Landscaping Cost Guide

Inside the actual 64-page edition

This original handbook follows a complete planning sequence: preface, zone records, soil and site questions, area and volume calculations, plants, irrigation, supporting work, phases and care handover. Chapters 2–20 each contain an explanation, an accurately worked hypothetical example and a dedicated planning sheet. The PDF has 95 fillable text fields across 19 worksheets, plus printable space for handwritten notes. Fields do not calculate automatically.

Try the method before buying

For arithmetic only, a fictional 12 × 8 ft area at an assumed 3 in depth contains 24 cu ft, or 0.88889 cu yd. At an invented 2 cu ft per bag, that is 12 bags before any allowance. The depth is not a recommendation for any landscape application.

Use the free HomeCostEngine calculators for individual quantity checks and the quote comparison calculator with matched scope. Confirm actual material and planting requirements locally.

Complete chapter list

1. Preface: how to use this book
2. Define the landscaping project brief
3. Map outdoor zones and retained features
4. Assess soil questions before choosing amendments
5. Resolve drainage, grading and boundary decisions
6. Measure area and divide irregular zones
7. Convert bulk volume and bag quantities
8. Build the plant schedule with local suitability
9. Price irrigation as a complete assessed system
10. Separate hardscape surfaces from edges and preparation
11. Include removal, clearance and retained-feature protection
12. Coordinate delivery, access and placement
13. Review lighting, structures and optional features
14. Plan phases and establishment care together
15. Compare complete landscape scenarios and closeout
16. Build the all-in landscaping project budget
17. Normalize contractor proposals
18. Review the live cost forecast
19. Approve changes and reconcile the reserve
20. Close out and retain project records
21. Afterword and source notes

What the examples cover

Work through zone and assessment records, irregular area, volume and bag conversion, supply-only plant counts, complete irrigation scope, edges, clearance inclusions, delivery/placement, optional features and phase premiums. Six general owner-budget chapters use the HomeCostEngine renovation method with landscape adaptation; thirteen chapters add landscape decisions. No excavation, drainage, irrigation, treatment or planting specification is supplied.

What you receive after payment

One 64-page English PDF, formatted at 6 × 9 inches, with a clickable chapter outline and 19 printable, fillable planning sheets. After payment, the order page provides your download and our thank-you email contains a link to that order page. Use a compatible PDF reader, save a local copy before entering information and confirm your saved entries persist. No separate account or subscription is required.

The book purchase is £9.99 GBP. Project examples use hypothetical USD amounts because the planning guidance is for U.S. homeowners. They are teaching examples, not local price benchmarks.

Editorial scope and sources

Written by the HomeCostEngine Editorial Team and reviewed October 25, 2026. Source notes link to FTC: Home Repair Scams, Penn State Extension: Soil Testing, EPA WaterSense: Water-Smart Landscape Design. These organizations do not endorse the book.

This handbook organizes planning decisions; it does not replace a site inspection, engineering design, professional installation, local permit review or a written contractor agreement. Personal use includes printing worksheets and sharing your completed project records with your contractors and advisers.