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.
From a first conversation about garden landscaping to the day the site is cleared, homeowners in Smethwick deal with us directly. We come out to measure up at no cost, explain the choices in plain terms and send a written quote. For context, comparable work in the West Midlands usually falls within £5,900–£14,500 including VAT, and it is available across B16, B18, B21 and B66.
- Guide price
- £5,900–£14,500 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 1–4 weeks on site, depending on scope
- Postcodes
- B16, B18, B21, B66 and B67
- Planning rules
- England
- Local area
- Sandwell
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
What should you budget for garden landscaping in Smethwick?
Below is a breakdown of typical costs for garden landscaping in Smethwick. Because rates in the West Midlands are about 2% below the national guide, the overall guide comes to £5,900–£14,500, including VAT. Size, materials and access move the figure, and a free-of-charge survey settles it.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in Smethwick |
|---|---|---|
| Garden refresh | Clearance, new turf, edging, bark or gravel and some planting. | £1,450–£4,900 |
| Typical garden makeover | A new patio, lawn, borders, paths and planting in a typical rear garden. | £5,900–£14,500 |
| Full redesign | Levels, retaining walls, large patios, lighting and drainage for larger or sloping gardens. | £14,500–£34,500 |
The main things that change the figure:
- Ratio of hard landscaping to lawn and planting
- Levels, slopes, retaining walls and steps
- Drainage, soil quality and ground conditions
- Materials chosen for paving, walls and features
What’s included?
- 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 Smethwick?
Red-brick Victorian and Edwardian terraces are common in the inner areas of Birmingham, Wolverhampton and the Black Country, ringed by large swathes of 1930s semis with bay windows and hipped roofs. You'll also find post-war council estates, some system-built blocks, Coventry's rebuilt centre and larger detached homes in Solihull and Sutton Coldfield.
An inland climate with regular winter frosts means freeze-thaw damage to soft brick and old mortar is a common reason for repointing and render repairs.
So when we survey a Smethwick property for garden landscaping, the first step is working out how it was built and what has been changed since.
Permissions for garden landscaping in Smethwick
Homes in Smethwick come under the regulations for England, summarised below. We don't rely on general rules alone: we confirm the position for your address with the council before a quote goes out.
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.
From survey to handover
A visit to your home
Book a visit and we'll come to you. The survey covers measurements, the state of what's there now and any obvious constraints, so the price that follows is based on your actual home, not an average.
Your fixed price
The quote arrives in writing, not over the phone. It covers the full scope, the finishes you've chosen, any exclusions and the payment schedule, with a fixed price tied to that specification.
Plan and prepare
We handle the paperwork side: checking whether planning permission or building control approval is needed, submitting applications where they are, and scheduling the trades and materials around your dates.
Finish and handover
During the work we protect the areas around it and tidy up at the end of each day. Once complete, we check the finish, remove our materials and hand over paperwork such as building control sign-off where it applies.
Working with SK Home Improvements
Common questions
Do you cover West Bromwich, Birmingham and Aston?
Yes. As well as Smethwick, we cover West Bromwich, Birmingham and Aston and the rest of West Midlands. Our coverage is UK-wide, so the process is the same wherever you are: a free site survey, a quote in writing that fixes the price for the agreed scope, and one point of contact while the work is planned and carried out.
How much does garden landscaping cost?
Landscaping a typical 50–60m² rear garden with a patio, lawn, borders and planting costs £5,900–£14,500. As a guide, allow roughly £90–£220 per square metre of garden plus fixed costs for clearance and set-up, with gardens that are mostly lawn and planting at the lower end and those with large patios, walls and lighting at the top. Slopes and poor access add cost. We confirm a fixed price after the survey.
How can I make my garden low maintenance?
A low-maintenance garden reduces mowing, weeding and watering. Paving or porcelain patios, gravel areas on a weed membrane, artificial grass and raised beds with hardy, slow-growing plants all help. Mulching borders with bark suppresses weeds and holds moisture. Some planting keeps the space feeling green and supports wildlife. We balance hard and soft areas to suit the time you want to spend.
Do I need a garden designer?
You do not always need a separate garden designer. For many gardens, a clear layout plan agreed at the survey is enough to build from, covering patio size, paths, lawn and beds. Larger, sloping or complex gardens benefit from more detailed design, including levels and planting plans. We can work from an existing design or put together a practical layout with you.
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.
Nearby towns
If your address falls within B16, B18, B21 and B66, we cover it. The same goes for neighbouring West Bromwich, Birmingham and Aston, which we include alongside Smethwick when arranging surveys and quotes.