New sod? Check.
Cool plants? Check.
Paver patio? Yup.
All in plain sight.
But what about the hidden costs of landscaping? We’re not talking about anything shady here, nothing that would make a great spy novel.
But are there landscaping project costs you didn’t include in your budget?
Check out more about the costs of landscaping, including:
- How Much Do Landscapers Charge in Florida?
- Hidden Costs of Landscaping Include Drainage Issues
- Plan for Permits and Engineering Plans in the Costs of Landscaping
- Irrigation System Changes Can Be Hidden Landscaping Costs
- Landscaping Costs Can Include Sod Repair
- Costs of Landscaping Include Ongoing Maintenance
- Landscaping Project Costs: Water Usage
Drainage work. Maybe civil engineering plans. Permits. The cost to water all that green growing stuff.
It's a lot to consider. Read on to learn more.
First, How Much Do Landscapers Charge in Florida?
What’s a good landscaping budget?
This is the kind of question that makes landscapers heave heavy sighs.
As you might imagine, the price range for landscaping projects in Central Florida is huge.
“It's like asking someone ‘How much is a house?’” Frisch notes.
“If you're looking for a simple front yard curb-appeal redo, that could be as little as $2,500 for a small house with small plants, or it could be $15,000,” he says.
Make that $15,000 to $40,000 for all new sod, plants, trees, and mulch for a typical $400,000 to $700,000 house that already has a working irrigation system and needs no hardscape.
“When you add in hardscape, irrigation systems, lighting, drainage, or other special requests, the price can balloon a lot,” Frisch says. “Like anything, you get what you pay for. The bigger the plants are, the more they cost. The more complicated the installation, the more money goes towards labor.”
That all seems pretty upfront. What about the hidden costs of landscaping? Let’s bring them out into the light:
Hidden Costs of Landscaping in Orlando Include Drainage Issues
“Just because we don't have basements doesn't mean you can't have water intrusion into the house between the block wall and the slab the house was built on,” Frisch says.
It can get soggy around here.
“Drainage will really depend on each lot and what part of town you live in,” Frisch says.
He says homes in newer Orlando communities tend to be built on swamps with poor drainage and heavy soil clay. That causes water to sit on top of the soil longer, instead of steadily soaking in.
Plenty of drainage solutions, from French drains to improved grading, add to your landscaping cost in Central Florida.
“Drainage systems can be quite expensive, depending upon how much you rely on French drains or how much linear feet of piping needs to be buried if you have longer distances to cover,” Frisch says. “We try to work with gravity as much as possible to get water away from the house and to the edges of the property.” Still, many municipalities don’t allow you to just redirect excess water out to the street.
It’s a good idea to check your local building codes for handling drainage.
“Gutters are also your friend because we can direct the roof runoff to pipes and move it away from the house,” Frisch says.
Plan for Permits and Engineering Plans in the Costs of Landscaping
Not every landscaping project requires a permit, Frisch says, but they are needed for structures, pavers, slabs, new irrigation systems or drainage systems.
Permits can run $150-$500 depending on your city or county.
Heads up: Those landscaping costs increase if your structure, retaining wall or drainage system needs a civil engineer to draw up the plans, Frisch says.
“Landscape designers aren’t able to simply make a plan and turn it in if the job requires engineering of any kind,” he says. “If walls or drainage are being done, it may also be a requirement to have a topographical survey completed.”
We’re willing to bet you didn’t think “topographical survey” while picking out retaining wall blocks.
“This is needed to show grade changes and allow the engineer or designer to show how tall walls are or where water is going to be flowing or captured on site,” Frisch says.
These plans can run $1,000-$1,500 depending on the extent of information needed.
Irrigation System Changes Can Be Hidden Landscaping Costs in Orlando
If you’re adding hardscape or significantly changing your landscape design, chances are several of your existing irrigation system zones will have to be changed or re-routed.
Maybe you’re adding planting beds to an area that used to be just sod. That means the rotor heads great for watering lawns may need to be converted to spray heads, better for landscape plants.
“These modifications could be minor, or require multiple zones to be completely gutted and re-piped,” Frisch says. “Just to be safe, set aside about $1,500-$2,000 for irrigation work on any job you plan to do in the back yard.”
Front yards don’t usually pose as much of an issue, he says, since driveways and sidewalks will change very little and beds likely already exist along your front foundation.
Central Florida Landscaping Costs Can Include Sod Repair
Sod can be damaged when landscape construction requires the use of multiple machines and crew members.
When all is said and done, Frisch says, “several pallets of sod might need to be replaced.”
Want Natural Stone? That’ll Cost You
Central Florida has lots of great stuff, from oranges to costumed mice, but natural stone is not on that list.
“We barely have any natural stone in the state, so if you want rock, just know it's being shipped to our vendors from pretty far out of the state,” Frisch says. Freight costs add up.
Costs of Landscaping in Orlando Includes Ongoing Maintenance
Will you do your own lawn maintenance or hire a Central Florida landscaping company?
“Fertilizer and pest control are pretty much a requirement if you want to keep the lawn looking good and feed the plants,” Frisch says.
Even he hires one, and he’s a landscaping pro. Why keep a bunch of chemicals in your garage and try to keep track of scheduling fungicides, fertilizer and pesky pest control?
“Plus, it's good to have someone qualified to diagnose a problem if you start to see issues in the lawn or on the plants,” Frisch says. “YouTube is not going to be specific enough to help you understand the problem.”
Central Florida Landscaping Project Costs: Water Usage
All that green-growing stuff needs water.
“I would always budget for water usage,” Frisch says. “If you don't water your sod and plants in the drier winter months, expect the hot spring to really take a toll on your lawn.
“If you have a larger property, consider installing a well,” Frisch suggests. “They can run several thousand dollars, but you have a free water source — minus the cost to run electricity to the pump.” That can definitely reduce your Orlando landscaping costs.
You might need to add a filtration system, too, he says, to avoid minerals in the ground from staining hard surfaces. Certain areas of Central Florida have more mineral content than others.
“Check with your well installer to see if they have any historical info on what issues might be in the ground water,” he suggests.
If you live on a lake, see if you can install a lake pump to pull water from the lake.
Check Your Contract for Landscaping Costs
Make sure your contract details the costs of your landscaping project so you know exactly what you’re getting for your money.
While you can't anticipate everything that comes with a landscaping project, your contract should help cover common contingencies and answer many of your questions before the exciting work begins.
Keep Orlando Landscaping Costs Out in the Open with Ground Source
The hidden landscaping costs aren’t so hidden if you get the scoop from your landscape designer.
They know how much all this stuff costs and can help you understand where the money goes — and sometimes it goes to places you can’t even see, like important drainage issues or necessary engineering plans.
Need expert insight into landscaping, landscape planning and project budgets in Central Florida? Talk to us.
We’re landscape experts, but our skills don’t stop there. We’re with you every step of the way as you plan your perfect outdoor space.
Sod, irrigation, landscape design: Let us transform your landscape from an embarrassing eyesore to a place you spend every spare minute.
Are you ready to enjoy the vibrant, impressive landscape you've always wanted? Request a quote today! We’ll help you review your options and then transform your property.
