The average cost of a gardener is between £15 – 45 per hour.
This cost is based on general garden maintenance jobs such as lawn mowing, weeding, pruning, tidying, etc.
However, many other jobs can also be included in the gardener trade, so let’s take a look at things in more detail.
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How much does a gardener cost?
Gardeners usually charge by the hour, but larger jobs like garden clearance might be charged by the day.
The average cost of a gardener is £30 per hour, and the type of services that you might expect a gardener to undertake for this price are:
- Weeding
- Mowing / feeding the lawn
- Plant pruning
- Planting new flowers
- Digging flower beds
- Hedge trimming
- Clearing leaves
Factors which affect the cost of a gardener
There are various factors which can affect the gardener’s price:
Size of garden
The size of your garden will affect how much your gardener charges. If it is big or needs attention, you might need two gardeners, which will cost you more.
Services required
The price of the gardener’s service will depend on the service you require, such as the number of jobs you would like them to do or whether any risky jobs are involved.
For example, if you have hedges that need trimming and a large number of weeds to remove, this will undoubtedly cost you more than just mowing the lawn.
Type of gardening job
The type of job you need the gardener to do will determine the cost and how they charge you: by the hour, by day or by job.
If you need to remove a tree, for example, your gardener might not have the right equipment or might not be happy to do this kind of job. In this case, you might need to hire a tree surgeon.
If you want someone to design your garden, a gardener with little experience won’t have the knowledge to do this. Depending on the job’s complexity, you may need to hire a landscape gardener.
There is a big difference between gardeners and landscape gardeners. Landscape gardeners charge daily (approximately £250 – 300) or by the job (£1,500 plus), but this cost can be much higher depending on the scale of the job.
You must be clear about what you expect from your gardener and whether their services match your needs. Choose a gardener based on your budget and needs, and remember that every gardener is different and might specialise in certain areas.
Gardener’s experience
The type of job that needs to be done regularly will determine the amount of experience you need the gardener to have.
The more experience and knowledge they have, the more expensive they usually are.
For example, if they have an RHS qualification, they will be more costly than someone who doesn’t, but they will have the knowledge about plants and when to prune, etc. You can expect to pay £30 – 50 per hour for someone with a qualification compared to £17 – 25 for someone without.
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Seasonal demand
The time of year can affect the cost of a gardener. Due to high demand in spring and summer, gardeners can often charge more.
Equipment
Another cost factor affecting how much a gardener will charge is whether they have tools and a van. If they have their own tools, such as a lawn mower or strimmer, they will need to service and fuel them, so their hourly rate will probably be higher than that of someone who doesn’t.
You can expect to pay less if the gardener doesn’t have equipment and uses yours.
On another note, depending on the required job, they may have to hire equipment, which might be an additional cost.
Location
Depending on where you live will affect how much a gardener charges. If you live in London or the south-east, expect to pay more.
Condition of the garden
If your garden is in bad condition and overgrown, it might cost more initially to get it under control. To save on costs, consider hiring a less expensive gardener or a general labourer to clear it first, then hiring a gardener with more experience and knowledge or even a landscaper to design a new garden layout.
Garden clearance costs are usually charged by the hour (£40 – 65) or by the load (£50 – 380), but this price can depend on the type of waste that needs to be cleared and the size of the garden.
Gardening services price list
| Gardening service | Cost |
| Garden maintenance | £15 – 45 per hour |
| Garden maintenance | £130 – 220 per day |
| Grass cutting | £15 – 30 per hour |
| Landscape gardener | £250 – 300 per day |
| Weeding | £15 – 45 per hour |
| Hedge trimming | £25 – 45 per hour |
| Garden clearance | £40 – 65 / £50 – 380 per hour / per load |
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Additional gardener costs
Skip hire or waste removal
If you are going to hire a regular gardener, it is worth getting a garden waste removal bin from the local council. These cost between £40 and £90 a year, depending on where you live.
If it is a one-off job of garden clearance, then you might need a skip, which will cost between £100 and £300, depending on the size you need.
Levelling a garden
Depending on the complexity of the job, levelling a garden can be quite labour-intensive, so you might want to hire a gardener to do the job.
An average-sized garden that is fairly flat in gradient will cost approximately £1,500. If it is sloped, it can cost significantly more, and it might mean hiring more than one gardener or even a small digger.
Staining fences
Some gardeners are willing to paint or stain fences too, and this can cost between £100 to £300 depending on a few factors such as:
- Type of stain or paint
- Number of fences
- Where you live
- Time of year
Installing a garden wall
You might want to install a garden wall. This is not the job of a gardener, but a landscaper or landscaping company can do it.
However, if it is a brick garden wall you are after, then you are best hiring a bricklayer, and the approximate cost of a bricklayer installing a garden wall is £60 – 170 per m2.
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Installing a patio / decking
Installing a patio or decking creates a space for entertaining or relaxing, improving the look of your garden and increasing your home’s value.
The average cost of installing a patio is £25 – 45 per square metre.
How much do gardeners charge for cutting grass?
Gardeners typically charge between £18 and £30 per hour to cut the grass. Grass-cutting prices vary depending on the size of the lawn and where you live.
How much do gardeners charge for weeding?
As with mowing the lawn, if you want a gardener to do regular maintenance, they will usually include weeding in the list of tasks and not charge separately. If a gardener is coming on a regular basis, they will be able to keep on top of the weeding, and it shouldn’t take them longer than an hour or two.
Therefore, you can expect to pay £15 – 45 an hour for weeding.
However, weeding removal costs can vary depending on the number of weeds, the size of the garden, your location, the type of weed (e.g. bindweed), and the gardener’s experience — you will want to hire a gardener who knows what a weed is and which isn’t!
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How much do gardeners charge to cut hedges?
Again, if you get a gardener to maintain your garden regularly, cutting hedges might be one of the jobs they include in their services and be included in the hourly rate, especially trimming small garden hedges.
Established hedges require pruning and regular trimming to keep them healthy. It is important to have a knowledgeable gardener because certain hedges might not grow back if they are cut incorrectly. Therefore, if you want an experienced gardener to cut hedges, you should be prepared to pay the higher gardener rate of £25 – 45 per hour.
The cost will also depend on the size and number of hedges, the complexity of the job, and where you live.
If you have particularly large hedges where climbing equipment is necessary, you might need to hire a tree surgeon rather than a gardener. Make sure you hire a professional to do the job safely and remove and dispose of the waste properly.
Hopefully this has given you some food for thought about what type of gardener you may need and the budget you could be looking at.
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