How much should you pay your gardener for regular or one-off maintenance?
Please note: These suggestions are for maintenance gardening only and not landscaping or tree surgery as these are different disciplines with even higher costs involved.
Gardening Credentials
There are many different gardening qualifications but no minimum standard - and most people wouldn't know the difference between an RHS, BSC or NVQ. Instead, we believe that a gardener's prices should reflect value for money depending on their gardening credentials, level of service and professionalism.
When you compare gardeners do you only compare their hourly rate or do you ask about insurance, tools, experience, licenses and qualifications (including in-house training courses from larger firms/franchises)?
Starting points
Become familiar with the prices of comparable gardeners - not just price but credentials too! Our member profiles are a good way to compare what's on offer among career gardeners.
You should also think about what you want for your garden - maintenance or 'manicure'. A 'manicured' garden will take many more hours to maintain. For many, maintaining their garden is a priority whilst a manicured garden is a luxury. Standard maintenance will normally be charged at a fixed price whereas a manicured garden will likely be charged at an hourly rate.
What is the gardener offering you?
If the gardener offers you nothing but labour then the minimum wage in the UK is around £5.50 phr. Good luck to you - he is unlikely to be insured and will probably need you to stay at home so he can use your tools. The less he charges the less he offers. If he breaks a tool you will have to pay for it. If he hurts himself using your tools YOU are liable. If he doesnt charge very much, and gardening isn't his career, is he likely to have insurance? Is he likely to be reliable or will he only work when it suits him? There is a saying - if you buy cheap you buy twice.
The less a gardener charges the longer he is likely to take - afterall, what incentive does he have to hurry?.
A professional gardener will easily spend £3000+ on tools and these will need to be repaired/maintained/replaced. In addition, he will need to pay for insurance, tax, waste disposal costs, advertising, vehicle maintenance etc.
Having spent thousands of pounds on tools, insurance and training a professional gardener will be proud to tell you why he is worth his fees. His prices will likely start from £12- £20 per man hour depending on regional variations and the type of work involved. For example, you would reasonably expect to pay more for work when :
- The element of risk increases such as a combination of height and sharp cutting tools
- When petrol tools are required - these are expensive to buy, need maintenance and fuel
- When specialist knowledge and training is required.
To make his time worthwhile, a professional gardener will need to have a full diary and will likely have a minimum call out fee i.e. 2 hours.
Although he may charge more and work faster - being experienced and familiar with his own professional tools will result in a superior finish. His insurance will put things right in an accident and you are not responsible if he hurts himself on his own tools. He has an incentive to do a good job - his reputation as a professional and the prospect of repeat business and recommendations. His professional tools have achieved much more in the time - giving you value for money.
We would expect a professional plumber or electrician to have credentials comparable to all of those mentioned before. They would likely earn a minimum of £150 per day, have a call out charge and will work long hours. A professional gardener is an equally worthy tradesman and will achieve much more, far more safely than a casual labourer.
While the fees charged by our members will vary according to their service, seasonal demand and regional variations, we would ask you to support those gardeners who offer you value for money and who provide a genuine service.
Saving money with a professional gardener
Save money and help your gardener by doing the right job at the right time! Garden maintenance is required all year around. Spread the cost by :
* Asking your gardener for help when work is really required at the right time of the year.
* Talk to him about how to simplify your garden i.e. mulching borders so you don't have to weed so often.
* Stay in contact with your gardener by asking him to cut your lawn regularly - often a fixed price service.
If you do this he will likely give you priority over any ad-hoc or new customers when you need hedges pruned, planting, soft landscaping etc - especially during the colder months.
Our free monthly email will help you know when to call your gardener and make the most of his time.