How much does landscaping cost in Virginia?

Landscaping in Virginia has no standard price because no two jobs share a plan: a few foundation shrubs and a whole-yard design with new beds, trees, grading and irrigation are different projects. What you will pay comes down to how many plants you buy and at what size, how much soil and site work the yard needs, whether you hire a designer, and which licensed trades the job involves. The way to a real number is a written plan and comparable written bids.

What drives the price

Design

Design ranges widely. A sketch for one bed costs far less than a scaled whole-property plan with planting lists, hardscape and lighting. Some design-build firms charge for the plan and credit it against installation; ask before you commit.

Plants: how many, how big, what kind

Plants are often a large share of a planting quote, and two decisions set that line. The first is spacing. Closer spacing fills a bed faster but means buying more plants; wider spacing costs less and takes longer to fill in.^[1] The second is size at purchase. Larger plants cost more and are heavier to move and plant, but they give an immediate look.

The form matters too. Most shrubs are sold container-grown, and a small share as balled-and-burlapped (B&B) plants.^[1] Large B&B trees and shrubs often need more than one person or a machine to set, which shows up in labor.

Soil preparation

Good beds are prepared before anything is planted. For a mass planting, Virginia Tech recommends working 3 to 5 inches of organic matter into the whole bed, to the depth of the root balls.^[1] If the existing soil is full of rock or construction debris, it should be replaced with local topsoil,^[1] which is common around new houses and adds hauling and material.

A soil test is the cheapest way to avoid paying for amendments you do not need. Virginia Tech's soil lab listed its routine soil test at $10.00 for in-state samples, with soluble salts $2.00 and organic matter $4.00 extra, when we checked on October 27, 2026.^[4]

Clearing weeds and turf

Turning lawn or a weedy area into beds takes time. Invasive plants and tough perennial weeds such as nutsedge or bermudagrass should be controlled before planting, which can take several herbicide treatments months ahead.^[2] If your contractor will spray, know that anyone who applies pesticides on someone else's property for pay must work for a company with a Pesticide Business License.^[8]

Grading, walls, drainage and irrigation

Site work changes the price faster than plants do. Grading, retaining walls for landscaping and landscaping timbers fall under Virginia's landscape service contracting specialty,^[7] and irrigation and outdoor sprinkler systems are a separate licensed specialty.^[7] Any digging also needs a utility locate: contact Virginia 811 at least 3 working days in advance.^[11] The locate is free;^[11] working around buried lines can add labor.

Access, cleanup and aftercare

A backyard reached only through a narrow gate, a steep slope or heavy clay usually means more hand labor. Ask whether the quote includes hauling away debris and old plants, mulch, and how long the contractor stands behind the plants. A replacement policy is worth paying for on a large planting.

Licences, bids and deposits

Virginia sets contractor licence classes by job value. Under the Code of Virginia, a Class C contractor licence covers a single job worth over $1,000 but less than $30,000,^[6] and Class B covers $30,000 or more but less than $150,000.^[6] Check any business on DPOR's License Lookup^[10] before you sign.

Virginia's Board for Contractors advises homeowners to get at least three written bids based on identical plans and specifications,^[9] and warns that a bid substantially lower than the others probably means a mistake or work left out.^[9] Its rule of thumb is an initial deposit of no more than 10% of the total price or $1,000, whichever is less,^[9] or up to 30% when the job needs custom-made items or special orders.^[9] Virginia law requires licensed contractors to give a written contract for residential work.^[9]

Ways to spend less

• Phase the work. Plant trees first, then shrubs, then perennials over two or three seasons.
• Buy smaller and space for mature size. Smaller plants cost less and fill in over time.
• Keep what works. Healthy existing shrubs that suit the plan save money.
• Look for cost-share. Through the Virginia Conservation Assistance Program, conservation landscaping practices, including mulched beds and tree plantings, were reimbursed at 80% of total costs, with a maximum payment of $7,000, when we checked on October 27, 2026.^[5] Ask your local Soil and Water Conservation District whether your project qualifies before work starts.

Is it worth it?

A 1999 survey in seven states, summarized by Virginia Cooperative Extension, found that the increase in perceived value from no landscape to a well-landscaped one ranged from 5.5 percent to 11.4 percent across states.^[3] The same research found that very minimal landscapes, with a simple design and small plants, detracted from value,^[3] and that design sophistication and plant size were the factors that most affected perceived value.^[3] Good planning, not just more plants, is where the money shows. Our guide to planning a landscape design walks through the plan itself.

Stop and call a pro if

• The yard needs regrading, a retaining wall or drainage work, which is licensed specialty work.
• You want irrigation installed or repaired.
• The project is large enough to need a scaled plan; see how to choose a landscape designer.
• Large trees need to come down before the new planting goes in.

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