Landscaping cost per square foot
| Type of landscaping | Installed price | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Basic landscaping (lawn, a few plants, mulch) | $4–$12 | Lawn, a few plants and mulch |
| Planting beds and softscape (shrubs, flowers, mulch) | $9–$12 | Shrubs, flowers and mulch in planting beds; priced by HomeGuide only |
| Xeriscape (drought-tolerant plants and gravel) | $6–$18 | Drought-tolerant plants, gravel and drip irrigation |
| Full redo (tear-out, hardscape, walls and drainage) | $12–$40 | Tear-out of the old yard and new hardscape, walls and drainage |
HomeGuide and Angi agree on $4 to $12 per square foot, and Fixr gives $5 to $20. The totals disagree far more. Angi puts the national average at $3,517, typically $1,248 to $6,069, with 200 sq ft at $900 to $2,400 and 1,000 sq ft at $4,500 to $12,000. Fixr puts it at $10,000, typically $8,000 to $15,000. Each guide contradicts itself: HomeGuide gives labor as about 80% of the cost and also says landscapers charge about 115% more than the cost of sod, plants and shrubs, and Fixr's own quarter-acre average of $10,000 works out to far less than its $5 to $20 range. A whole-yard total is not in the calculator for that reason. Forbes Home puts the average at $9,000, with a range of $2,000 to $25,000 in its table (its key takeaways say as much as $50,000) and $5 to $20 per square foot, in line with the table above.
Cost by size of the area
| Area | Basic | Planting beds | Xeriscape | Full redo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200 sq ft | $800–$2,400 | $1,800–$2,400 | $1,200–$3,600 | $2,400–$8,000 |
| 500 sq ft | $2,000–$6,000 | $4,500–$6,000 | $3,000–$9,000 | $6,000–$20,000 |
| 1000 sq ft | $4,000–$12,000 | $9,000–$12,000 | $6,000–$18,000 | $12,000–$40,000 |
| 2000 sq ft | $8,000–$24,000 | $18,000–$24,000 | $12,000–$36,000 | $24,000–$80,000 |
| 5000 sq ft | $20,000–$60,000 | $45,000–$60,000 | $30,000–$90,000 | $60,000–$200,000 |
Enter only the area you will actually landscape, not the whole lot. Sod and seed are covered on the sod installation page and are not repeated here.
What changes the price
- Type of work. Basic planting costs a fraction of a full redo with walls, paving and drainage.
- Area. The total is the per-square-foot rate times the area.
- Plants. Mature trees and specialty plants cost far more than seed and small shrubs.
- The site. Slopes, poor soil and drainage problems add grading and wall work.
- Hardscape. Patios, walls and paths are the costliest parts of a project.
- Where you live. The calculator adjusts the labor share for your state's landscaping wages.
Extras to expect
| Item | Typical cost | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Landscape design plan | $700–$7,000 | A drawn plan from a designer |
| Sprinkler system | $1,700–$5,200 | Automatic watering |
| Retaining wall | $3,250–$10,000 | A sloped yard |
| Grading the yard | $0.40–$2 per sq ft | A yard that slopes toward the house or holds water |
The parts of a yard have their own pages: sod installation cost, sprinkler system installation cost, retaining wall cost, paver installation cost and artificial turf installation cost. Related jobs: tree removal cost, stump grinding cost, French drain installation cost, fence installation cost, concrete patio cost and pergola cost.
Questions to ask before you hire
- Is the price per square foot or a flat price for the plan, and what does it include?
- Is design, soil preparation, plants, mulch and irrigation in the price?
- How big are the plants and trees at planting, and is there a warranty on them?
- Who pulls any permits, for example for walls?
- Can the work be done in phases to spread out the cost?
Methodology and sources
We price each type of work from published guides, take the middle of their lows, midpoints and highs, and adjust the labor share for your state's wages. Forbes Home is used as an independent cross-check. Read how we estimate costs.
- HomeGuide: landscaping costs — price per square foot by type, extras, labor share
- Angi: landscaping cost — national average, price by area, labor share
- Fixr: landscaping cost — price per square foot, design fees, irrigation
- Forbes Home: landscaping cost — used as an independent cross-check
- BLS OEWS May 2025, State (SOC 37-3011, Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers) — state labor index
What each source reports
Our estimate does not rely on any single page. This table lists each page we used and the figures it reports, so you can see where the ranges come from.
| Source | What it reports |
|---|---|
| HomeGuide |
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| Angi |
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| Fixr |
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Common questions about landscaping costs
How much does landscaping cost?
A typical job (1,000 sq ft, basic) comes to about $8,000 nationally, within a range of $4,000 to $12,000. Use the calculator above to adjust for your state, the options you choose and any extras.
What is the landscaping cost per square foot?
About $4–$12 for basic landscaping, $9–$12 for planting beds, $6–$18 for a xeriscape and $12–$40 for a full redo. HomeGuide gives $4 to $12 and Angi $4.50 to $12.
How much does it cost to landscape a 1,000 sq ft yard?
About $4,000–$12,000 for basic landscaping. Angi puts 1,000 sq ft at $4,500 to $12,000.
How much does it cost to landscape a small area?
A 200 sq ft area costs about $800–$2,400. Angi puts 200 sq ft at $900 to $2,400.
What is the average cost of landscaping a yard?
Angi puts the national average at $3,517, typically $1,248 to $6,069. Fixr puts it at $10,000, typically $8,000 to $15,000, so the guides disagree a great deal.
How much does a landscape designer cost?
About $700–$7,000 for a plan. HomeGuide puts design at $700 to $3,000, and Fixr puts a detailed plan at $2,000 to $7,000.
How much does a sprinkler system add?
About $1,700–$5,200. See our sprinkler system installation page for more detail.
How much does a retaining wall add?
About $3,250–$10,000. Angi puts it at $3,250 to $9,000 and Fixr at $3,500 to $10,000.
How much does yard grading cost?
About $0.40–$2 per sq ft, according to HomeGuide.
How much of the cost is labor?
HomeGuide puts labor at about 80% of the total and Angi at 40% to 65%, so the calculator uses 65%.
Where do these prices come from?
They come from 3 published cost pages from 3 publishers, last checked Oct 10, 2026. We report what those pages say and do not invent figures; the table above shows each source.
How does my state change the estimate?
The labor part of the price is scaled by the average wage for the relevant trade in your state, using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Materials and equipment are not adjusted.
Why might a contractor's quote differ from this estimate?
A quote reflects your specific scope, access, local demand and what the contractor includes. Ask for line items rather than a single total so you can compare bids on the same basis.
All 3 sources behind these prices
Every figure in the calculator comes from one or more of these pages, with the number each one supports in the link text.