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.
We arrange garden landscaping for homeowners in Dereham and the wider Norfolk. The job is planned, priced and managed by us and carried out by tradespeople engaged under our contract, so there is one agreement and one contact. On a typical home the work takes 1–4 weeks on site, depending on scope, and guide pricing in the East of England is £6,300–£16,000, VAT included.
- Guide price
- £6,300–£16,000 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 1–4 weeks on site, depending on scope
- Postcodes
- NR19
- Planning rules
- England
- Local area
- Norfolk
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
What should you budget for garden landscaping in Dereham?
No two jobs cost exactly the same, but the ranges below give a fair picture of garden landscaping in Dereham. Pricing for the East of England runs about 5% above the national guide, and the overall guide is £6,300–£16,000 with VAT included. We'll confirm your figure after surveying the property for free.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in Dereham |
|---|---|---|
| Garden refresh | Clearance, new turf, edging, bark or gravel and some planting. | £1,600–£5,200 |
| Typical garden makeover | A new patio, lawn, borders, paths and planting in a typical rear garden. | £6,300–£16,000 |
| Full redesign | Levels, retaining walls, large patios, lighting and drainage for larger or sloping gardens. | £16,000–£37,000 |
Your price depends mostly on:
- Garden size, access and the amount of clearance needed
- Ratio of hard landscaping to lawn and planting
- Levels, slopes, retaining walls and steps
- Materials chosen for paving, walls and features
What do you get?
- Survey of size, levels, soil, drainage and access
- Layout plan agreed with you before work starts
- Groundworks, levelling and drainage
- Patios, paths, steps and edging laid on proper bases
- Raised beds, low walls or sleepers built to the agreed design
- Planting, bark or gravel finishing and outdoor lighting where included
What are homes like around Dereham?
Flint is everywhere in Norfolk, often combined with brick quoins and red or black-glazed pantile roofs. Norwich has Victorian terraces and interwar suburbs around its medieval centre, Norfolk reed thatch survives across the county, carrstone is used in the west, and coastal towns such as Great Yarmouth and Cromer have Victorian terraces and newer bungalows.
Norfolk is dry but exposed, with strong easterly winds, an eroding coast in places and low-lying land around the Broads.
None of this holds for every street in Dereham, which is why we look at your actual house before pricing garden landscaping rather than assuming from its age alone.
Permissions for garden landscaping in Dereham
The notes below cover England, which is where Dereham sits. Rules change and every property is different, so we speak to the council before pricing your job.
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 Dereham 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.
Your fixed price
You get the price in writing, itemised so you can see where the money goes. As long as the specification stays the same, that is the price you pay for garden landscaping.
Booking the work
Before anyone starts, we confirm the programme in writing, check whether consents are required and arrange deliveries. If a skip or scaffolding on the road needs a permit, we apply for it.
Build and hand over
On site, the agreed plan is followed and any change is put in writing first. At completion we do a final clean, go through the snagging list with you and leave you with the relevant documents.
Working with SK Home Improvements
Common questions
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 Dereham do you cover?
We cover NR19, along with the rest of Norfolk. 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.
What happens at the survey?
We visit your home at a time that suits you, look at the area involved, take measurements and check access, condition and any services that might be affected. We talk through what you want from garden landscaping, explain the options and answer questions. There is no charge and no obligation; afterwards we send a written quote.
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.
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.
Nearby towns
From NR19 to the edges of Dereham and on into Bowthorpe, Norwich and Thetford, we can arrange a site visit and a written quote for your project, planned around dates that work for you.