COST GUIDES
Garden designer costs: UK fees and consultation prices 2026
Updated 06/26
Hiring a garden designer is not just for the super-rich. Find out what your garden design consultation fees would be and what you can expect.
Fast Facts
A garden designer usually charges 10% - 20% of the cost of the total garden rebuild
For reference, a medium garden makeover (100m2 - 200m2) costs an average of £16,000 - meaning designer fees of around £1,600
Some quote on an hourly basis, averaging £125 per hour
If you're looking at your garden and you're struggling for ideas and inspiration on how best to use your space, a garden design consultation could be just what you need.
There's a common misconception that garden design is expensive and is only suitable for an extravagant luxury garden design, that's not the case at all.
It's more affordable than you think and is a route many homeowners decide to go down when renovating their garden
It's a great solution to ease your frustration when it comes to designing your new garden layout
Find out how much garden design consultation fees are in this handy guide.
How much does it cost to hire a garden designer?
| Cost provided item | Unit | Range - Low | Range - High | Average cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garden designer fee | Per hour | £50 | £200 | £125 |
| Garden designer fee (design consultation only) | Percentage of project cost | - | - | 10% |
| Garden designer fee (design and execution) | Percentage of project cost | - | - | 20% |
| Garden design landscaping cost | Small garden (less than 100m2) | £5,000 | £12,000 | £8,500 |
| Garden design landscaping cost | Medium garden (between 100m2 and 200m2) | £12,000 | £20,000 | £16,000 |
| Garden design (labour and materials) | Per square metre | - | - | £100 |
| Last updated: June 2026 Our costs are ballpark averages - get a local tradesperson to quote now | ||||
A garden designer will usually quote you based on a percentage of the complete garden renovation - usually 10% - 20% of the build.
Some, however, may quote you on an hourly basis for their time - averaging £125 per hour.
Garden design consultation fees per hour
Hiring a garden designer can cost you around - to £200 per hour. On average, you’ll be paying £125 per hour.
On the other hand, certain garden designers might charge you a percentage of the project cost. Using the plan, they will estimate the cost of the total project. They will then charge you 10% of the total cost if you only want a consultation and design.
As a rough guide, you would spend around £100 per square metre for materials and labour.
If, however, you want them to carry out both the design and conversion of your garden, they would charge you around 20% of the total project cost.
If all you need is a consultation, some designers even offer virtual or online garden design consultations - which can help keep costs down, as it takes up less of the designer's time.
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Cost of your garden design project
After a consultation, you'll need to find the landscapers to implement that idea in your garden. You can find out how much that will cost you in our garden makeover cost guide.
A simple garden makeover for a space that’s smaller than 100m2 will cost you between £5,000 - £12,000.
For a medium-sized garden, between 100m2 to 200m2, you might spend between £20,000 - £16,000 on a garden makeover.
How to calculate your landscaping and garden design fees
The main costs to consider for your entire garden project can be broken into two parts:
Garden design
Creating your garden to the final design
For the overall cost of your garden renovation, you will need to factor in the cost of your designer, the materials required from the design, and the cost of the gardeners or landscapers you're using.
More often than not, the bulk of the cost for your new garden is the cost of material and the execution of your plan.
Wanting to make the most of your outdoor space? Whether it's adding sparkle to a balcony, planning a rooftop garden, or installing a summer house, at Checkatrade, we're here to help.
Factors affecting your garden design consultation fees
In addition to the size of the garden, here’s what will affect the cost of your garden design consultation.
The intricacy of the design
The more features you want, the more likely it is that your garden design consultation fees will go up. You can have it all - a rockery, a water feature, a pergola - but the more you want, the more there is to plan into your outdoor space. That means more time and care spent on the design, and higher material costs.
Garden size
The larger your garden, the more you'll most likely need to spend. That's on not just the design itself, but labour and the supply of materials too - which will drive up the design fees if you're paying them a percentage of the total cost.
The extent of the work
Are you looking for a complete redesign or do you just want to refresh some aspects of your landscape? If you don’t want a huge amount of work, your garden design consultation fees will be lower.
Time required
Certain features of your garden design may not take a lot of time to create. On the other hand, others might take a few days. That will affect how much your garden design costs.
If there's a lot of bespoke work to do in your garden and revisions then this will add to the time for your garden landscapers bringing your design to life.
Designer's experience and credentials
An experienced, accredited garden designer - such as a Fellow of the Society of Garden Designers - will charge higher fees than a more junior designer. You can save money by hiring someone with less experience, but you may miss out on some knowledge and expertise.
Your location
If you’re in London for example you will pay more for a landscaped garden than in most other counties across the UK.
Alternatively, if your garden designers are further away from you, they might add the travel costs to get to your garden into their fees.
Additional costs to budget for
Bear in mind you may have to pay extra for:
Additional landscaping labour
Extra materials (e.g. plants, decking, soil, fencing)
Garden clearance and green waste removal
Ongoing maintenance and care
Transport and travel costs
VAT
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How long does a garden design consultation take?
An initial garden design consultation usually takes one to three hours, depending on the size and complexity of your garden.
After that, the designer typically takes one to four weeks to produce concept drawings and a planting plan.
Revisions add time - therefore more billed hours - so the more detail you can share upfront about what you want, the smoother the process.
If you're paying by the hour, expect to be billed for the initial consultation and the time the garden designer spends creating and revising your plan.
Plan your garden redesign in 2026 with this expert guide
Redesign your garden with confidence with our complete guide to planning and layout, ideas and inspiration, and costs.
Is it worth hiring a garden designer?
For most homeowners who are planning a significant garden redesign, hiring a designer is worth it.
A good garden designer helps you avoid expensive mistakes, saving you money in the long run, and makes sure the finished result actually works for how you use the space.
In many cases, in fact, the design fee can be recovered through better material choices, fewer revisions, and a garden that adds real value to the property.
If you have a smaller garden or just need a few ideas, a one-off consultation can be enough to set you in the right direction without a full design commitment.
Wanting to make the most of your outdoor space? Whether it's adding sparkle to a balcony, planning a rooftop garden, or installing a summer house, at Checkatrade, we're here to help.
Garden design consultation quotes
To get a fair and accurate cost, it's wise to approach at least three garden designers. This way you can get garden design consultation quotes and compare across the different designers.
Be as detailed as possible in the initial contact. This includes trying to give them a taster of the state of your garden currently compared to what type of new garden you're looking to create. If you have any design ideas or inspiration pictures, share them with the designers.
Use this handy checklist to get started.
Your garden design quote checklist
Try the job estimate calculator
Want a rough estimate for what your garden redesign - or just your garden design consultation fees - might cost? Give our job estimate tool a go.
Just type out any information and ideas you have, and the calculator will dig into Checkatrade cost data to give you an approximate quote - so you know what to expect.
Job Estimate Calculator
Get started finding a garden designer
You're in the right place to start your search for a garden designer. Enter your postcode to see all the Checkatrade garden designers who operate in your area, compare your options, and get in touch with them to gather quotes.
Find trusted garden designers in your area
If you don't have time to search for a garden designer yourself, then use our ‘Request a quote’ feature. It makes hunting for quotes easier for you - you give us the info about your job and we will forward it to the relevant tradespeople who can get back to you with quotes.
Or why not download the Checkatrade app to keep all your conversations with tradespeople in one place?
FAQs
The time taken for your garden design will depend on the size of your garden and the extent of work you require. It can take anything from a day to a few weeks. As for the initial consultation, this should only take 1-2 hours.
Garden landscaping refers to redesigning your outdoor space. It could be as simple as planning a new soil patch for your plants, or as detailed as installing a new outdoor swimming pool.
Typically, most garden designers will take a percentage from the overall cost to create your dream garden. Usually around 10% - 20% of the installation cost.
A 100m² garden makeover typically costs between £5,000 and £12,000 all in, including design, labour, and materials. The design fee is usually around 10%, so roughly £500 - £1,200.
A garden designer surveys your space, listens to how you use it and what design features you want, and produces a detailed plan covering layout, planting, hard landscaping, decking, water features, and so on. Some designers also manage the build, while others hand over the plans for you to find your own landscapers.
Some garden designers offer a free initial site visit or phone call to discuss your project before quoting, so it's worth asking. However, a full consultation with drawings is a paid service.
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