I think you are going to find numbers across the map here. There have been prior discussions (which I can't find now) that said you should spend some percentage of the cost of the house on landscaping. I can't remember what that percent was (10-25?) but it seemed really high to me. However, that being said, our landscape bid right now is sitting at about 9-12K for the beds and plantings. This is for the design and installation by a very reputable company in our area. That doesn't include hardscape (a 4'x90' retaining wall), the firepit, sprinkler system or grass. Our first bid for the retaining wall was 16K. Sprinklers are 2.2K and sod is 2.5K. I haven't added that up because it is daunting. ;-) (Just kidding, BTW, it's ALL in my spreadsheet). Good luck. j.

For total landscape and hardscape on my last two houses, I ended up in the 5-10% range. My first house was closer to 5% and the yard was pretty basic and plain. The current house I wanted something more elaborate and ended up closer to 10%, but that includes a pool. It looks totally fabulous and I tell people that the outside is my favorite room in the house, so it was completely worth it from my point of view.

We are building in a subdivision which requires the landscaping work done within 45 days of occupancy, Cost must be at least 3% of the total land and house price, excluding driveway/sidwalk, sod and sprinkler systems!
We had the landscape company draw up plans of how we want it to eventually look and we will put in what is required by the HOA, then put the remainder in as our budget allows.

This can be very individual. It's a good idea to hire someone to draw a longterm plan that you implement as you can afford to do it, even if all you can do at first is lay sod or seed!

Ohhh! A waterfall and spa Lindy? You lucky girl! j.

We are spending less than 1% ($1000-2000). We are in the forest and our whole "landscaping budget" is focused on fire prevention. As we get more money, we will most likey do some landscaping, but that will be in a few years.

Thanks everyone, I am not sure of 5-10 percent of the house cost! Wow that would put me well at 70k plus! SURELY that can't be what I have to tell my husband....he would kill me just suggesting that number.

anyone else??? I am looking for just plantings/lanscape planwork. NO hardscapes..

You can spend as much or as little as you want depending on your plan and how much you want. It could just be a minimal landscape with grass and a few foundation plantings or a rather extensive plan with multiple beddings, courtyards and walls, etc.

If I were you, I would go to a local landscaping place and have them draw you up a plan based on your lot with your house on it (or where it will be). Then they can give you a quote range based on their drawings and types of plantings you might want. You pay more for more mature shrubs and trees. If you aren't in a community where you have a deadline or a specified amount of plantings to do, then you can always have the work done in stages. That is what we did when we remodeled this home.

We had a plan done by a professional landscape designer and are currently budgeting 30K for our landscaping, but it includes some extensive courtyard stone pavings and seat walls, a rain garden, and lots of mature trees and shrubs. In addition, our community expects us to add a significant amount of landscaping based on the size of our lot.

I forgot to add that the $30k also involves the cost of digging a well for a sprinkler system and the actual system that is required by the community.

Trees and shrubs come in different sizes, and different varieties, so there will be a range of prices right there. If you have a landscape plan customized for you and your region you should have what you can afford.
Usually your local nursery carries plants suitable to the region.
Having someone else move the topsoil to the planting beds, dig holes and do the actual planting costs money. Except for larger specimens most people can perform this work themselves and save some money. There are rental places to rent ditch diggers etc to lay trenches for irrigation, again you may want to pay someone else to do this. (We have done both).
Depending on how much landscaping, size, type and maturity of plants/trees you want, and how much of the work you will do yourself, and how much of the work you will pay others to do for you will determine your final price.

Get references for a landscaper that provides quality plant material and uses proper planting procedures. If you're unfamiliar with the area, ask around at garden clubs, local gardens, etc. Give the landscaper a budget number that you're willing to spend right now along with the area you want landscaped. Have them draw up a plan that fits that budget. You can always add to the area as time goes by if you need to fill in.

Before we started our build, we had a landscape architect come out and design the entire 3-1/2 acres. She sited the house, septic, pool, driveways, planting beds, etc. Just after our house was finished, we hired a landscaper to do the front and side foundation plantings to get a finished look. Since then we have been preparing beds and finishing the rest of the landscaping ourselves based on her plan. We do have the landscaper come in to plant extremely large trees because we don't have the equipment to handle them.

As far as percentages go, it does depend on where you live (subdivision vs. rural, big city vs. small town). We may eventually spend close to 10% when it's all said and done several years from now, but it's not totally necessary unless you're a garden freak like me who must have her entire property filled with flowers, trees and shrubs. Most are happy with a basic plan that requires minimal maintenance.

teddas

don't forget the cost to install and maintain the lawn. Your grass is one of the key elements of your landscape and putting in a new lwan can cost a lot more than you think. depending on where you are building, there may be strict requirements for an established lawn prior to occupancy. in our case, we need to have an established lawn before our development bond that we had to post will be released.

you should think about how you are going to plant the grass (seed/straw or sod) and how you plan to water it. I have spent thousands in seed and equipment trying to get my 1.5 acres of dirt turned into a lawn. Way more than I ever thought it would cost.

we just finished a new home and my wife and I are doing the landscaping ourselves. we got a quote from a landscaper - laughed at the incredible cost - then decided to break out the shovels and do it ourselves. I did the bed prep (border, landscape fabric, mulch) in two large front beds (total of 700 square feet) last fall - for a cost of about $750. The we just planted shrubs - 8 boxwoods and 6 barberry - cost $500. We added two planter urns and will add perenials - probably another $750. So for 2 very large beds we are done for around $2000. It would have cost me 2 to 3 times that for a professional landscaper to do the same thing.

Thank you everyone for your responses, much to ponder and I may think about DIYing!

The landscaper who drew up our plans and are planning on using for some of the work told us that the most cost effective solution is for him to plant the trees, because his installed price is only about 20% higher than the retail price of the trees alone. Any 3-5 gallon shrubs would be cheaper for us, and larger shrubs somewhere in between.

He also said that the plantings of those who install irrigation systems will grow much larger and be more stable by the fall than those without. I was thinking about installing the irrigation system, then try to save money by planting smaller shrubs (since they will be much larger anyway!). The irrigation system will be there as a "bonus."

Does this make sense to you guys? We have 2 acres with about 1 acre visible and needing to be landscaped. We will have to hold off on paving the driveway because of cost.

BTW, his estimate was 40k. About half was for hardscaping, and half for plantings and trees. We are definitely having him do 2 porous bluestone walkways for about 5k, and trying to decide on what else. We've already spent about 25-30k on 2 fieldstone retaining walls, grass, and rain garden, so The total estimate would be $65-70k.

If you're getting installation for only 20% more, that's a pretty good deal. Ask if you get the warranty that most retail trees come with (often 1 year).

Insalling small shrubs and trees is actually a good strategy as long as you don't mind waiting a few years for stuff to fill in. Just make sure you space things for the future full size - it will look bare initially. Smaller plants will acclimate to the soil better than a larger specimen that has been babied in the nursery for a long time. And they are easier to plant a require less water.

The hardscape is worth paying someone to do since it requires machines and a lot of labor that might be too much for a DIYer. But the plants - that is easy and where you can save money. Approximately 2/3 of the landscaping cost is in the labor. Even if you pay retail for plants - you will still save a bundle my putting it in yourself.

Irrigation is a good thing to have and would be nice. We had a sprinkler system in our last house and I put in a drip system for the plants - loved it. In the new house we just have too much land to put in irrigation so I am counting on mother nature to handle it this time - at least for the lawn which we plan to grow high like a pasture. The plants will be watered by hand until the roots are well established.