Comparing Landscaping Quotes? Make Sure You're Comparing the Same Thing

You’ve met with three landscaping companies.

They’ve all looked at the same garden. You’ve explained what you want. And eventually, three quotations arrive.

£26,000.

£33,000.

£41,000.

Same garden. Same patio. Same lawn. Same basic layout.

So how can there possibly be £15,000 between them?

It’s a perfectly reasonable question.

But when it comes to landscaping, the figures at the bottom of three quotations rarely tell the whole story.

Because although the finished gardens being quoted might look similar on paper, what’s actually being allowed for — and what will ultimately be built — can be very different.

Three Quotes Doesn't Necessarily Mean Three Like-for-Like Prices

You’ll often hear the advice:

“Get three quotes and compare them.”

There’s nothing wrong with getting several quotations. In fact, for a significant investment in your home, it can be very sensible.

The problem comes when you compare the final prices without comparing what you're actually getting for those prices.

One landscaper may have allowed for considerably more excavation.

Another may have specified a different sub-base construction.

One may include drainage provision, waste removal and electrical certification. Another may not.

Materials that look very similar in photographs can vary considerably in quality and cost.

And one quotation may have been carefully calculated from realistic labour requirements, while another may simply have underestimated how long the project will take.

Suddenly, those three prices aren't quite as comparable as they first appeared.

Most of Your Garden Is the Bit You Can't See

One of the biggest difficulties when comparing landscaping quotations is that much of what determines the longevity of your garden eventually disappears underground.

Take a porcelain patio.

Once completed, you see the porcelain.

You don't see the excavation beneath it, the preparation of the ground, the sub-base, compaction, falls, drainage considerations, mortar bed or installation products.

Yet these are some of the most important parts of the installation.

The same applies to retaining walls, decking, artificial lawns, fencing and many other elements of a landscaped garden.

The finished surface might look similar on day one.

The difference often becomes apparent several winters later.

You're Buying More Than Materials and Labour

When you appoint a landscaping company, the quotation isn't simply paying for paving, timber, turf and somebody to install them.

Depending on the company you choose, you're also paying for things such as:

• Proper planning and project management

• Experienced installation teams

• Appropriate construction methods

• Quality materials

• Drainage considerations

• Waste management

• Qualified trades where required

• Insurance and health & safety procedures

• Communication throughout the project

• Guarantees and support after completion

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These things all cost money to provide.

They aren't necessarily the exciting parts of a garden transformation, but they're often the things that make the experience — and the finished garden — considerably better.

Why Can One Landscaping Quote Be Thousands of Pounds Cheaper?

There isn't one answer.

Sometimes a contractor genuinely has lower overheads.

A small landscaping business can provide excellent workmanship while operating with significantly lower costs than a larger company.

Sometimes different contractors simply approach construction differently.

But there can also be less positive reasons.

Important work may not have been included.

Quantities may have been underestimated.

Waste removal allowances may differ.

Lower-cost materials may have been specified.

Less time may have been allowed for preparation.

Or the quotation may simply not contain enough detail to establish exactly what is included.

That doesn't automatically make the cheaper quotation wrong.

It does mean it's worth understanding why it's cheaper.

Look Beyond the Bottom Line

Before deciding which quotation offers the best value, ask each contractor the same questions.

What preparation and excavation has been allowed for?

How will the different elements actually be constructed?

What materials and products are being specified?

How is drainage being considered?

Is waste removal included, and what happens if more is required?

Who will manage the project and be my point of contact?

Are specialist works, such as electrics, completed and certified appropriately?

What happens if additional work is discovered once excavation begins?

What guarantee is provided after completion?

You'll often learn considerably more from those answers than you will from comparing three totals.

The Cheapest Quote Isn't Always the Cheapest Garden

Imagine receiving quotations for £20,000 and £27,000.

Saving £7,000 understandably sounds attractive.

But if part of the installation needs substantial remedial work three years later, that initial saving can disappear remarkably quickly.

Equally, paying £38,000 doesn't automatically mean you're receiving better workmanship.

Price alone tells you surprisingly little.

The objective shouldn't necessarily be to find the cheapest landscaper.

It should be to find the company offering the right combination of quality, specification, reliability, professionalism and price for your project.

That's what represents genuine value.

Where Does Proterior Fit Into This?

We'll be upfront.

Proterior won't always be the cheapest landscaping quotation you receive.

We're comfortable with that.

Our quotations are based on what we believe is genuinely required to complete the work properly, using appropriate construction methods, quality materials and an experienced team.

We don't believe in reducing specifications simply to make a quotation more attractive.

We also don't want to win a project by deliberately underestimating what it will take to complete it.

Our approach includes careful planning, experienced installation teams, project management, appropriate insurance, qualified specialist trades where required and clear communication throughout the project.

Those things have a cost.

But for clients making a significant investment in their home, we believe they also have considerable value.

So, Should You Get Three Landscaping Quotes?

Absolutely, if that's what makes you comfortable with your decision.

Just don't assume that three companies quoting for the same garden are necessarily quoting for the same job.

Read the specifications.

Ask questions.

Look at previous projects.

Read customer reviews.

Understand who's actually going to be working at your property.

And find out exactly what you're getting for your investment.

Because when you're investing tens of thousands of pounds into your garden, choosing the right company can matter considerably more than choosing the lowest number.

Compare the companies. Compare the specifications. Compare the service.

Then compare the price.