Summary
- Maintenance, clearance and landscaping are priced completely differently.
- Brief every gardener identically with photos and measurements.
- Check public liability insurance and waste carrier registration.
- Tree work requires a qualified arborist, not a general gardener.
- A fixed monthly fee smooths seasonal workload and cost.
Quick answer
Decide first whether you need maintenance (regular visits, predictable), a clearance (one-off, priced by day) or landscaping (a project with a design and materials). Each is quoted completely differently.
The three kinds of garden work
| Type | Typical pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Regular maintenance | Per visit or monthly | Mowing, edging, weeding, hedge trims |
| One-off clearance | Per day or per job | Overgrown gardens, end of tenancy |
| Seasonal work | Per job | Pruning, planting, leaf clearance |
| Landscaping project | Quoted project price | Paving, decking, turf, planting schemes |
| Tree work | Per job, by a qualified arborist | Large branches, felling, crown reduction |
For current prices in your market, see our gardener cost guide.
Write a brief that gets comparable quotes
Photographs plus these five points are enough:
Send the same brief to every gardener — otherwise you are comparing different jobs.
What to check before hiring
Contract points for regular work
Getting more value
Summary
Define whether you want maintenance, clearance or a project, brief every gardener identically with photos, and check insurance and waste registration. Those steps turn wildly different quotes into a fair comparison.
Frequently asked questions
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