Landscaping Cost Calculator

A landscaping project runs about $3,000 to $8,000 for basic work like cleanup, a new lawn, and planting beds, $8,000 to $25,000 for a mid-range job with plantings, mulch, and small hardscape, and $25,000 to $60,000 for a full project with design, a patio, irrigation, and mature trees. The calculator above prices by scope. Lot size, hardscape, and how much is designed and built move the real number.

Softscape is the living part, lawn, plants, trees, mulch, and beds. Hardscape is the built part, patios, walkways, retaining walls, and fire pits. Softscape is usually the lower-cost work; hardscape is where a project's price climbs, because it is materials-heavy and labor-heavy. A full landscaping project mixes both, which is why the range is wide.

Scope first: a cleanup and some plantings is a different job from a designed yard with a patio and irrigation. After that it is lot size, the amount of hardscape, mature trees and large plants, an irrigation system, grading or drainage work, and whether a designer is involved. Ongoing maintenance is priced separately from the install. These are what the on-site walkthrough measures.

Good landscaping improves curb appeal and can lift a home's sale value and how fast it sells, and a mature, well-kept yard is a real draw for buyers. The strongest return usually comes from a clean, healthy lawn, tidy beds, and a few well-placed trees rather than the most elaborate hardscape. Like any improvement, spending far past the neighborhood norm returns a smaller share.