Landscaper pricing in Seattle
What landscapers charge in Seattle (typically $50-$100/hr), the local factors that move the rate, and a sample quote you can use as a starting point.
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Seattle landscaper pricing
What landscapers should charge in Seattle
Seattle landscape work is dominated by Capitol Hill/Madison Park/Queen Anne/Magnolia estate gardens, Bellevue/Mercer Island tech-wealth, PNW native plantings (Douglas fir, sword fern, salal, vine maple, evergreen huckleberry), and rain garden installations. Washington L&I CC required for construction over $500. Stormwater management code strict in Seattle. PNW year-round growth season.
Hourly rate
$50-$100
per hour, weekday daytime
Call-out fee
$35-$75
within standard radius
After-hours
1.5-2x
evening, weekend, holiday
Job pricing
What to charge for common landscaper jobs in Seattle
Real-world price ranges for the jobs local tradies quote every week. Use the table as a starting point for your own quotes and adjust for parts, access, and your overheads. All figures in USD.
Site visit and consultation
What's included
Most established landscapers consult free for jobs over $3,000. Concept design with drawings is usually charged.
Lawn install (per square metre)
What's included
Includes site prep, irrigation drop-in (optional), soil top-up, and instant lawn rolls. Seed-establish is cheaper but slower.
Paving (per square metre)
What's included
Includes excavation, sub-base, sand bed, pavers, and edging. Natural stone, porcelain, and patterned laying cost more.
Retaining wall (per linear metre)
What's included
Depends on height and material (block, gabion, sleeper). Excavation, drainage, and engineering for >1.2m walls extra.
Garden bed preparation (per sqm)
What's included
Includes excavation, compost, mulch. Excludes plants. Edging adds $20-40/linear metre.
Tree planting (advanced 100L+)
What's included
Includes tree, planting hole, stake, mulch, and 30-min watering setup. 500L specimen trees run higher.
Irrigation install (per zone)
What's included
Includes mainline, valve, drippers or rotators, controller wiring. Pump and tank install extra.
Garden maintenance (weekly visit)
What's included
Includes mow, edge, weed, blow. 1-hour visit. Pruning and fertilising on a separate schedule.
Full backyard redesign (medium plot)
What's included
Hardscape, planting, irrigation, lighting. 3-6 week duration. Plant stock 25-40% of cost.
Seattle quote factors
What to factor into your Seattle landscaper quote
Local context that should shape what you quote as a landscaper in Seattle. Marine west coast. Mild winters (rarely below 25°F), cool summers (rarely above 85°F historically, but 2021 heat dome 110°F+), heavy rain (38" annually mostly Oct-May), occasional snow. PNW moss and mildew constant concerns. Mild climate makes heat-pumps highly efficient year-round. Wildfire smoke August-September from California/Oregon/Idaho/BC fires. Atmospheric river events drive flooding.
Washington L&I CC + WALP
Washington L&I Construction Contractor License (Specialty CS Landscape Trade) required for landscape construction over $500. Washington Association of Landscape Professionals (WALP) certification is the regional trust signal at premium tier. State 'WALP Certified' on quotes; provides design principles, sustainable horticulture, and continuing education credentials.
PNW native plant specification
Seattle's Cascadia bioregion drives demand for PNW native plantings (Douglas fir, western red cedar, sword fern, salal, vine maple, evergreen huckleberry, Pacific rhododendron, Oregon grape, red osier dogwood). Quote PNW native packages at $25-$80/sqft installed. King Conservation District + Audubon Washington partnerships and certifications differentiate at premium tier.
Tech-wealth designer tier
Capitol Hill, Madison Park, Queen Anne, Magnolia, Madrona, Mercer Island, Bellevue (Clyde Hill, Yarrow Point, Hunts Point), Bainbridge Island customers expect designer gardens with architect coordination. Quote design fee 12-20% of project cost ($15,000-$95,000+ for full estate project). Build relationships with Seattle architects (Olson Kundig, Tom Kundig, Hoedemaker Pfeiffer, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson) for referrals.
Rain garden + stormwater management mandatory
Seattle Public Utilities + King County Stormwater Management mandate stormwater retention on most renovations and new construction. Quote rain garden design ($5,000-$25,000), bioswale ($25-$75/LF), and permeable paver pathways ($15-$40/sqft) as separate line. Native plants qualify for stormwater credits. SDCI Stormwater Code 22.800 strictly enforced.
PNW year-round work calendar
Seattle PNW climate (mild year-round, no frost, year-round rainfall) enables year-round planting. Quote without seasonal premiums; customers pay any time of year. Lock in 12-month maintenance contracts with quarterly visits. Recurring revenue consistent year-round; recurring revenue from premium tier estate maintenance ($1,500-$8,500/month) is significant.
Edible/permaculture design growing
Seattle sustainability culture + tech-wealth clients drive demand for edible/permaculture design (food forest, fruit tree guilds, herb spirals, native edibles). Quote edible/permaculture design at premium ($60-$200/sqft installed) including soil preparation, native edibles, irrigation, and ongoing maintenance training. Niche but growing.
Sample quote
A real Seattle landscaper quote you can copy
Backyard patio + garden makeover, 80sqm site, mid-range finish. Replace the line items and rates with your own; the structure stays.
Site excavation, removal of old lawn, soil grading
Concrete paver patio (28sqm, 400x400 charcoal)
Retaining wall, sleeper, 8m long x 600mm high
Lawn rolls (35sqm, premium Sir Walter buffalo)
Garden beds prep + planting (15sqm, mixed natives 200-300mm pots)
Irrigation install (2 zones, drippers + pop-ups, smart controller)
Mulch, edging, finish (40m linear edging, 4m³ pine bark)
Project labour (12 days, 2-person team)
FAQ
Seattle landscaper pricing questions, answered
Common questions about landscaper pricing in Seattle, with answers framed for tradies pricing their own work.
Design and consulting $125-$285/hour for premium designer work. Installation labor $65-$185/hour. Project pricing: standard Seattle gardens $25-$80/sqft installed, tech-wealth premium designer gardens $60-$200/sqft. Design fees typically 12-20% of project cost. Estate maintenance contracts $1,500-$8,500/month.
Yes, Washington L&I Construction Contractor License (Specialty CS Landscape Trade) required for landscape construction over $500. Washington Association of Landscape Professionals (WALP) certification is the regional trust signal at premium tier. State 'WALP Certified' on quotes; provides design principles, sustainable horticulture, and continuing education credentials.
PNW native + Cascadia bioregion: Douglas fir, western red cedar, sword fern, salal, vine maple, evergreen huckleberry, Pacific rhododendron, Oregon grape, red osier dogwood. King Conservation District + Audubon Washington partnerships and certifications differentiate at premium tier. Avoid water-hungry English garden plants in PNW dry summer months.
Yes, on most major renovations and new construction. Seattle Public Utilities + King County Stormwater Management mandate stormwater retention. Quote rain garden design ($5,000-$25,000), bioswale ($25-$75/LF), and permeable paver pathways ($15-$40/sqft) as separate line. Native plants qualify for stormwater credits. SDCI Stormwater Code 22.800 strictly enforced.
Yes, growing niche. Seattle sustainability culture + tech-wealth clients drive demand for edible/permaculture design (food forest, fruit tree guilds, herb spirals, native edibles). Quote edible/permaculture design at premium ($60-$200/sqft installed) including soil preparation, native edibles, irrigation, and ongoing maintenance training.
Hourly rates are $50 to $95 in the US, £28-65 in the UK, A$55-110 in Australia, R180-500 in South Africa, and C$45-95 in Canada. Most landscapers prefer fixed-price quotes for projects over $2,000 because hourly invites scope creep.
The big variables are material grade (concrete vs natural stone), plant size (4L vs 100L), and how much earthwork is included. A 'cheap' quote usually uses budget materials and small plants that look sparse for years. Compare the materials list, not just the total.
Site walks and concept conversations are usually free for jobs over $3,000. A scaled drawing with plant schedule and hardscape detail takes 4-8 hours and many landscapers charge $300-1,500 for that. Worth it because the drawing becomes the contract.
For jobs over $5,000, get 2-3 quotes. Compare the plant schedule, hardscape materials, irrigation spec, and establishment guarantee. The cheapest quote often skips drainage, irrigation, or guarantee.
Most shrubs need 6 months of regular watering to establish; trees need 12-18 months. Lawn rolls knit in 4-6 weeks. Quote a maintenance plan covering at least the first 3 months so the investment does not die in summer.
Keep going
More landscaper resources
The full international pricing guide, ready-to-send templates, and the main landscapers page.
Full landscaper pricing guide
International rates across 8 countries, plus all common jobs and a 10-question FAQ.
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