How Much Does Landscaping Cost?

Average Landscaping Cost per Square Foot: $4.50 and $12

Landscaping costs can vary widely, but a general range is $1,500 to $5,000 for front yards and $15,000 to $50,000 for backyards. The cost per square foot typically falls between $4.50 and $12.

How Much Does Landscaping Cost?
08 Jul, 2025 / Landscaping / Written by ServiceTasker Team / 12 Views / Last Updated 18 Jul, 2025




Planning a Garden Makeover or Full Outdoor Renovation? Here's What You Need to Know About Landscaping Costs, Custom Features, and Budget Tips


Landscaping serves as a leading method to improve home exterior looks while increasing house value and establishing an attractive outdoor environment. Knowing the landscape pricing serves as an essential tool for confident project planning when you desire backyard relaxation or front yard sod installation with new shrubbery. The cost of landscaping services ranges considerably because projects differ in terms of size and scope, as well as their geographical position.



This extensive guide details the typical United States landscaping prices alongside price-influencing elements and guides determining your yard redesign.





Average Landscaping Cost


The standard price for home landscaping services in the USA ranges between $3,000 and $20,000, with an estimated national average of $10,000. The extensive area known as landscaping encompasses simple lawn maintenance and complete garden projects, which include fencing structures, landscape illumination, watering systems, along decorative water elements. The ultimate cost of your project will be determined by the size and extent of the work you desire.




  • Basic Lawn Care and Maintenance:
    Routine maintenance visits will cost between $50 to $300 based on lawn dimensions and service selection. The service package includes mowing as well as edging and leaf removal, together with weeding and basic pruning. As a budget-friendly solution or for maintaining your property, this type of landscaping costs minimal expenses.


  • New Lawn Installation:
    Lawn installation expenses fall between $1,500 to $5,000. Your final cost depends on selecting sod, seed, or synthetic turf, together with the size of your property. Sod provides an instant greener appearance, so it costs more at first, but seeding takes time to grow, yet remains cheaper.


  • Professional Landscape Design:
    To get a custom design plan created by a professional, one must spend between $1,000 to $7,000. The comprehensive landscape design works best for house owners who desire whole garden or landscape harmony and need help choosing plants and drawing floor plans, as well as 3D model creation sometimes. The delivery of design services follows two payment options, which include flat fee payments and hourly rates.


  • Tree and Shrub Planting:
    The price range for trees and shrubs, and larger greenery planting starts at $300 and ends at $3,000, depending on the plant selection and their form and age. Large trees combined with privacy hedges require extra manpower with heavy equipment and maintenance, thereby causing a substantial rise in the overall cost.


  • Irrigation System Installation:
    Installing irrigation systems represents a wise option for automating lawn and garden watering without human intervention. The full setup costs $2,000 to $6,000 when including underground pipes, sprinkler heads, timers, and water-efficient controllers.


  • Hardscaping Projects
    The category of hardscaping includes all outdoor non-plant features, which include patios, walkways, retaining walls, and outdoor kitchens. The extra cost for these functional hardscape elements ranges from $4,000 to $25,000 and higher. Total project costs take shape from material selection options between stone and concrete, in addition to construction difficulty and workforce expenses.


  • Outdoor Lighting Installation:
    Your nighttime security alongside visual attractiveness becomes better through the proper implementation of landscape illumination. The total expenditure for outdoor lighting installation ranges from $1,000 up to $5,000, and it varies with the number of lights used and the lighting arrangement, and the choice of wired or solar-powered light systems.


  • Water Features and Fountains
    Your garden will achieve both luxury and serenity through the introduction of water elements, including ponds, fountains, and waterfalls. The price range for such items ranges from $1,500 to spans beyond $10,000, depending on dimensions, materials, pumping systems, filtration functions, and personalized designs.




Factors That Influence Landscaping Costs


Landscaping isn't one-size-fits-all. Several elements determine the final cost that you need to pay.




  • Size of the Yard:

    The project cost will increase when you extend your space requirements. A front yard makeover typically costs less than $5,000, but transforming a large backyard project can cost $50,000 or above.


  • Complexity of Design:

    Basic planting services combined with basic lawn maintenance remain significantly less expensive than building pergolas or constructing stone patios, or multi-level landscaping projects. Professional landscape architects, along with designers, are commonly needed for elaborate construction projects.


  • Materials Used:

    Premium mulch, along with natural stone and exotic plants, along with custom lighting, will lead to increased material expenses. Your financial expenses will decrease if you choose standard materials together with drought-resistant plant selections.


  • Labor Rates in Your Area:

    Labor expenses change according to the location between different states and specific cities. The rates for landscaping services in New York City, along with Los Angeles, exceed rural areas because urban business operations incur elevated labor expenses and maintenance expenses.


  • Season and Scheduling:

    The landscaping market reaches its highest point between spring through summer months. Undertaking landscaping staffing in late fall and winter will probably result in reduced costs since labor demand is scarce in these months.


  • Permits and Regulations:

    Specific landscape projects that involve retaining wall construction or drainage system installation will need authorized permits, which increase the total expense.


  • Access to the Property:

    When accessing a property is challenging, the total cost increases. Climbing slopes with specialized machinery and entry into confined areas forces you to pay additional expenses for both equipment costs and labor.


  • Soil Conditions and Grading Needs:

    The quality of the soil might need modifications through amendments and eventual replacement. The process of regrading the yard for drainage purposes alongside design needs increases the total cost substantially.




Common Landscaping Projects and Their Costs



Lawn Installation

New lawn installation counts as one of the most popular choices among homeowners who enhance their landscaping aesthetics. The installation methods vary in cost from one to another.



You can expect a total cost from $1.50 to $4.00 per square foot when professionals install sod by laying pre-grown grass rolls, including materials and labor expenses.



The procedure of hydroseeding requires spraying seeds combined with mulch and fertilizer at a reduced price. Homeowners spend between $0.10 to $0.50 per square foot during hydroseeding, but the grass seeded area requires time to adequately grow before becoming visible.



Artificial grass presents itself as an ideal no-reminder solution for lawns while demanding expensive installation at $5 to $20 per square foot. The material remains durable regardless of water limits in the area.



Tree and Shrub Planting

The installation of trees and shrubs contributes to private space development while creating shaded areas, which simultaneously raises home values.



Basic boxwoods or hydrangeas run $25 to $50 per unit unless specifically stated by size and species.



The cost of medium trees typically ranges from $150 to $500, which includes both delivery and installation services. Dogwoods, maples, as well as ornamental trees represent the major tree selections for installations.



Planting mature trees together with big species like oaks or elms requires costs between $1,000 and $3,000 per unit, particularly when equipment needs exist during transport and planting.



Flower Bed Installation

Integration of flowers as ornamental additions to exterior spaces costs between $100 to $3000, depending on size and type.



The installation of perennial garden beds made with lavender or coneflowers typically ranges from $500 to $3,000 based on bed measurement and preparing the soil, and selecting plants.



The cost of modern raised flower beds consisting of timber, stone, or metal materials and dimension selection ranges between $800 and $2,500.



Irrigation Systems

The design of an irrigation system leads to efficient water usage along with decreased labor requirements.



Construction of a sprinkler system to cover a typical quarter-acre yard typically ranges in price from $2,000 to $6,000. Smart controllers, together with moisture sensors, result in increased costs, although they enhance system efficiency.



Landscape Lighting

Outdoor entertainment benefits greatly from the combination of safety measures with lighting that improves aesthetic value.



Each path light installed at driveways and walkways will cost either $100 or $250 before including installation expenses.



Spotlights, which can be used for tree highlighting or architectural element illumination, or artwork exhibition, fall in a price range of $150 to $400 per spot.



A complete lighting system consisting of various types and numbers of fixtures typically costs between $1,000 to $5,000 or exceeds this amount based on the selected fixtures.



Hardscaping

Hardscaping represents the inflexible landscape pieces that provide practical benefits as well as aesthetic appeal.



The establishment of a basic concrete patio spans between $3,000 and $6,000 based on its dimensions, along with the selection of finishing materials.



Paver patios will cost $5,000 to $12,000 when using premium materials for their decorative style.



The construction of retaining walls for sloped yards requires an investment of $4,000 to $10,000 based on specific dimensional requirements as well as material selection and engineering requirements.



Walkways and Paths require an investment between $2,000 to $8,000, even though the cost can vary based on pathway length and selected design.



Outdoor kitchens, along with fire pits, provide maximal outdoor living enhancement because of their premium features. Built-in appliances and custom masonry escalate the prices beyond $20,000, while basic outdoor features start at $5,000 and then reach costs up to $20,000.



Fencing and Privacy Screens

The objective of privacy plays a key role in landscaping designs, while different techniques exist for its achievement.



Traditional timber fences made of wood, ranging from $25 to $60, typically need such a budget for one linear foot of fencing material, including height and style elements, along with different wood species selection.



The implementation of decorative fences made from wrought iron, aluminium, or vinyl will cost between $30 to $100 for each linear foot.



Houses with hedges as privacy screens or living walls to create private spaces will cost from $200 and can exceed $2,000.



Water Features

Outdoor areas gain serenity along with fluidity while also acquiring a sense of both peace and luxury through water features.



The price range for building a backyard pond stretches from $2,000 to $10,000, depending on factors like pool dimensions, depth level requirements, filtration necessities, as well as availability of aquatic animals and water vegetation.



Sole fountains priced from $1,000 rise to around $5,000 for custom stone work with lighting.



People need to spend $2,000 to $8,000 on natural-style or tiered waterfalls for their outdoor space, but this price can increase if they add ponds or rock features to the setup.





Full Landscape Design & Installation Cost


A complete landscape transformation, which combines design work with grading and planting and hardscaping work, and lighting installation, requires the following price range:



  • Small yard: $5,000 - $15,000


  • Medium yard: $15,000 - $35,000


  • Large yard or custom landscape: $35,000 - $100,000+


The average fees for landscape designers lie between $50 and $150 per hour, along with 10% to 20% of the project budget.





Ongoing Maintenance Costs For Landscaping


The care of an installed landscape requires regular maintenance for its preservation. The maintenance expenses for landscaping projects amount to the following ranges per year:



  • Lawn mowing: $40 - $80 per visit


  • Fertilization and weed control: $300 - $800 annually


  • The yearly costs for tree and shrub pruning amount to $200 at the minimum, yet can extend to $1,000 at the maximum.


  • Mulching: $100 - $400 per year


  • Irrigation system maintenance: $100 - $300 per year


  • Seasonal clean-up (spring/fall): $300 - $700


  • Pest and disease control: $150 - $500 annually




Final Thoughts


Backing up your house with landscaping serves as a valuable addition, whether you want to upgrade your exterior look or design a backyard haven, or list your residence for sale. The costs of landscaping encompass a wide range between $300 and $30,000; thus, comprehensive pricing knowledge allows for proper budgeting.



The process of developing outdoor spaces into functional and attractive areas becomes possible by collecting information in advance and selecting appropriate materials, and seeking expert guidance for suitable situations.





Costs of various services and materials in this cost guide should be taken as estimates. These depend on location, preference and demands in the market.

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