Anyone did their own landscaping vs hiring someone? Cost difference?

I have done a fair amount around my houses and growing up when my parents moved or built a house we did a lot of our own landscaping.

Whatever the plants you want cost, you can figure 3-4 times that is what it will cost to get it planted professionally.

Pay attention to the spacing suggested on the label. Otherwise the plant will fill in and be too close and be higher maintenance trying to keep it pruned back. We spend a lot of time and effort trying to get a naturally 6 foot high bush not to block a window or keeping plants from overtaking sidewalks.

Builders plant too close for instant curb appeal and some landscapers will charge more for the additional (and within a few short years frequently unncessasary plantings) so they have incentive to plant too close together.

Some other advice is to dig a $20.00 hole for a $5.00 plant--meaning work the soil well, use ammendments and don't just dig it so the hole is only big enough for the pot it came out of. That is also a good reason to do it yourself if you get satisfaction from DIY stuff. Many of the people you hire will only do the minimum to complete the job and get paid.

If you're just planting stuff and not digging massive holes, I would do it yourself.

Hiring a crew is worth it when you have large amounts of mulch, large plants, and any type of hardscape

I did this, hauled from Forest Hill and paid to have installed. I got much better plants for half the price.

The word "landscaping" can mean different things. If you need grading, drainage, irrigation, lighting, hardscape, planning, etc. hire a professional landscape architect and use their crew. Costs will be in $1000's per day.

If you are fine with your yard as it is, draw your own plans and do all your own shopping and planting at your own pace...only if you enjoy the work. For quicker results work with a good local nursery that will deliver and plant for a reasonable fee.

The northern Gulf coast has a great many excellent wholesale and retail nurseries. It's a great area for DIY landscapers.

I am doing it myself with a little help. Got a guy who used to do landscaping to help at $300. Was just wondering the prices because I thought I was missing something. Talked to two people today who paid someone to do it for them, buy plants, till, haul dirt, plant and mulch for 5k. I’m doing all of that for 2k. I guess what materials, like amount of plants, mulch and other things factor but it’s not different from what I’m doing.

Let's delve into this a little more. I'm looking to pull the trigger on our landscape around Easter week and take a few days off. The landscape area has been tilled over and all grass removed. I've also installed a rock barrier around the house between the landscape and foundation.

The plan is to make it a small mound higher than the grass in front, plant shrubs and trees, and top with pine straw. Planning on borrowing a box trailer or something big and making a run to Forest hill and purchasing all the plants. I'm also going to work on planting 400' of sweet viburnum hedge which is why we're going wholesale.

I'm trying to find the best place around here to buy the extra soil i need in bulk or i may just make it out of bagged soils and supplements from lowes. I'm figuring 7CY is what it will take. Bulk prices and bag prices both come out to about $60-$70/CY.

What about weed barrier. I've seen people say yes and no for if it's required. I'd preferer no because when i eventually till this whole thing up in the future, don't want to deal with that. i stay on top of pre and post emergent so feel good about controlling weeds.

I'll also be installing a drip irrigation system that i have all the components for already.

What am i missing?


This is the look we're going for except not boxwoods, and instead of cone holly probably dwarf magnolias.....

So the fabric goes between the dirt and mulch?

On the dirt, this was landscape dirt with other additives like compost and moss and what not.

Great idea on the magnolias.

I have a small tractor to move dirt around if needed. But would still be finishing by hand.