Good question! It really depends upon the size of your budget and the complexity of the job that you want accomplished.  As with many professions, landscape design costs tend to vary according to the size of the project and your location. As a landscape designer in New York City, costs for landscape design and garden design are proportional to the cost of living in this metropolitan area.

The landscape design plan becomes the roadmap to move forward, where every connection will be made above and below ground. If the project is installed immediately or in phases, it becomes the single document that tells each contractor what the others will be doing today or years down the road. Whether you build it all now or spread installation over many years, always design your entire project up front.

You cannot estimate the cost of a job until you have a plan.

Regardless of the cost of implementing the landscape design plan, it’s essence should remain true.  Once you have a garden design or landscape design plan finalized it can be distilled down or embellished based upon your allocation. It should be a custom job suited to you and only you. Your lifestyle, your family, your needs, your aspirations. It should address the challenges that you presently have.  Whether it’s a small job or a grand job.  Whether it’s $5,000 or $500,000.

The Landscaping Network offers “that if you have to compromise to achieve a budget, consider changes in materials or creative use of lesser expensive and readily available materials first. The overall layout of the design should be the last thing to be modified, because if the designer has done a good job, this layout will be the optimal solution for your lifestyle and the site.

As the term suggests, a garden designer drafts a design for how your new landscape will look. Drawings are produced (including 3D) so you can see how your garden will look before any of the actual work begins so you are not left disappointed on completion.

Garden design costs in Park Slope, Brooklyn Heights, Carroll Gardens or Cobble Hill are proportional to the cost of living in that metropolitan area. 

A landscape design in Greenwich, Connecticut is proportional to the cost of living in that suburban location. 

In terms of total costs, a landscape designer’s service may cost between $1,500 and $6,000 for a landscape design plan.  The larger the garden, the more the designer is likely to charge. Some properties encompassing a swimming pool, tennis court and large acreage may incur a total cost of $7,500 or more. This is because the landscape designer will need to spend more time drawing and/or implementing a design for a larger space.

Services provided thereafter such as designer correspondence, on-site visits during construction, project management, budgeting, planning and implementation of the design are usually charged by the hour. On average, these services may cost around $60 - $200, again depending on the designer’s individual fee structure.

There will be immense improvements in the way you will live and experience your home – even in terms of the returns on reselling. While garden design may seem like a luxury, it’s a crucial aspect to building, renovating or improving any home. No different than the services of an architect or interior designer. And you may be surprised by just how much value a garden designer can add to your real estate asset.

HGTV states—“Know what you want to spend and talk budget up front with your landscape professional.  If you're unsure what to budget, the American Society of Landscape Architects suggests to start with 5 percent to 10 percent of your home's worth. The good news: a good landscape design can add as much as 15 percent to the value of your home compared to other houses on your street.”