Updated October 2026 with current installed prices. Pick the landscaping projects you’re considering, enter a few measurements, and the calculator below builds a line-item estimate with a realistic low-to-high range. It assumes a professional crew supplies the materials and does the labor.
Landscaping Cost Calculator (2026 Prices)
Fill in only the projects you want. Leave the rest blank. Estimates are installed prices (materials + professional labor) based on 2026 national averages.
| Project | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Nothing added yet. | ||
These numbers are ballpark planning figures, not quotes. Soil, slope, access, and local labor rates all move the final price, so get written estimates from at least three local pros before you commit. If you need help laying out the yard first, an online landscape design service is an affordable way to get a plan you can hand to contractors.
How Much Does Landscaping Cost in 2026?
Most homeowners spend roughly $3,300 to $13,200 on a professional landscaping project, which works out to about $4.50 to $17 per square foot of landscaped area. A simple refresh with mulch, a few shrubs, and new sod sits at the low end. Projects with hardscaping like patios, retaining walls, and irrigation easily climb past $20,000. Crews typically bill $50 to $100 per hour for a two-person team, or quote by the square foot or by the project.
| Project | Typical installed cost (2026) |
|---|---|
| Sod installation | $1.00 – $2.50 per sq ft |
| Lawn seeding | $0.10 – $0.25 per sq ft |
| Old lawn removal & grading | $0.50 – $2.00 per sq ft |
| Small tree (under 10 ft) | $200 – $600 each |
| Large tree (10 ft+) | $600 – $1,750 each |
| Shrubs | $30 – $150 each |
| New flower / planting bed | $10 – $20 per sq ft |
| Mulch, delivered & spread | $70 – $120 per cubic yard |
| Patio or walkway | $2 – $30 per sq ft (by material) |
| Retaining wall | $15 – $90 per sq ft of wall face |
| Bed edging | $3.50 – $8.80 per linear ft |
| In-ground sprinkler system | $0.50 – $1.25 per sq ft covered |
| Low-voltage landscape lighting | $100 – $250 per fixture |
Typical Costs for Common Landscaping Jobs
Tree Planting
Having a pro plant a tree runs about $200 to $600 for a small tree under 10 feet, including the tree, digging, backfill, and staking. Larger, more mature trees often need a skid steer or tree spade to set and cost $600 to $1,750 each, and specimen trees can go well beyond that. Most landscapers discount the per-tree price when you plant several at once. If you want to stretch your budget, buying trees online and paying only for installation can save a lot. For a species-by-species look, see our guide to tree cost by size and type.
Shrub Planting
Installed shrubs typically cost $30 to $150 each depending on size and species. A standard 3-gallon foundation shrub lands near the low end, while larger 7-gallon specimens or premium flowering varieties land near the high end. Many crews mark up the plant and add hourly labor, so buying your own shrubs and paying for planting only can trim the bill. Landscapers who also design the bed may quote $4 to $10 per square foot for design and installation together.
Retaining Walls
Retaining walls are priced by the square foot of wall face (length × height). Expect roughly $15 to $30 per square foot for timber, $20 to $40 for interlocking concrete block, $20 to $55 for poured concrete, and $25 to $90 for natural stone. A typical residential wall runs about $4,000 to $15,000. Height matters more than people expect: walls over about 4 feet often need engineering, drainage stone, geogrid reinforcement, and a permit. Timber is the cheapest up front but usually lasts 15 to 20 years, while block, stone, and concrete can last decades when the drainage behind the wall is done right.
Laying Sod
Sod itself costs about $0.30 to $0.85 per square foot, but professionally installed sod usually lands between $1.00 and $2.50 per square foot once delivery, soil prep, and labor are included. A 2,000-square-foot front yard typically costs $2,000 to $5,000. If the old lawn has to be stripped and the yard regraded first, budget another $0.50 to $2.00 per square foot. Bumpy or poorly draining yards may need a professional leveling job before any sod goes down.
Seeding a New Lawn
Seeding is the budget alternative to sod at roughly $0.10 to $0.25 per square foot installed. The tradeoff is time: a seeded lawn takes a full season or more to fill in, needs consistent watering, and is vulnerable to weeds and washouts early on. Fall is the best time to seed cool-season grasses across most of the country.
Building a Flower Bed
A new planting bed typically costs $10 to $20 per square foot installed, covering sod or weed removal, soil amendment, edging, plants, and a first layer of mulch. Refreshing an existing bed with new perennials and annuals costs much less, often a few hundred dollars. Raised beds add the cost of the frame: galvanized steel kits start around $100 in materials, while composite wood runs $200 or more. Steel resists pests and rot, wood looks more natural, and many gardeners avoid PVC or vinyl for edible plantings.
Spreading Mulch
Professional mulching usually costs $70 to $120 per cubic yard delivered and spread. One cubic yard covers about 108 square feet at the recommended 3-inch depth, so a typical 500-square-foot set of beds needs around 4.6 yards, or roughly $325 to $555. Shredded hardwood and pine bark are the most affordable; dyed mulch, pine straw in some regions, and rubber mulch cost more. Run your exact numbers in our mulch installation cost calculator.
Patios and Walkways
Hardscaping is where landscaping budgets grow fastest. Installed prices run about $2 to $7 per square foot for gravel, $6 to $12 for poured concrete, $10 to $20 for concrete pavers, $14 to $24 for brick, and $15 to $30 for flagstone or natural stone. A 280-square-foot paver patio commonly lands around $3,000 to $7,000. Curves, intricate patterns like herringbone, and poor soil that needs a deeper base all push the price toward the top of the range.
Sprinkler Systems
A full in-ground irrigation system with a controller usually costs $2,900 to $6,900 for a typical suburban lot, or about $0.50 to $1.25 per square foot of coverage. Contractors often price by zone instead, generally $350 to $900 per zone. Smart, weather-based controllers cost more up front but can noticeably cut water bills. Get a detailed estimate with our sprinkler system cost calculator.
Landscape Lighting
Professionally installed low-voltage LED lighting averages $100 to $250 per fixture, and most homeowners spend $2,000 to $4,500 for a 10 to 20 light system with a transformer and timer. Path lights sit at the lower end; uplights for trees and architectural features cost more. Solar fixtures are cheaper and DIY-friendly but noticeably dimmer and less reliable.
Landscaping Rocks
Rock beds typically cost $300 to $1,500 per project. Pea gravel and crushed stone run roughly $25 to $70 per ton for material, while decorative river rock and larger stone cost $100 to $400 per ton. Installers usually add $25 to $100 per ton for labor plus delivery. Always put landscape fabric underneath to keep weeds from coming up through the stone.
Xeriscaping
Xeriscaping replaces thirsty turf with drought-tolerant plants, gravel, mulch, and efficient drip irrigation. A small yard conversion often starts around $6,000, and large yards with heavy hardscaping can reach $25,000 or more. The payoff is lower water bills and far less weekly maintenance, which is why it’s especially popular in the Southwest and other water-restricted areas.
What Affects Your Landscaping Price
- Where you live. Labor in the Northeast, West Coast, and large metros can run 15% to 25% above the national average, while rural areas and much of the South and Midwest come in lower.
- Site conditions. Slopes, rocky or clay soil, poor drainage, and tight access for equipment all add labor hours.
- Demolition and prep. Removing old lawn, concrete, stumps, or overgrown shrubs is often a separate line item. Our stump grinding calculator covers one of the most common add-ons.
- Materials. Natural stone, mature plants, and premium pavers can double or triple a project’s cost compared with block, smaller plants, and concrete.
- Design. A professional plan adds cost (see our landscape design cost guide) but prevents expensive do-overs on larger projects.
How to Save on Landscaping
- Phase the work. Do grading, drainage, and hardscaping first, then add plants and lighting over the next season or two.
- Book in the off-season. Late fall and winter are slower for most crews, and fall is ideal for planting trees, shrubs, and cool-season grass anyway.
- Buy smaller plants. A 3-gallon shrub costs a fraction of a 7-gallon one and often catches up within a couple of years.
- DIY the easy parts. Spreading mulch, planting perennials, and installing solar path lights are approachable weekend jobs. Leave retaining walls, irrigation, and electrical work to pros.
- Compare at least three quotes and ask each contractor to break out materials and labor so you can compare them line by line.
Keeping Your New Landscape Looking Good
Installation is a one-time cost, but upkeep is forever. Basic landscape maintenance plans generally run $600 to $1,500 per year, and mowing is the biggest recurring chore. A new lawn is the perfect time to consider a robot mower: it cuts a little every day, which keeps fresh sod and seeded grass healthier than a once-a-week scalping, and it frees up your weekends. Not sure which model fits your yard? Take our free Robot Mower Finder quiz, or read whether robot mowers pay for themselves.
Landscaping Cost FAQ
How much does it cost to landscape a backyard?
A basic backyard makeover with sod, a few beds, and mulch often costs $3,000 to $8,000. Adding a paver patio, a retaining wall, and irrigation commonly pushes the total to $15,000 to $30,000 or more.
How much should I budget for front yard landscaping?
Front yards are usually smaller and plant-focused, so most projects land between $2,000 and $10,000. Foundation shrubs, fresh mulch, edging, and a few path lights deliver the biggest curb-appeal boost for the money.
How much of my home’s value should I spend on landscaping?
A common rule of thumb is 10% of your home’s value for a full landscape build-out, spread over several years if needed. For a simple refresh, a few thousand dollars is plenty.
Is sod or seed cheaper?
Seed is far cheaper at about $0.10 to $0.25 per square foot versus $1.00 to $2.50 for installed sod. Sod gives you a usable lawn in a few weeks; seed takes a season or more and more care to establish.
Before You Hire a Landscaper
Find a landscaper you trust before you worry about the last dollar. Ask friends and neighbors for referrals, check recent reviews, and confirm the company is licensed and insured where your state requires it. When you collect quotes, ask whether each job will be billed hourly, by the square foot, or as a flat project price, and get the scope in writing. Use the calculator above to sanity-check every bid, and if one comes in far below the others, find out what it leaves out.