Landscaping & Lawn costs
Lawns, planting, trees, irrigation and the ground the rest of the yard sits on.
Landscaping is the most labor-heavy category on this site — a crew and a machine, with material as the smaller share. That means state wages move these prices more than commodity indexes do, and it is why the same sod or mulch job differs so much between markets while the material costs nearly the same everywhere.
Access and volume set the price. A backyard reachable only through a gate is hand-carried, which can double a job priced per cubic yard; a front yard a truck can back into is not. Removal is its own cost — old sod, spoil from grading and tree debris are all hauled and tipped, and disposal is charged by weight or by load.
Timing matters here in a way it does not elsewhere. Sod, seed and planting have narrow windows where they establish, and work done outside them either fails or needs watering that costs more than the plants. Lawn programs are priced per round across a season rather than per visit, so the useful comparison between two quotes is the number of rounds and what is in them.
Boulder retaining wall cost$25 to $50per sq ftA boulder retaining wall costs $25 to $50 per square foot of face, typically $38, close to a block wall. Machine access, height limits and the drain behind the rocks decide the job more than the price.
Topsoil cost$25 to $60per cubic yardScreened topsoil costs $25 to $60 per cubic yard delivered, typically $40. How to work out the yards from area and depth, screened versus blended soil, and what delivery minimums do to small orders.
Paver walkway cost$15 to $35per sq ftA paver walkway costs $15 to $35 per square foot installed, typically $24, or $45 to $140 per linear foot for a 3 to 4 ft path. It costs more than a patio because a path is nearly all cuts and edges.
Landscape lighting cost$80 to $300eachLandscape lighting costs $80 to $300 per fixture installed, typically $180, so a 12-fixture front yard is $2,000 to $4,000. Fixture count sets the budget; brass fixtures outlast kits by a decade.
Fence line landscaping cost$15 to $60per linear ftPlanting along a fence costs $15 to $60 a linear foot, typically $30. A privacy screen is bought by plant height; keep plants off the boards and leave room to maintain the fence.
Mulch delivery cost$30 to $55per cubic yardBulk mulch costs $30 to $55 a cubic yard delivered and $60 to $130 spread. One yard covers about 110 sq ft at 3 inches, and bags only beat bulk under about 2 yards.
Garden bed cost$10 to $30per sq ftA new planting bed costs $10 to $30 a square foot installed, typically $18. Plant size and soil preparation set the price, and soil preparation decides whether the bed survives.
Landscape design cost$500 to $3,000per projectA landscape designer charges $500 to $3,000 for a plan, a licensed landscape architect $2,000 to $10,000. The deliverable, not the title, sets the price, and a design-build firm's free design rarely is.
Yard grading cost$0.30 to $1.50per sq ftYard grading costs $0.30 to $1.50 a sq ft, typically $0.80, so a 5,000 sq ft lawn is $1,500 to $7,500. Reshaping existing soil is cheap; bringing in fill and topsoil is what adds up.
Land clearing cost$1,500 to $6,000per acreClearing land costs $1,500 to $6,000 an acre, typically $3,500, from light brush to mature woods. Forestry mulching is cheapest; stump grubbing and debris disposal drive the final bill.