Cut lawn & hedges.

Professional gardeners bring industrial-grade equipment that delivers a superior finish compared to standard domestic tools. Whether you need a one-off "jungle" clearance or a fortnightly maintenance contract, understanding the scope and costs involved helps you get the best value for your outdoor space.

What Does the Work Involve?

• Lawn Mowing: Cutting grass to an agreed height using rotary or cylinder mowers, including stripes if requested.
• Edging and Strimming: Tidying lawn perimeters, fence lines, and around obstacles where a mower cannot reach.
• Hedge Trimming: Precise cutting of tops and sides to maintain shape, height, and density.
• Clipping Management: Collecting grass and hedge cuttings, or mulching them back into the lawn if preferred.
• Blowing and Tidying: Clearing all paths, patios, and driveways of debris using leaf blowers.
• Waste Disposal: Bagging green waste for your brown bin or removing it from the site entirely.

Typical Costs

Prices for garden maintenance vary based on garden size, the complexity of the hedges, and your location in the UK. Prices in London and the South East typically sit at the higher end of these ranges.

The primary factors affecting cost are the "starting state" of the garden—overgrown lawns require multiple passes—and the height of hedges, which may necessitate specialist platforms or scaffolding.

How Long Does It Take?

• Small Urban Garden: 45–90 minutes for a standard mow and light edge trim.
• Medium Semi-Detached Garden: 2–3 hours for lawn maintenance and basic hedge shaping.
• Large Detached Garden: 4–6 hours, often requiring a two-person team to handle large hedge volumes.
• Overgrown Clearance: 1–2 full days to restore a neglected garden to a maintainable state.

DIY or Professional?

While lawn mowing is a common DIY task, professional hedge trimming offers significant advantages in safety and aesthetics. Working at height with petrol-powered trimmers carries risks that many homeowners prefer to avoid. Professionals also understand the "one-third rule"—never removing more than a third of a hedge's foliage—to prevent permanent damage or "die-back." If you are disposing of waste yourself, remember that many UK councils charge for green waste collections, which can narrow the price gap between DIY and hiring a pro.

Choosing the Right Tradesperson

• Check for Insurance: Ensure they have Public Liability Insurance (minimum £1m–£5m) to cover accidental damage to your property.
• Waste Carrier Licence: If they are taking clippings away, they must legally hold an Environment Agency waste carrier licence.
• Equipment Quality: Ask if they use petrol, corded, or battery tools; petrol tools are generally more powerful for heavy-duty work.
• Red Flags: Avoid anyone who cannot provide a fixed price or who suggests "topping" a hedge during bird nesting season (March to August).

Top Tip: Ask to see photos of previous "striping" work if you want a formal lawn finish; it requires specific cylinder mowers or rear-roller rotary mowers.

UK Regulations

• Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981: It is an offence to damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird while it is in use or being built. Heavy hedge cutting should generally be avoided between March and August.
• Environmental Protection Act: Professionals must have a Waste Carrier Licence to transport garden waste on public roads.
• Noise Ordinances: Most local councils restrict the use of noisy power tools to between 8 am and 8 pm on weekdays, with tighter restrictions on weekends.

Common Problems

• Lawn Scalping: Cutting grass too short in dry weather, which kills the roots and allows moss or weeds to take over.
• Nesting Birds: Starting a hedge project only to find active nests, which legally halts work until the chicks have fledged.
• Hidden Obstacles: Damage to mowers or trimmers from hidden rocks, dog toys, or low-voltage garden lighting cables.
• Poor Timing: Trimming "frost-tender" hedges (like Privet) too late in the autumn, leaving new growth vulnerable to winter kills.

Frequently Asked Questions