"Gardener" and "landscaper" cover very different work and very different rates. A gardener handles ongoing maintenance — mowing, hedges, weeding, general upkeep. A landscaper takes on construction-level work — patios, decking, retaining walls, full garden builds — and charges accordingly more. This guide covers general gardening and maintenance rates; if you're pricing hard landscaping and construction work specifically, see our landscaping quote guide, where day rates run £200-£480 depending on region.
Quick Answer: UK gardener/maintenance day rates in 2026 typically run £120-£180 outside London and £180-£280 in London. Regular maintenance is usually charged at £20-£35 per hour. Hard landscaping and construction work is priced separately and considerably higher — see the link above.
Gardener / Maintenance Day Rate by Region — UK 2026
| Region | Day Rate | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|
| London | £180-£280 | £25-£40 |
| South East | £150-£220 | £22-£34 |
| Midlands | £130-£190 | £18-£28 |
| North | £120-£175 | £16-£26 |
| Scotland & Wales | £120-£175 | £16-£26 |
Common Job Prices
| Job | Typical Price | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Regular lawn mowing (small garden) | £20-£35 | 30-45 mins |
| Hedge trimming (medium) | £60-£150 | Half day |
| Garden clearance | £200-£500 | 1-2 days |
| Turfing (small garden) | £600-£1,200 | 1-2 days |
| Patio/paving laying | £60-£100/m² | Varies |
| Full garden landscaping | £2,000-£8,000+ | 1-3 weeks |
How to Calculate Your Day Rate
- Target take-home: What do you want to earn after tax? E.g. £24,000
- Add tax & NI: Roughly 25%. £24,000 + 25% = £30,000
- Add business costs: Van, tools, machinery maintenance, insurance, waste disposal. Roughly £4,000-£7,000/year. Total: £35,500
- Divide by working days: Roughly 200 days a year (gardening work is more seasonal than most trades). £35,500 / 200 ≈ £178/day minimum
- Add profit margin: 15-20%. £178 x 1.15 ≈ £205/day
Try our free rate calculator to run your own numbers, then turn the result into a sendable quote with TradeQuoteAI's quoting software.
Hourly, Day Rate, or Fixed Price?
Regular maintenance work — mowing, weeding, hedge trimming — is usually charged hourly or per visit, since customers want a predictable recurring cost. Larger one-off jobs like turfing, planting schemes, or clearance work better as a day rate. Full landscaping projects with a design and multiple elements (paving, planting, fencing) should always be a detailed fixed-price quote, broken down by area, so scope changes are easy to re-price.
Pro Tip: Seasonal demand hits gardening harder than most trades — spring and early summer bookings fill up fast, while winter is quiet. Price with that in mind, and consider offering off-season discounts on clearance and hard landscaping work to keep the diary full.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do gardeners charge per day in the UK?
UK gardeners typically charge £120-£180 per day outside London in 2026, rising to £180-£280 in London.
How much does landscaping cost in the UK?
A full garden landscaping project typically costs £2,000-£8,000+ depending on size and scope. Simple maintenance visits cost £20-£35 per hour.
Should gardening work be charged hourly or by the day?
Regular maintenance is usually hourly or per visit. Larger one-off jobs like turfing or clearance work better as a day rate or fixed price.
Related Guides
- How to Quote Landscaping Work
- Driveway Cost UK 2026
- How to Quote Fencing Work
- Signs You're Undercharging as a Tradesman
- Best Quoting Apps for UK Tradesmen
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