A well-manicured lawn is great for bare-footed fun. However, in the warm summer months, grass can grow very fast, and you might need to mow your lawn every other week.
After spending time trimming those edges and pulling out all those weeds, you may find you don't have time to enjoy the outdoors as your weekend is gone doing chores.
Consider hiring a gardener to take the work off your hands. You can hire gardeners to come on a one-off or regular basis; then, you will have time to sit back and enjoy your garden.
What Does a Gardener Do?
A professional gardener will have a variety of skills. Some of them include:
- Lawn mowing
- Weeding, fertilising, and maintenance
- Trimming and pruning
- Planting, mulching, and watering
- Rubbish removal
Specialist gardeners can do even more. For example, some gardeners specialise in garden design and will do everything from planning your garden to planting and hardscaping, like laying pavers and installing low retaining walls.
How Much Do Gardeners Cost?
Advertised rates for gardening start around $30 per hour. However, usually, this is for less skilled work, such as basic lawn mowing or weeding. Small jobs may cost more per hour than larger jobs because the gardener will have to factor travel and set-up time into their costs.
For some jobs, gardeners might charge a flat rate. Others, like normal lawn mowing, may be based on the size of the area. Ride-on mowing is more often charged hourly at around $120 per hour.
Some flat rate prices for small gardens start from:
- Weed spraying or Fertilising: $30
- Rubbish removal: $45
- Hedging: $60
- Slashing: $80
More skilled gardening work can cost between $30 and $60 per hour, depending on the job and service.
If you need major garden work, you will need to hire a specialist. For example, you may need to hire a tree feller to cut down a tree, and if you need to have a large tree removed, you will probably have to hire an arborist and get council approval.
Large jobs like these must be handled by licensed professionals with the necessary skills and expensive equipment that must be maintained, which will affect the costs.
How much will lawn mowing cost?
If you are looking for a gardener to mow your lawn, you may get a better rate if you hire them to come on a scheduled basis. It might cost you $60 to have your lawn mown once, but as little as $45 if they do your mowing regularly.
The basic cost of getting your lawns maintained depends on the size of the area. It is cheaper per square metre for a bigger lawn because part of the costs involve travel time and setting up. If your lawn needs some TLC in addition to mowing, you’ll need to factor in the cost of weeding and fertilising and possibly watering and aerating too.
For a straightforward mowing job, you should be looking at paying around:
- $55 for a lawn up to 600 sqm
- $70 for a lawn up to 950 sqm
- $80+ for a lawn over 1000 sqm
Of course, these prices vary in different areas, so get several quotes, and then you can be sure you're getting a good deal. The average price on expertEasy is $53. An average hourly rate for lawn mowing is usually between $47 and $80
How much will weeding cost?
For an average garden in reasonable shape, costs for weeding and/or weed spraying should be under $100, however weeding can be very heavy work if you have let the roots grow very deep and if you have lots of weeds that are as tall as a toddler then you can expect to pay more!
Pruning and hedging
Small whipper snipper jobs or a few shrubs pruned with hand tools might cost as little as $50 (basically a minimum call-out fee). To assist most hedges, shrubs, bushes, and trees to maintain their shape, regular maintenance is needed to prune them.
This service will also remove diseased or dead parts to promote further growth. A job like this can be estimated to cost $50 – $155. On expertEasy, the average price is $76. How often you’ll want things pruned will depend on the species of plant you’re dealing with – it could range anywhere from one to three times a year – most frequent in the warmer months.
How much will a Garden Clean-Up cost?
Garden clean-ups can range anywhere from $45 to $120, with an average price of $71 on expertEasy.
Getting Quotes from Gardeners
Unlike many trades, "gardener" is loosely defined, and anyone with a few tools can claim to be a gardener. If all you need is a little light gardening, you can probably get a better rate from someone who is just trying to earn a few dollars doing lawn mowing or weeding.
If more skill is required, compare the quotes carefully. How many years of experience does the gardener have? Do they have a company name and own all their own equipment? Are they licensed and insured? Do they have reviews on expertEasy, or can they provide you with references?
Hiring the cheapest gardener could end up more expensive than hiring an expert. For example, a professional lawn mowing service will spot signs of disease or infestation in your lawn, and they can alert you to the issue and take care of it before it becomes a major problem.
If you want to get competitive quotes from several gardeners, then make your life easier by requesting free gardening quotes on expertEasy.
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