Guide to Landscaping Costs & Estimates in Canada

No two yards are alike so you can’t expect to pay exactly what your neighbours paid. There are many factors that will affect the price of your landscaping project. This is why it is so important to gather multiple quotes from companies before you agree to hire. HomeStars makes it easy to connect with companies and get multiple quotes for any landscaping project. When you’re deciding on a company, take these factors into consideration that will affect your total costs.

Easily the biggest factor that will impact your landscaping cost is the size of your property. For example, a small project on a yard less than 1,000 square feet could cost anywhere from $650-900. If your property is closer 10,000 square feet or bigger, your costs could jump up to over $20,000 for more complex projects.

If your home sits on a large property and you are concerned about costs, speak with your landscaper about the possibility of landscaping in sections. Your property could be greatly improved by doing a couple of smaller things you may not have considered before speaking with a pro.

There are any number of features you could potentially add to your landscape. While you may not know exactly what you want right away, something to consider is whether you want a lawn or not. Lawns are not as expensive to plant as compared to a yard full of beautiful plants and water features. However, lawns do require careful maintenance and plenty of water, especially at the beginning of the process. These costs do add up over time so you need to consider if you want to continually pay to keep up the maintenance or pay a large amount up front for something that’s easy to care for.

If you want to have a garden that you plant yourself, be sure to let your landscaper know this at the beginning of the process. There is a big difference between having the company install a flower garden for you and them creating a space for you to garden. Be sure you know which you want before they get started as this will impact costs.

Flowers and plants (softscaping) generally take up about one-third to one-half of the total project budget. Costs will vary depending on the type of plants you choose and the square footage of where they’re going to be planted. Typically the costs are $14 per square foot to install softscapes. Landscapers charge roughly 31 cents to 78 cents per square foot for sod installation. If you have 1,000 square feet of lawn, the project cost would be around $420–$1,100.

Xeriscaping is a style of landscaping that uses plants, shrubs and rocks that need little water. It is a popular choice in dry climates where water conservation is important. The cost of installing a xeriscaped yard is often more expensive than a yard with just grass and flowers. For a 1,200 square foot lawn, homeowners report spending roughly $15, 640. While initial costs are higher, the long term benefits are that you will conserve water and your maintenance costs will be kept low.

Water is extremely important to your landscape. Before you can start planning which plants will go where, it’s important to consider how you’re going to water them all. Planning an irrigation system will take time and money, but the quality of your landscape will be worth it in the long run. Be sure to speak to your landscaper about your options and costs.

Depending on the scope of your project, you will need to work with the right landscaping professional. There are three different types of pros you may need to work with depending on your project. Here are the differences between an architect, designer and landscaper, and their costs.

A landscaping architect is similar to a building architect in that they both provide construction drawings and work closely with surveyors, engineers, and other contractors to pull large scale projects together. Typically landscape architects work on commercial and government projects such as public parks, shopping centers, and golf courses to name a few. Residential work is often limited to new construction such as apartments and condos. A big distinction between other pros and architects is that architects require a degree, either at a masters or bachelors level, to enter the field.

Homeowners will typically hire a landscape architect for yard design during the initial construction of a new build home or for very complex projects that involve installing large structures such as pools.

Due to the fact landscape architects work on larger scale projects, their fees tend to be higher. Fees can also vary depending on how experienced they are. Hourly rates for a junior or intern are about $60 to $104 per hour. Fees for a firm partner or principal are between $195 to $290 per hour. Homeowners tend to spend an average of $20,000 on their landscape architect services.

A landscape designer does not require a degree or licensing to operate, they also do not provide construction drawings and typically do not work closely with contractors or engineers. Instead, a designer will work with your landscaper and provide design plans. They primarily work on smaller scale residential projects.

A designer’s main job is to create the perfect landscape for your home based on what you have envisioned. They will first come over for a consultation to talk about what you want and which types of plants and features you wish to have. They will then create a plan and drawings. Depending on the designer, they may go with you to nurseries to pick out plants and place them. An important fact to note is that landscape designers do not do any of the actual landscape work. They will make recommendations about who to hire, but the job will be left to a landscaper to carry out.

Hourly rates for a designer can vary, but typically you can expect to pay between $65 to $195 an hour. An average project will cost you roughly $2000 to $6000. Be sure to get an estimate on the timeframe for the project and a specific rate before you agree to hire.

A landscaper is the contractor who will actually do all of the physical work planned out by the designer. They will install and maintain any plants, flowers, or natural materials that are a part of your landscape. Lawn care is another big part of their job and some may offer additional services such as hardscape construction or sprinkler installation.

A landscape contractor may specialize in additional areas such as:

Usually your landscaper will charge per square foot so the more space you have landscaped, the higher the costs will be. The cost per square foot is up to the individual company, so it’s a good idea to get multiple quotes before deciding on a company. Homeowners report that a typical landscape project costs about $4100 and can be anywhere in the range from $1,900 to $7,168.

Now that you have a better idea of the costs surrounding landscaping, your next step is to connect with the right landscaping professional. HomeStars makes it easy to do this using our Get A Quote feature. Simply go to HomeStars, enter your project details, and we’ll connect you with top-rated landscapers in your area who will reach out to you with an estimate on your project costs. From there, you can compare quotes and select the pro you feel is perfect for your project. You can take comfort knowing only the best pros who have undergone our verification process will be in contact with you. Get started on your landscaping project and connect with pros today.

*Cost information provided by our home service partner network. Your individual costs will vary depending on your project. Use these costs as a guideline when planning your next project.