How to Quote a Landscaping Job — Complete Guide
Quoting a landscaping job accurately is one of the most important skills a landscape gardener or contractor can have. Quote too high and you lose the job. Quote too low and you lose money. Get it right and you build a profitable, sustainable business.
This guide walks you through exactly how to quote a landscaping job professionally — from the initial site visit through to handing over a priced Bill of Quantities to your client.
Why Accurate Quoting Matters
Many landscape gardeners undercharge for their work — especially when they’re starting out. They forget to include wastage, underestimate labour time, or overlook materials like sub-base, sand bed or membrane that are easy to miss.
A professional quote protects you. It sets clear expectations with the client, reduces disputes and ensures you’re paid fairly for the work you do.
Step 1 — Do a Proper Site Survey
Before you can quote anything you need to visit the site. During the visit:
- Measure everything accurately. Take a tape measure and record the length and width of every area you’ll be working on — patio, lawn, fencing run, decking area, borders. Don’t rely on the client’s estimates.
- Note the ground conditions. Is the ground level or sloping? Is there existing hard standing to break out? Are there tree roots that could cause problems? All of these affect your price.
- Check access. Can a delivery lorry get to the site? Will you need a wheelbarrow run or can materials be tipped close to where they’re needed? Difficult access adds time and cost.
- Take photos. Photograph the whole site from multiple angles. You’ll refer back to these when calculating quantities back at the office.
- Talk to the client. Find out exactly what they want — materials, style, any preferences. Agree the scope before you price it.
Step 2 — Calculate Your Quantities
Once you’ve done the site survey you can calculate the quantities of materials you’ll need.
- Patio — paving slabs or porcelain tiles, Type 1 MOT sub-base, sharp sand bed and edging
- Lawn — turf rolls or grass seed, topsoil and soil preparation
- Fencing — panels, posts, gravel boards and concrete for the post holes
- Decking — deck boards, joists, posts and fixings
- Planting — plants, trees, bark mulch and stakes
Always add a wastage allowance — typically 10% for paving and turf, 5% for fencing. This covers cuts, breakages and errors.
The easiest way to calculate quantities accurately is to use a dedicated landscaping calculator. LandscapeBOQ has 17 specialist calculators covering every element of a landscaping job — from paving and decking through to tree work, irrigation and garden lighting. Enter your dimensions and it calculates quantities instantly with wastage included.
Step 3 — Price Your Materials
Once you have your quantities you can get material prices. Use your regular suppliers for accurate current prices — material costs change regularly so don’t rely on old figures.
Common material costs to include:
- Paving slabs or porcelain tiles (per m²)
- Type 1 MOT sub-base (per tonne)
- Sharp sand (per tonne)
- Topsoil (per tonne)
- Turf rolls (per m²)
- Fence panels, posts and gravel boards (each)
- Bark mulch or gravel (per tonne)
- Plants and trees (each)
Always get delivery costs too — these can add significantly to the total, especially for bulk materials like topsoil or aggregates.
Step 4 — Calculate Your Labour
Labour is where many landscapers go wrong. Be realistic about how long each element will take. As a rough guide for a two-person team:
- Patio laying: 8–12 m² per day depending on complexity
- Turf laying: 80–120 m² per day
- Fencing: 15–20 metres per day
- Decking: 10–15 m² per day
- Planting: varies widely depending on plant size and ground conditions
Multiply your hours by your day rate to get your labour cost. Don’t forget to include time for clearing up, loading and disposing of waste. If you’re using subcontractors get their prices in writing before you submit your quote.
Step 5 — Add Your Margin
Your materials and labour costs are your base cost. You need to add a margin on top to cover your business overheads (van, tools, insurance, phone), your time quoting and managing the job, and your profit.
A typical landscaping margin is 20–30% on top of your base costs. So if your materials and labour come to £5,000 you’d quote £6,000–£6,500. Don’t be afraid to charge properly for your work. A professional service deserves a professional price.
Step 6 — Produce a Professional Quote
Never give a client a single lump sum figure on a piece of paper. A professional quote should include:
- Your business name and contact details
- The client’s name and address
- Date of the quote and how long it’s valid for
- A clear breakdown of all the work — section by section
- Quantities, unit rates and amounts for each item
- A net total, VAT (if applicable) and grand total
- Your payment terms
This is called a Bill of Quantities (BOQ) and it’s the standard way professional landscapers and contractors present their prices. It shows the client exactly what they’re getting and protects you if there are any disputes later.
How LandscapeBOQ Makes Quoting Faster
LandscapeBOQ is designed specifically for UK landscape gardeners and contractors. It has 17 calculators covering every element of a landscaping job — Paving & Patios, Decking, Fencing, Sleepers & Retaining Walls, Gravel & Aggregates, Footpaths, Turf & Lawn, Returfing, Topsoil & Mulch, Trees & Planting, Tree Work, Garden Ponds, Irrigation, Lawn Cutting, Edging & Borders and Garden Lighting.
Enter your dimensions and it calculates all your quantities instantly — with your own unit rates applied automatically. Every calculator feeds into the BOQ Master which generates a complete priced Bill of Quantities in one click. What used to take hours now takes minutes.
Try LandscapeBOQ free for 7 days — no card required →
Summary
To quote a landscaping job professionally:
- Do a thorough site survey and measure everything accurately
- Calculate your quantities with wastage included
- Price your materials using current supplier rates including delivery
- Calculate your labour time realistically
- Add your margin to cover overheads and profit
- Produce a professional Bill of Quantities for the client
The more professional your quote the more likely you are to win the job — and the more protected you are if anything goes wrong.