qualified garden designer based in North London. Does that cost include the site survey you must have had to produce an accurate scale drawing, the design itself and the planting plan or is that all separate. As a guide in London a guide of £200m2 up to £500m2 for a high end spec is a good one. On top of that you have the designers fee. Factors such as access will have a big impact in the cost. I've got a build on the go which does have side access, but as its very narrow, (60cm) it isn't possible for the landscaper to get some of his mechanised equipment into the garden and therefore the cost is higher. You also mentioned raised beds. Do you have a level garden already, or is the garden on a slope? Any movement and retention of soil takes time and costs money.

As well as Marshall's, which another poster has mentioned you could look at CED and London Stone for terrace stone. The cheaper end of stone, is Indian Stone, the upper end is Yorkstone and Limestone.

I would give you my landscapers details, but I'm afraid he only works in North London. A good place to look is BALI or the APL, both have lists of accredited members.

Hope that helps. Happy to answer any design questions.

S

[SLM]

Ps BALI is the British Association of Landscape Industries and APL is the Association of Landscape Industries

[TheGaul2]

We Landscape in London and I must say although the job is well done the price WELL......

[TheGaul2]

Just today did a quote for 43sq meters of indian sandstone returf raised sleeper edging to lawn for seating area large raised sleeper bed
vertical garden (planted) 20sq metres 4 Potted Bays and black grasses
All garden needed taking out and excavation to 110mm skip hire and labour included £8000 design FOC

Garden area 90 Sq metres

-------------------

another 300Sq metre lawn area needed striping grading and leveling (mini digger)
13 T topsoil 2 HUGE sleeper beds 16' x 4'

£6500