It is the question most people want to ask first and often feel a bit awkward bringing up: what does this cost, and is it worth it? I would rather just answer it plainly, because the more you understand what you are paying for, the easier the decision becomes.
Design is a slice, not the whole
The first thing worth knowing is that the design is a small part of the overall budget. Most of what you spend on a garden goes into the build: the earthworks, paving, decking, fencing, soil, plants, and the labour to put it all in. The design fee sits in front of all of that. And because it shapes how that much larger spend gets used, getting it right is what protects the rest of your budget. A good plan is cheap insurance on an expensive build.
What the fee actually buys
It is easy to think you are paying for a nice drawing. You are not. You are paying for the thinking behind it. When I design a garden, the fee covers reading the site and its conditions, working out how the spaces should connect and flow, solving the awkward bits, choosing plants that will actually thrive there, and resolving all of it into a plan detailed enough that a builder or installer can price it and put it in without guessing. The drawing is just how that thinking gets delivered. The value is in the decisions made before the first sod is turned.
Why I send a proposal first, free
This is also why I send a personalised proposal before you commit to anything, at no cost and with no call required. It sets out exactly what your project would involve and what it would cost to design, so there are no surprises and no awkward sales pitch. You see the scope and the price up front, decide in your own time, and only go ahead if it stacks up for you. I would rather you said no early than felt pushed into a yes.
Where a design saves you money
The part people underestimate is how much a good design saves further down the line. It is the mistakes you never make. Paving that does not have to be lifted and relaid because the levels were wrong. Plants that do not die in their first summer because they were chosen for the spot. A planting plan that tells you the right number of plants to buy, once, rather than guessing and over-ordering. And builders price a clear, resolved plan more sharply than a vague idea, because they are not pricing in the risk of working it out as they go. Spend a little on getting it right and you usually spend less on the build, not more.
What it does not include
To be clear about what you are getting: I design, I do not build. You receive a build-ready plan, and from there I point you to trusted nurseries and install teams to bring it to life, and stay alongside you through that. Keeping the design independent of the build also means the plan is made for your garden, not to suit one builder’s preferences.
The honest version
A garden design is not the biggest cost in your project, but it is the one that decides how well the rest of the money gets spent. If you would like to know exactly what yours would cost to design, the proposal is free and there is no obligation either way.
Thinking about your own garden?
Every project starts with a free, no-obligation proposal. Tell me about your site and what you are after, and I will show you how I would approach it.
