When you’re planning to redesign your garden, the costs play a huge part in your decisions. You need to know it’s realistic for your budget, and you also want to know there won’t be any extra hidden fees.
But if you’ve started researching costs, you’ll have noticed it’s hard to pin down prices exactly. You might find one company quotes one thing, another quotes something completely different, and most websites don't give you any figures at all…
We understand how frustrating it can be, so we’re breaking down the costs and factors affecting your quote as best we can.
FYI: As expert landscape designers, we work across Ayrshire, the south side of Glasgow, and into the Dumfries and Galloway region. All costs listed here are estimates, correct at the time of publishing.
Why do landscape designers not publish total costs?
One difficulty, from a landscape design company’s perspective, is providing total costs without a personalised proposal. This is mainly because material costs shift significantly from year to year, sometimes within the same year, which makes publishing a fixed price list fairly meaningless.
The cost of porcelain, granite, composite decking, and resin can all move depending on supply chains, import costs, and availability. A figure that was accurate twelve months ago (or even two!) is unlikely to reflect what you'd pay today.
However, we try to be as transparent as possible, so we have a pricing guide available to download. Grab your copy of our free landscape design pricing guide for a quick and easy summary!
What affects the cost of a landscaping project?
Before getting into individual elements, it's worth understanding the main factors that move the price up or down on any project.
● Material choices
This is the most obvious factor that has a huge impact on the total project cost. There's a significant difference in cost between a standard monoblock driveway and a resin bound finish. And the choice in materials comes down to not only the aesthetic, but also what suits your garden, budget, and lifestyle.
● Ground condition and prep work
As landscape designers, our total costs involve the ground preparation – and there’s often more work involved than most people realise. A garden that's boggy, heavily sloped, or has poor drainage underneath will require more preparation work before anything else can happen. That adds time and cost, but it also affects how well the finished project holds up over the years.
● Access to your garden
Access is another consideration that often gets overlooked. If your garden is difficult to get equipment into, whether that's a narrow side passage, restricted street access, or an elevated plot, that affects how the work gets done and what it takes to do it.
● Other considerations
Drainage requirements, footpath crossovers for driveways, steps, handrails, and additional features all add to the overall scope. None of these are surprises if they're factored in from the start, which is why we always start with a free initial consultation.
Ok, now let’s go into the different types of landscaping and their rough costs (price estimates accurate at time of publishing).
The average cost of patios
Patio pricing typically starts from around £150 per square metre, though the finished cost varies considerably depending on the material you choose and the condition of the ground underneath.
Popular options include porcelain tiles, Indian sandstone, linear block, and granite setts:
Porcelain is currently one of the most popular choices for higher-end projects because it's durable, low-maintenance, and works well in the Scottish climate.
Indian sandstone gives a warmer, more traditional feel and tends to sit at a lower price point than porcelain.
Granite setts are often used for edging or feature areas rather than the full patio surface.
The size and layout of the patio also affect the cost. A simple rectangular shape is more straightforward to lay than a curved or multi-level design, though a well-designed curved patio, as many of our projects show, often transforms a garden far more effectively than a standard square one would.
The average cost of driveways
Driveways start from around £105 per square metre, with the final cost depending on material, size, and whether any additional work is needed, such as drainage, footpath crossovers, or edging.
The main options are monoblock, resin-bound, tar, and granite setts:
Monoblock is a popular and practical choice that suits a wide range of properties.
Resin-bound has become increasingly common for higher-end homes because of its clean, contemporary finish and good drainage properties.
Tar is a more straightforward option at the lower end of the price range.
Granite setts are typically used as a feature element within a wider driveway design rather than covering the full surface.
If your driveway project requires a footpath crossover, which is the section from the road to your property boundary, that comes with its own requirements and costs and is worth raising early in the process.
The average cost of decking
Decking starts from around £135 per square metre, though the scope of a decking project can vary enormously depending on what's involved.
A ground-level deck with a simple finish sits at the lower end of the range.
A raised deck with steps, handrails, and a premium composite or Millboard finish will cost considerably more, but it's also a very different product.
Composite and Millboard decking in particular are worth considering if longevity and low maintenance matter to you, as they hold up far better in Scottish weather than traditional timber over the long term.
Decking works particularly well on sloped or awkward ground, where levelling the entire garden would be a much more expensive and disruptive alternative.
The average cost of step installation
Steps are priced from around £450 per riser rather than per square metre, given the additional work involved in building them properly.
The infill material, whether that's porcelain, Indian sandstone, or linear block, affects the finished cost, as does the number of risers and whether they're part of a larger landscaping scheme or a standalone feature.
Get a personalised quote for your landscape design project
As you can see, it’s not a straightforward answer. Each landscape design project is different, and so is our quote. The figures above are starting points. And this isn’t everything – we also offer turf installation, fencing, pathways, and planting guides.
Download our landscape design pricing guide to get the key information above in an easy-to-access PDF. Because material costs change regularly, the guide is the most accurate reflection of current pricing we can offer before an actual site visit and quote.
Download the Ralston Contracts Garden Transformation Pricing Guide here
The best way to get a realistic sense of what your specific project might cost is to book your free landscape design consultation. If you've already got a sense of what you're looking for and want to talk it through, get in touch, and we’ll arrange a home visit.