Garden landscaping is designing and building an outdoor space as a whole, combining hard landscaping such as patios, paths, walls and steps with soft landscaping such as lawns, planting and beds, plus drainage and lighting, so the garden works for how you live.
Cost is usually the first question about garden landscaping, so here is the guide for the North West: £5,700–£14,000 including VAT. We cover the whole of Merseyside, with Liverpool, Birkenhead, St Helens and Southport among the main centres. Because each UK nation sets its own rules, we check the requirements in England for your property, then put a firm price on paper following a free survey.
- Guide price
- £5,700–£14,000 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 1–4 weeks on site, depending on scope
- Planning rules
- England
- Price level
- About 5% below the national guide
- Towns listed
- 21
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
How much does garden landscaping cost in Merseyside?
These are guide costs, not quotes. For garden landscaping in Merseyside the range is £5,700–£14,000, VAT included, reflecting prices in the North West that are about 5% below the national guide. Once we have visited for a free survey, you get a firm figure for the scope you approve.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in Merseyside |
|---|---|---|
| Garden refresh | Clearance, new turf, edging, bark or gravel and some planting. | £1,400–£4,800 |
| Typical garden makeover | A new patio, lawn, borders, paths and planting in a typical rear garden. | £5,700–£14,000 |
| Full redesign | Levels, retaining walls, large patios, lighting and drainage for larger or sloping gardens. | £14,000–£33,000 |
What moves the price up or down:
- Garden size, access and the amount of clearance needed
- Ratio of hard landscaping to lawn and planting
- Levels, slopes, retaining walls and steps
- Drainage, soil quality and ground conditions
Scope of the work
- Survey of size, levels, soil, drainage and access
- Site clearance and removal of old features and waste
- Patios, paths, steps and edging laid on proper bases
- Raised beds, low walls or sleepers built to the agreed design
- Turf or artificial grass laid on a prepared base
- Planting, bark or gravel finishing and outdoor lighting where included
Homes in Merseyside
Liverpool's housing includes Georgian terraces near the centre, large areas of Victorian red-brick terraces, Edwardian semis in the suburbs and big interwar council estates. The Wirral has Victorian villas and interwar semis, Southport has Victorian villas and bungalows, and St Helens and Knowsley have post-war estates and newer housing.
Terraces suit loft rooms, kitchen extensions and repointing, and many need their roofs and windows renewed. Suburban semis commonly take side extensions, driveways and porches.
Coastal areas on the Wirral and Sefton coast are exposed to salt and wind, and the region gets frequent rain off the Irish Sea.
Planning and building rules in Merseyside
Merseyside is in England, so the planning and building rules set out below are the ones that apply. We confirm the details with the council before we quote.
Most garden landscaping in England needs no planning permission. Trees protected by a Tree Preservation Order, or trees in a conservation area, need the council’s consent or notice before work; outbuildings and raised platforms have their own limits.
Building Regulations rarely apply to landscaping, though new drainage and garden electrics must comply.
Rules change and every property is different, so we check the planning history and constraints for your address before we quote.
The four stages
We look at the job
First, someone visits your home in Merseyside to see the space, take measurements and note anything that could affect the work, such as access or the condition of what is there. There is no charge for this visit.
Written quote
We put everything into a written, fixed-price quote: the specification, what's excluded, staged payments and the expected time on site. Take whatever time you need to decide; there's no pressure to commit.
Dates and permissions
Next comes planning the work itself. We set a start date that suits you, line up the right trades, and make sure any approvals for garden landscaping are in place before the first day on site.
Build and hand over
Work goes ahead as scheduled and you deal with one contact throughout. When the last trade leaves, we clear and clean the site, talk you through what has been done and pass on any certificates and care instructions.
What you can expect from us
Frequently asked questions
Who do I deal with during the job?
One point of contact manages your project from survey to handover. They schedule the trades working under our contract, keep you updated on progress, and are the person to call with any question. You don't need to coordinate builders, electricians or decorators separately, because that is part of what we do.
What time of year suits garden landscaping?
Hard landscaping such as patios, paths and walls can be built most of the year, though frost and heavy rain cause delays. Planting is usually most successful in autumn and spring, when plants can establish roots before summer. Turf can be laid in most months if the ground is not frozen or waterlogged. We plan the order of work around the season.
Which postcodes in Merseyside do you cover?
We cover L1, CH41, WA9 and L37, along with the rest of Merseyside. If your postcode is not listed, get in touch anyway: our coverage is UK-wide, and we can usually arrange a survey wherever you live. Enter your postcode in the guide-price tool or contact form and we will confirm.
Do I need planning permission for landscaping?
Most garden landscaping does not need planning permission, but it depends on the work, your home's location, whether it is listed or in a conservation area, and which UK nation you are in. Raised decking or patios, high walls and front garden paving can need permission, as can work affecting protected trees. We check the rules for your garden before quoting.
What can be done about a waterlogged garden?
A waterlogged garden is usually caused by heavy clay soil, compacted ground or water running off from hard surfaces. Solutions include French drains, soakaways, improving soil with organic matter, and making new paving permeable or directing its run-off to drains. Raised beds help plants in wet areas. We look at the cause during the survey and include drainage in the design.
Towns in Merseyside
Choose your town from the list to see how we price and plan garden landscaping in your part of Merseyside, including typical time on site.