How much does it cost to have shrubs planted in Virginia?

No one can give an honest per-shrub price for all of Virginia, because a shrub planting quote is mostly two things that vary enormously: the plants themselves and the labor to put them in the ground properly. A few small container shrubs tucked into an existing bed is a short job. A row of large evergreens along a foundation, with old shrubs pulled out and the soil rebuilt, is a different job entirely. What you can control is the quote: ask for one that spells out every plant and every service, and you will know exactly what you are paying for.

What drives the price

Plant size and root ball. Most shrubs are sold as container-grown plants, and a small share as balled-and-burlapped (B&B) plants.^[1] Larger plants cost more at the nursery, and B&B root balls are heavy, so they take more labor to move and set.

Hole size. Proper planting is more digging than many people expect. Virginia Tech's guidance is a hole at least twice as wide as the shrub's root ball,^[1] and for trees, at least three to five times as wide as the root ball.^[2] A crew that digs narrow holes is cheaper on the day and costly later.

How many plants. Spacing is a trade-off between time and money: a closer spacing fills in faster but means buying more plants, while a wider spacing takes longer to fill in and costs less.^[1] For a hedge or screen, the spacing on the quote has a large effect on the total.

Soil and site work. This is where quotes differ most. Virginia Tech's advice is that if the original soil has too much rock or construction debris, replace it with local topsoil.^[1] For a mass planting, it suggests working 3 to 5 inches of organic matter into the entire bed, to the depth of the root balls,^[1] while for single shrubs the advice is not to add organic matter to an individual planting hole, since it generally does not improve growth or survival.^[1] Removing old overgrown shrubs and their roots, regrading, or fixing a wet spot all add labor.

Drainage. Wet soil reduces shrub growth and survival. Virginia Tech's test is simple: dig a hole, fill it with water, and "If the water doesn't drain in 24 hours, plant elsewhere."^[1] A site that fails needs different plants or drainage work, and drainage work is a bigger job than planting.

Access. Narrow side yards, steps, slopes and long carries from the truck all slow a crew down.

What you may not need to pay for

Fertilizer at planting. Virginia Tech notes that nursery plants, especially container-grown ones, have usually been well fertilized in production and may not need fertilizer at planting^[1] unless the soil is deficient. A soil test settles it cheaply: when we checked in October 2026, Virginia Tech's soil lab listed a routine soil test at $10.00.^[3]

Heavy mulch. The recommendation is to mulch 2 to 3 inches deep around each shrub, kept off the stems.^[1] Paying for a deep volcano of mulch promotes shallow roots, disease and pest injury,^[1] not value.

Aftercare is part of the cost

New shrubs live or die by watering in the first season. Container plants dry out fast, and Virginia Tech says to expect watering two to three times a week in summer during dry spells,^[1] while B&B plants usually need only weekly watering.^[1] Decide before you sign who does that. If it is you, budget your time; if it is the landscaper, it will be on the bill. Our guide to how often to water new plants covers the schedule, and why new plants wilt after planting covers what goes wrong.

Ask too what happens if a shrub dies in the first year. Replacement terms vary, and many are void if the plants were not watered, so get the terms in writing.

The utility locate

Planting means digging, and digging means a locate request. Virginia 811 tells homeowners, "From fences to gardens, for any digging project, contact Virginia 811 three days before"^[6] the work, and the locate service is free.^[6] Agree with the landscaper who requests it.

Help with the cost for native plantings

If you are replacing lawn with native shrubs and beds, look at the Virginia Conservation Assistance Program, an urban cost-share program run through Virginia's participating Soil and Water Conservation Districts.^[5] When we checked in October 2026, conservation landscaping, including mulched beds and tree plantings, was reimbursed at 80% of total costs, with a maximum payment of $7,000.^[4] Contact your district before any work starts.

Licences when the job grows

A planting-only job is simple. When a quote adds grading, a wall or drainage, licensing comes in. The Board for Contractors' landscape service contracting specialty covers the alteration or improvement of a land area not related to any other classification or service activity by means of excavation, clearing, grading, construction of retaining walls for landscaping purposes, or placement of landscaping timbers,^[8] and under Virginia law, a Class C contractor licence covers a single job worth over $1,000 but less than $30,000.^[7] Check the business on DPOR's License Lookup^[9] before you sign for that part of the work. For whether hiring out is worth it at all, see whether to pay a landscaper to plant shrubs and perennials.

Stop and call a pro if

• The shrubs are large balled-and-burlapped plants too heavy to move safely by hand.
• Old shrubs with big root systems have to come out first.
• The site fails the 24-hour drainage test, or water runs toward the house.
• The plan includes grading, a retaining wall, drainage pipe or irrigation.
• Utility marks run through the planting area.

Browse more lawn and landscaping answers, see garden and bed planting services, or look up lawn and landscaping businesses around Blacksburg. For quotes you can compare line by line, describe the job once and local businesses quote it.