Before getting started on your landscaping project, it’s important that you accurately estimate how much it is going to cost you from start to finish. If you are hiring a landscaping company to do the work for you, then you should expect them to come to your home, assess the site and work out the costs of all materials.
However if you have decided to tackle the job yourself, then the responsibility of estimating the costs and materials will fall on you. It is important that you make an accurate estimate to ensure that you don’t run out of funds half way through the project and leave your yard in a bigger mess than before you started.
To begin with you need to take measurements of the yard or area that requires work so that you know how much materials are required. Then, using your landscape design, you need to source the materials that are going to be used. The cost of materials can vary between landscape materials suppliers and can vary widely in different regions depending in part on the distance the materials have to be shipped. If you plan to use Tennessee fieldstone, the price you pay at your landscape supplier in Florida will be significantly higher than the cost at the quarry in Tennessee due to the shipping costs.
Also, remember that quality materials may cost a little more but they will benefit you in the long run. In addition to hardscaping materials such as natural stone and cement don’t forget to include the softscaping materials such as soil, plants, shrubs, and trees. You need to have an idea of what plants, shrubs and trees you want as the prices of these items can vary dramatically. Again, native local plants and trees are generally less expensive and will grwo weel in your climate.
