Landscape Design Styles and What They Cost

What Landscape Design Style Is Right for You?

Formal landscapes cost the most to maintain and naturalistic ones the least — native plantings need minimal intervention after a 2 to 3-year establishment period. The landscape design style you choose sets both the installation cost and the annual upkeep, so compare the styles on both.

Formal Landscape

Defined by symmetry, geometric lines, clipped hedges, and controlled plant forms. Typically includes boxwood hedges, clipped topiary, formal bed edges, and structured hardscape. Highest maintenance style formal landscapes require regular shearing, edging, and pruning to maintain the defined shapes. Plants that grow informally require constant correction. Installation cost is moderate to high; annual maintenance cost is high. Best suited to homeowners with professional maintenance service or significant time for upkeep.

Naturalistic or Ecological Landscape

Uses native and regionally adapted plants in informal groupings that mimic natural plant communities. Lower maintenance once established native plants are adapted to local rainfall, soil, and pests and require minimal intervention after a 2 to 3-year establishment period. Installation cost is moderate (native plants are often less expensive than ornamentals); annual maintenance cost is the lowest of any style after establishment. Increasingly preferred in water-restricted regions and environmentally conscious communities. (For more on this, see Native Plant Landscaping: Benefits and How to Get Started.)

Contemporary or Modern Landscape

Clean lines, limited plant palette, architectural plants (ornamental grasses, yucca, agave), large-format hardscape (concrete pavers, decomposed granite), and geometric water features. Moderate maintenance fewer plants mean less pruning but more emphasis on the condition of individual elements. Installation cost is moderate to high due to large-format hardscape and architectural plant specimens. Best suited to contemporary or midcentury home styles.

Cottage or Informal Garden

Dense, layered planting with diverse species, traditional perennials and roses, informal paths, and a ‘planted over’ appearance. High installation cost (diverse plant palette, high plant count) but moderate maintenance once established. Cottage gardens are self-mulching as plants fill in and require less regular intervention than formal landscapes but significant editing as plants spread and compete.

Working With a Contractor on This Project

Getting the right outcome on any home services project starts before the work begins. A few consistent practices make the difference between a smooth project and a frustrating one.

Get at least two or three quotes. A single quote gives you no basis for comparison. Two or three quotes reveal the market rate for the work, expose scope differences between bidders, and let you assess contractor communication quality before any commitment is made. The lowest bid is not automatically the best value if the scope is thin or the materials are underspecified.

Ask for licenses and insurance before work starts. Verify current general liability insurance and, for any work involving workers on your property, workers compensation coverage. Licensing requirements vary by state and trade; confirm the specific requirements in your jurisdiction. A licensed contractor who carries appropriate insurance protects both parties if something goes wrong during the project.

Get the scope in writing. A written proposal that specifies materials, labor scope, timeline, what is included (permits, cleanup, disposal), and warranty terms is the foundation of a professional engagement. Verbal agreements on any of these points invite misunderstanding. For any project over $500, written scope is non-negotiable.

Clarify the payment schedule upfront. A reasonable payment schedule ties major payments to project milestones: a deposit at signing, a payment at material delivery or project start, and a final payment at completion after a walkthrough confirms satisfaction. A contractor who requires full payment upfront before work begins is a red flag in any trade.

Making a Confident Decision

The information in this article is designed to help you ask better questions of the professionals you work with, evaluate their answers with more confidence, and understand the decisions involved in this type of home services project. It is not a substitute for professional assessment of your specific home. (For more on this, see Questions to Ask a Landscape Design Company.)

Every home is different. Roof slopes, local weather, tree exposure, soil conditions, and existing system condition all affect what the right solution is for your specific situation. The general principles here apply broadly, but a professional who assesses your home in person will give you guidance that accounts for the details that general articles cannot.

When you are ready to move forward, getting at least two or three quotes from licensed, insured, local contractors is the most important practical step. It lets you compare approaches, assess contractor quality, and confirm that the solution proposed matches your specific situation and budget.

Landscape Design Cost at a Glance

Cost Factor	Typical Range	Notes
Planting or single-bed plan	$300 to $800	a flat design fee for one bed, a border, or a planting plan
Mid-size property plan	$700 to $3,700	for professional drawings, plant lists, and layout
Full-property master plan	$3,700 to $11,000+	grading, hardscape layout, plantings, and lighting for the whole lot
Designer, hourly	$70 to $150	$150 to $250 at established high-end firms
Design fee, overall range	$300 to $11,000+	or 5 to 15 percent of construction cost instead of a flat fee
Installation, quoted separately	$2,000 to $40,000+	what building the plan costs; never part of the design fee