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We have a home in the woods and basically wanted the front yard leveled with about 5,000 s.f. of ground cover (not sod but natural), about a 15' x 15' patio with a simple stone wood firepit, about a 25' x 4' flagstone walkway, and some plantings, and the quote came to $45,000! We were totally unprepared for that, as we thought this would be about $12,000, at most! (The plantings and topsoil in the estimate came to about $21,000, and the patio and firepit area was about $23,000.) So, just to get an idea of exactly how "outrageous" the quote was -- or to discover that this estimate WAS reasonable --
-- If you are a landscaper, what would your estimate be based on the above (say, within $5,000), OR
-- If you are a homeowner, what did your landscaping cost?
Without knowing any of the particulars and a scope of work that the contractor has come up with, it’s impossible to determine if it’s a fair price. You have absolutely no way to qualify this price!
If a landscape architect or site design firm had established a plan with details and spes’s, you could have competitively bid the work to several contractors so you would be comparing apples to apples. It would also create accurate boundaries for a specific contract that equates to an initial cost that could actually save you money and possible disputes with the contractor doing the work.
We have a home in the woods and basically wanted the front yard leveled with about 5,000 s.f. of ground cover (not sod but natural), about a 15' x 15' patio with a simple stone wood firepit, about a 25' x 4' flagstone walkway, and some plantings, and the quote came to $45,000! We were totally unprepared for that, as we thought this would be about $12,000, at most! (The plantings and topsoil in the estimate came to about $21,000, and the patio and firepit area was about $23,000.) So, just to get an idea of exactly how "outrageous" the quote was -- or to discover that this estimate WAS reasonable --
-- If you are a landscaper, what would your estimate be based on the above (say, within $5,000), OR
-- If you are a homeowner, what did your landscaping cost?
Thanks in advance!
I've done all my own landscaping, with the assistance of my yard helpers. I did have guys who removed the deck, which was a fire safety hazard (it covered my outside stairwell exit). I replaced the deck with a mulched patio area with mixed evergreen plantings bordered with a raised flower bed. It also has rubber "stepping stones" to my side entrance. I've created 10 additional planting beds in the front and back yard and added mulch as well, and borders for the brick walkway in front. I did get solar lights for the walkway borders, which added a really nice touch. I'd say that all of the soil, mulch, plants, and labor (not including mine) totaled about $5K or so. Nothing is left of the old yard except 3 roses, 2 hollies, and 4 azaleas. I now have over 100 perennials, evergreens, shrubs, and trees and I recently planted over 300 bulbs.
Get multiple bids to compare to. My WAG would be the contractor can't get his tractors in to level the yard so you are paying for hand labor. Most contractors use machines and in cases where they can't it sends the cost through the roof.
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