Pricing Guide For Landscape Design/install

In this article, we will discuss common pricing for landscape installation projects around the OKC and Moore Area. Later in the article, we will discuss common FAQs about landscape installs from clients just like yourself!

One thing to note. Pricing will vary depending on the type, size, and color of the plant material including the difficulty of installation. Continue reading as we will go into more detail on what affects pricing and how to get the best install in your price range.

Also, before you sign up with a company, please inquire where plant material is purchased ahead of time. Plants purchased at a dedicated grower/ nursery usually perform better than big box store plant material. Special T only used reputable growers in our area to source our plant materials. 

This is one of the more basic landscape installs we have done. In this project we removed a few existing nandinas and metal edging. For reinstall, we added new trees, shrubs, 4” chop stone edging, and mulch. 

This particular project was $1950 for rip-out and reinstall. Typically small installs like this run anywhere from $1500-2500. 

On this install, the canvas was completely bare before we started. We added new trees, shrubs, chop stone edging, and mulch. 
This particular project was $3200 for installation. Typically projects like this range
from 2,500 – $5,500 for installation. 

In this project, we had a fresh canvas to work with! We installed all new trees including an ornamental Japanese maple and weeping Alaskan cedars. We also installed the smaller shrubs, river rock, boulders, and mulch. Since we installed this project, the homeowner had us come out and install a new 4” chop stone edging around the front of the bed.

A lot of the plant materials you see here are focal point plants. These include the Alaskan cedars, aucuba, and Japanese maple. These plants typically cost more than your average run-of-the-mill trees or shrubs due to their interesting shapes and characteristics.

This install was $7500 for new trees, shrubs, mulch, boulders, river rock, and mulch. This also includes the new 4” chop stone that was installed after this picture was taken. Typically installs like this range from $5500-15000.

“What affects install pricing?”

There are a few key factors that come into account when it comes to pricing landscape install work. 

1. Where the materials are purchased – Purchasing materials from a reputable source will ensure you get the highest quality materials possible. Sure, the price may be a little bit more at the start, but you will be glad you spend a little extra to know you have great quality materials that will last for years to come.

   It’s always better to spend a little bit more and get exactly what you want vs going cheap and regretting your decision every time you step outside.

   We recommend staying away from big box store plants. Sure, you get a great price on them but usually, those plants have been neglected and not watered as much as they need to be.

2. Size of material – Bigger plants cost more to grow and produce, thus the higher pricing, initially. Some plant material grows very slowly which makes more work for the grower to cultivate and produce. Not to mention, larger material usually takes longer to install than smaller materials.

    

3. Focal Point Plants – Some plants like Japanese Maples and Alaskan Cedars are a special type of plant. These plants often have special colors, shapes, or characteristics which make them more costly to purchase.

   Most average plants will not give you the color and shape you are wanting, while the focal points will. To get the proper look for your landscape we anchor your beds with focal point plants and space in other plants to give you the proper look and fullness. 

    

4. The Difficulty Of Installation – Sprinklers, underground fences, utilities, concrete work, etc all may affect how easy your landscaping will go in. If we have to transport the material long distances to the planting site, that may also affect pricing.

5. Prep Work Before The Installation Starts – If we are removing plant material or leftover landscaping, that all takes time and labor to complete.
   

   If you are a cost-conscious homeowner, you could always remove existing materials and prep the bed for us to come in and install. If our crew can come right in and start installing, that will save labor on our end. You may save a few hundred dollars doing this step yourself.
    

6. Edging Material Used – Edging material is an often overlooked aspect of landscaping. For a basic and cost-effective install, we would recommend using metal edging. For a more enhanced look, we would recommend using our 4” natural chop stone around your flower beds.

   Chop stone will be more expensive as there is more labor involved in installing and sourcing the materials. Not to mention the labor involved to actually pull the natural stone out of the ground at the quarry and truck it to the supply yard. 

    

7. Drive Time – As a landscape company, a lot of time is spent behind the windshield of our vehicles. Picking up materials (sometimes at multiple nurseries) and driving to your property takes time. Some materials are harder to find in general and that time spent is added to the overall cost of the project.

   What most people don’t see is that when we quote your project and get started gathering materials, it often takes anywhere from 2-5 hours to properly source and collect your plant material to prep for your project before any work actually begins.

“What if I was to purchase plants and materials myself and have them ready for you?”

This is a very valid question and we get asked this every now and then. Purchasing and delivering materials is a good way to save some money. You may save a few hundred to a few thousand dollars if you decide to do this step yourself. 

However, I do want to caution you on some of the potential pitfalls with purchasing and picking out your own material. These are just some of the things that we have come across when homeowners have picked out their own materials in the past. 

1. We do not offer any sort of warranty or guarantee on materials we did not purchase and deliver ourselves. 
2. Sometimes the material that is ordered by the homeowner is the wrong color, shape, size, or type. Thus causing confusion, panic, and additional cost for the homeowner. 
3. Delivery can sometimes be a pain if you do not have a truck or trailer. 
4. You may not know what to look for in materials and purchase not-so-great quality products/ materials. 
5. Some of the lingoes in the landscape industry may be confusing to people not used to it. 

This is not to sway you to use us to collect materials (of course we would love it if we could handle everything for you). We just want you to be as informed as possible before you make that decision. 

“So you have given me a design and estimate but I don’t want to spend as much as you are quoting. What do we do now?”

Ideally, we would want to figure that out before we complete your design. Landscaping is very subjective to each and every homeowner so we want to get your taste and budget before we start anything.

One homeowner may be perfectly content with 1 tree and 3 shrubs while another homeowner wants an over-the-top design with 10 trees and 35 shrubs. All this is to say that we want to design a landscape that fits both your style and budget. 

On the off chance that we completely missed a budget conversation with you, we can re-design your landscaping to better fit your budget. 

The last point Id like to make is, that we are professionals that have been doing this for a very long time. We know what it takes to create the vision in your head a reality. Sometimes the vision and budget don’t align properly and that is completely ok. If that is the case, we will be transparent and discuss options that may better fit your needs under your budget. We strive to be your trusted advisor, not a company that wants to make a quick buck off of you. 

“Why do you require a design for even a small project?”

Years ago, when we were inexperienced and naive we went into projects with no plan at all. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. I’m sure you could probably guess that this bit us hard! 

If there is one thing we have learned in our years of business is that you should never assume anything, especially when dealing with money, people, or the homes of your clients. 

To answer your question more head-on, we do not like leaving anything up to chance. A design allows us to properly set expectations, and quote your project, but also allows our crews to have something tangible they can take to create your project. This allows us to create happy clients and employees!

“How much does it cost to maintain my landscaping each year?”

We recommend pulling weeds every month while installing mulch and trimming shrubs 1-3x a year. Most homeowners invest anywhere from $1000-2500/ year on maintenance-related services for their flowerbeds. 

This does not include fertilizer, tree/shrub drench, or any other additional services we offer. Please call us if you would like a quote for maintenance. 405-763-9566