This Harlem NY landscaping cost estimation guide involves changing the outlook of your property to improve its functionality and attractiveness. Although you may opt to do the necessary changes by yourself, most homeowners would rather hire a designer or landscaping contractor to improve the beauty of their property.
Having your property retouched by a professional landscaper turns it into an amazing haven while also boosting its value. The result? You’ll relish having to use your premises to its full potential. Even more, is that the professionals take on special and difficult tasks like pruning trees or creating a driveway with their special skills.
Cost Considerations For NY Landscaping
The average cost for landscaping design and erection of an average-sized yard measuring 1,200 sq. ft is about $13,200.
The cost of doing your landscape ranges based on several factors like the size of your premises, the features you want like, fire pit, front walk, etc, the type of plants and materials that will be used for the project, soil quality, access to machinery, location, addition or removal of soil.
Another main factor is the current state of the yard. If the house is still new and in a new locality, there is a higher probability of starting the landscaping from the basics.
But if you just want to upgrade the current landscape, the costs will have varying ranges based on if you chose to remove plants or destroy a concrete patio or pathway. You will spend between $400 – $600 if you have a 200 square feet area covered with unreinforced concrete.
Backyard vs Front Yard Landscaping
The front yard landscaping is mostly done to boost the attractiveness of your property while the backyard landscaping is often done to add new settings like a fire pit, a cool seating spot for outdoor dining, installing a kitchen garden, and reinforcing the boundaries of the grounds with plants and hedges, selecting plants and trees that contribute to the heating and cooling of the home and therefore cutting down on the energy costs and many others.
Landscaping Design Cost
Two key elements that make great landscaping includes careful planning and a holistic approach. For this reason, many homeowners opt to let either a landscape architect or a landscape designer do the work for them and make their choice landscape without exceeding their budget.
Also, homeowners who later decide to do the planting themselves still work with a designer at the initial phase of planning and design to prevent making avoidable expensive mistakes like planting a tree in proximity to the cornerstone of a building or growing sun-loving plants in a shadowy spot.
The designer understands your needs and then provides you with options of plants that do not cost much to maintain while also giving off amazing designs and complementing each other. While the work is at the design phase, the designer will check if the land needs re-sloping or grading.
This is necessary because a lack of proper water drainage from the foundation can cause issues to the building like mildew, mold, and water damage.
Doing these may cost you from $2,000 – $6,000 for the comprehensive plan. The designer may also add extra verbal consultation charges which can range between $80- $120 per hour.
Landscaping Cost Estimation: The Major Types
Hardscaping
In the course of landscaping and beautifying a premise, some inanimate elements will be used and they are known as hardscaping. Examples include gazebos, retaining walls, pathways, patios, etc.
They are often composed of metal, brick, wood, or stone. The cost of hardscaping varies according to the kind of elements that you desire to include in the landscape. The size and materials used in making a pergola can range between $3,000 and $5,000 and a retaining wall of 8ft height and 50 ft length can cost $13,700 or thereabouts.
Softscaping
The living elements used in a landscape that is bound to change as time goes on are known as soft-scaping. Examples include ornamental flowers and plants, trees, bushes, etc. You must find it easy to differentiate between perennials and annuals before you choose the plants you will use to landscape.
Plants that start and finish their growth cycle within one year are annuals. They are often very colorful like marigolds and mostly used to make flower beds. In the summer, they have a long blooming period. When using annuals that are not self-seeding, you will need to plant new seeds yearly.
On the other hand, perennials need more than a year to complete their life cycle and do not flower during the first year. Although perennials cost more than annuals they may be better off for homeowners as there is no need to replace them every year. The average cost of soft scaping is $11 per square ft.
Xeriscaping
This landscaping type is suited for drought-plagued areas and places that factor in water conservation. That does not imply that xeriscaping will give your grounds the features of a desert. To carry out xeriscaping, native plants are used together with other plants that share the same water needs to save water. It will cost about $12,000 to do professional xeriscaping of a 1,200 sq. ft premises.
Other Landscaping Costs To Consider
Sod vs Seeding Costs
People who are interested in using natural grass on their lawn can choose from sod and seed options. To create a lawn from seed, you will need to plant and grow the grass either by yourself or with the help of a landscaper.
The sod growing professional will grow out the seed for you if you go for the sod option. Sod is a composition of grown grass and a layer of soil in rug form which requires professional handling.
Seeding a lawn involves the addition of new grass to it. Factors that determine the cost include the type of seed, the lawn size, and how much prep work needs to be done. A new lawn can be built with seeding or it can be used to fill scanty patches on a current lawn.
Using fescue seeds on a 5,000 sq. ft. lawn costs $65 while Kentucky Bluegrass, Bermuda, Bahia seed on the same space costs $98.50, $100, and $105 respectively.
Mulch, soil, or rock costs
Many homeowners would rather have a home delivery of mulch, soil, or rock made because they lack trucks to carry it. While some landscaping contractors deliver at a fixed price, some others charge a fraction of the weight of the items they are to deliver. Also, the cost fluctuates with location and accessibility.
Costs of Installing A Fire Pit
The construction of a fire pit outdoors with brick costs $150 – $280, $180- $320 with stone, and $100 – $150 with steel. Constructing a brick fire pit requires two types of bricks; the regular bricks to fix the outer circle ($3-$4) and the firebricks to fix the inner circle ($1.20 for each piece).
Fix Curbing Costs
The finishing of the landscape is done with curbing or edging. Brick and concrete are the main materials used. There are two ways to do it, with poured concrete ($5-$13 per linear ft.) and preformed concrete blocks ($5-$10 per linear ft.). Poured concrete is the more expensive one although it is more attractive and requires less maintenance. Concrete edging is less expensive than Brick edging which costs $13-$18 per linear ft.
Building a Gazebo, Creating Landscaping, and Fixing an Outdoor Misting System
Gazebos come in handy as a glamorous outdoor living space that can be made of vinyl ($2,100-$3,600) or wood ($1,500-$2,500). The gazebos made of vinyl are more long-lasting and do not need much maintenance.
The cost of building a landscape for a new premise ranges from $5-$35 per sq. ft according to the design style, location, and materials.
The outdoor misting system is necessary to maintain a cool temperature on your premises even during summer. You can get a system of good quality for a price range of $1,800-$4,500. Labor and pump cost inclusive.
Installing a pergola and Creating a Water Fountain
If you need to provide shelter from the sun while also allowing the airflow to circulate well, then a pergola is necessary. It can be a great outdoor room and also a prop for vining flowers and plants. The average size of a pergola is 100 sq. ft. and can be gotten for $3,100.
Factors that influence the cost of installing a water fountain include, the size of the fountain, power supply, labor, and preparatory work needed and the type of fountain to be constructed. The materials used are marble ($1,500-$10,000), fiberglass and resin ($160-$500), glass ($4,000-$1,800), concrete ($200-$1,000), slate ($370-$550), stone ($370-$2,000), copper ($550 upwards), and rock ($200-$700).
Adding a sprinkler system
With a sprinkler system, you don’t have to expend much energy caring for your lawn and you save water at the same time. It will cost ($2,500-$3,500) to build a sprinkler system in an 8,000 sq. ft. lawn.
The items needed include a trenching machine ($150-$170 per day), standard PVC pipes ($400-$600), 10-15 pop up sprinkler heads($2-$4 per piece). Digging the trenches and repairing the lawn afterward will cost ($500-$1,000) and the total cost will also include labor ($1,080-$2,400).
Fix Turf and Installing Sod
Using artificial grass is more expensive than soda or seedlings. It costs $5-$20 per sq. ft but lasts longer and does not need much maintenance.
The average cost of sod installation, plugs, and labor is $0.65-$1.30 per sq. ft. The most popularly used sod types are the Fescue $0.25-$0.70 per sq. ft.), Zoysia ($0.40-$0.60 per sq. ft.), Bermuda ($0.40-$0.85 per sq. ft.), and St. Augustine ($0.30-$0.80 per sq. ft.)
Creating A Pond
Ponds are great in backyards. The factors that determine the cost of a pond include pond size, labor, liner, pump, type of filter, and shape.
Concrete liners last longer and cost $0.33-$0.43 per gallon, a prefabricated plastic liner allows easy installation and cleaning and costs $0.80-$1.20 per gallon. For flexible and adjustable, the rubber liners come in handy and cost $0.16-$0.20 per gallon.
The most expensive is the fiberglass liners and costs $3.53-$5.88 per gallon. The internal pond filters cost $150, skimmers go for $150-$250 and external pond filters cost $80-$130. You can use any of them.
Installing a Pathway and Fencing
The cost of installing a pathway depends on the material, preparatory work, design, and size used. It costs $5-$16 per sq. ft for a concrete pathway, and the cost of the brick, natural stone, and pavers cost $8-$12 per sq. ft., $18-$30 per sq. ft., and $10-$25 per sq. ft. respectively.
The installation costs of fencing depend on the area, material, accessibility of the site, and preparatory work. The cheapest material is the chain link at $6-$8 per sq. ft. Other materials like wood, wrought iron, and vinyl cost $9-$15, $20-$30, and $20-$40.
Average Cost of Landscaping Maintenance
Generally, it will cost about ($75-$100 for an 8,000 sq. ft. lawn or $45-$75 per hour) to carry out regular landscape maintenance. This is important to keep pests and diseases away from the plants and to protect the appearance of the lawn from being disfigured by weeds or brown patches.
The maintenance services often incorporate mowing, leaf removal, mulching, pruning, and clipping. To avoid wasting time and effort, a landscape professional should handle the maintenance of your landscape.
Conclusion
This is where we call it a wrap on our Harlem NY Landscaping Cost Estimation Guide. Have your property worked on by a professional landscaper who will turn it into a spectacle? The professionals take on difficult tasks like pruning trees or creating a driveway with their special skills.
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