If you have never commissioned landscaping work before, the process can feel slightly opaque. You make a phone call, and somehow several months later you have a finished garden. What happens in between is rarely explained clearly, and that vagueness is one of the main reasons people put off projects they would otherwise love to do.
This post is the walkthrough we wish more clients had read before getting in touch. It covers, in order, exactly what happens from your first enquiry to the day we hand the garden back to you, and what your involvement looks like at each stage.
Stage 1: The First Enquiry
This is just a conversation. You tell us what you are thinking about, where you are based, and (roughly) what scale of project you have in mind. We are not pricing anything at this point and you are not committing to anything – we are establishing whether your project is something we are the right fit for, and whether it is the right time of year to start.
A few useful things to have ready when you make first contact:
- Roughly how big the area is.
- A few photos of the existing garden if possible.
- A rough sense of timing (e.g. “I want it finished by next summer” or “no rush”).
- An honest budget bracket if you have one – it saves everyone time.
If we are a fit and there is mutual interest, we book a site visit.
The enquiry stage is also where homeowners should be doing their own due diligence on the landscaper. Before the site visit happens, it is worth checking accreditation status and trading history. Our guide on how to evaluate a landscaper’s experience covers what to check and how.
What Needs Planning Early in a Landscaping Project?
Most cost overruns in landscaping trace back to decisions taken too late. Survey work, drainage strategy, service routing and any planning conditions are far cheaper to settle on paper than to rework on site. The list below covers what tends to surface early on every project we run, whether that is a single rear garden or a multi-unit new build.
Site survey and levels
Accurate measurements come first. Boundary positions, level changes, retaining-wall heights, the location of mature trees and any existing services dictate what is possible and what gets ruled out. On sloping plots the survey decides whether terracing, retaining walls or a tiered patio is the right answer, and whether engineered foundations will be needed under any of it. For larger sites it usually pays to commission a measured topographical survey before concept design starts. See our guide to organising the site into functional zones for how that survey then drives the layout.
Soil and drainage
Soil type sets the spec for almost everything that goes on top of it. Heavy clay soils, common across parts of Hampshire, Surrey and West Sussex, hold water and shrink-swell with the seasons, which changes what plants thrive and how a sub-base needs to be built. Free-draining sandy soils have the opposite problem. A simple soil test at the start avoids expensive surprises later. Drainage strategy follows directly: where does surface water go, does the site need French drains or a soakaway, and is there an existing public sewer connection or not. Our ground preparation walkthrough and landscape drainage solutions cover the implementation side.
Services and utilities
Trenching costs the same whether one cable goes in or four. Working out water supply, outdoor power circuits, low-voltage lighting runs, irrigation pipework and any gas extension at concept stage means the routes can be coordinated into a single set of trenches under the future hard landscaping, rather than relifted patios two summers later. Our detailed reference on routing services and utilities through a landscaped site sets out what gets installed where, and the depths and separations the regulations require.
Planning permission and landscape conditions
Most domestic landscaping in England falls under permitted development rights and does not need a planning application. The exceptions are worth knowing. Listed buildings, conservation areas, work that materially alters drainage to a public sewer, and retaining walls or fences above the height limits all need consent. New-build sites and major schemes routinely have landscape conditions attached to their planning permission, which require a detailed landscape plan to be submitted and approved before the scheme can be implemented or the houses occupied. The Local Planning Authority has eight weeks to determine a discharge application. The cleanest sequence is to brief the landscape designer or contractor as soon as the conditions are known, so the plan is in front of the LPA early. Government guidance: Use of planning conditions (GOV.UK) and Approval (discharge) of conditions (Planning Portal).
Biodiversity Net Gain and SuDS for new developments
New developments in England now have to deliver a minimum 10% Biodiversity Net Gain under Schedule 7A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. Further changes to the BNG regime are scheduled for July 2026 (a new 0.2 hectare exemption, removal of the small-scale self-build exemption) and November 2026 (BNG becoming mandatory for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects). Major developments, broadly ten dwellings or more, are also expected to deliver Sustainable Drainage Systems through the planning system, applied by the Local Planning Authority in consultation with the Lead Local Flood Authority. In practice that means permeable paving, swales, rain gardens, attenuation tanks or a combination, designed into the landscape rather than retrofitted. The BNG metric calculation and SuDS scheme are typically authored by a chartered landscape architect or specialist consultant. Gadsden delivers the build to that scheme. Reference: Biodiversity net gain (GOV.UK).
Access, storage and site logistics
Access dictates programme. Skip placement, plant deliveries on articulated lorries, mini-digger tracks across newly laid lawns and crane lifts for boundary stone all need a route in and a place to stand. On constrained urban plots and end-of-terrace gardens this can be the single biggest variable. Working it out at quote stage avoids both delay claims and damage claims. Neighbour notice for noisy work, party-wall implications for any retaining structure within the relevant distance and waste-removal logistics also belong in this conversation.
Orientation, sun and exposure
Where the sun lands at 11am and 5pm decides where the patio goes. Prevailing wind and frost pockets decide what plants survive. South-facing rear gardens reward an early-morning seating area and an evening one in different positions. Walled gardens behave differently again. Our notes on garden sunlight orientation walk through how this gets read off a site survey.
Stage 2: Site Visit and Consultation
The site visit is the first time we walk your garden together. It is usually around an hour. We are looking at the existing conditions, talking through what you want, and starting to form an opinion on what is realistic.
What we are assessing while we are there:
- Topography and levels – any slopes, drops, or grade changes that will affect the design.
- Soil and drainage – clay, loam, sandy, or chalk, and how water moves across the site.
- Sunlight and orientation – which areas catch sun, which sit in shade.
- Existing features – trees, structures, services, boundaries.
- Access – how machinery, materials, and waste can get in and out.
- Constraints – things that look obvious to us but might not have occurred to you (overhead cables, neighbour boundaries, planning issues).
What we are talking about with you:
- What you want to use the space for.
- Style preferences and any reference images you have collected.
- Must-haves and absolute no-gos.
- Realistic budget range and timeline.
By the end of the visit you should have a clear sense of whether the project is feasible and roughly what it might cost. We will not give you a firm quote on the spot – that comes after design – but you will not be left guessing either.
Stage 3: Concept Design and Outline Quote
Once we have walked the site, the next step is producing a concept design. This is the first version of the layout – usually a plan view sketch or CAD drawing showing how the space could be arranged, with notes on materials, planting areas, and structural elements.
Alongside the concept we provide an outline quote. It is not the final figure (that comes later, once materials and details are locked in) but it is a realistic bracket so you can decide whether to proceed.
This is the stage where you push back. If something does not look right, say so. The whole point of producing a concept first is so changes happen on paper rather than on site.
Stage 4: Detailed Design and Material Sign-Off
Once you are happy with the concept, we move into detailed design. This is where the project moves from “what” to “exactly how.”
What gets nailed down at this stage:
- Final layout with measurements.
- Specific materials – brand, type, finish, and colour for paving, walling, timber, and fixtures. Material choices matter more than people realise and this is when those decisions get made.
- Planting plan with specific species, sizes, and quantities.
- Lighting layout if relevant.
- Drainage strategy – how the garden will manage surface water.
- Structural details for any walls, steps, or retaining elements.
- Final firm quote with a clear scope of work.
Nothing gets ordered or scheduled until you have signed off the detailed design and quote. From this point on, changes are possible but they cost time and money, so we want everything settled here.
Stage 5: Pre-Start and Programme
Once the design is signed off, we move into pre-start. This is the unsexy logistics phase that determines whether the build runs smoothly or chaotically.
- Programme: we agree a start date and a target completion date, with a build schedule showing what happens in which week.
- Material orders: stone, timber, aggregates, and plants are ordered with appropriate lead times.
- Access and welfare: we agree where vehicles can park, where waste skips will sit, where deliveries will land, and where the site team will set up.
- Notifications: if there are any utilities, neighbours, or party-wall considerations, they get handled now.
- Weather contingency: we build a small buffer into the programme for the inevitable bad weather days.
You will receive a clear written summary of the start date, the programme, and what to expect on day one.
Stage 6: Site Set-Up and Groundwork
Day one on site is rarely glamorous. The first phase is clearing, excavating, and preparing the ground – the work nobody photographs but everything else depends on.
This includes:
- Site clearance and protection of any features that are staying.
- Excavation and levelling.
- Sub-base preparation for any hard surfaces.
- Drainage installation.
- Foundations for walls, steps, or structural features.
This is also usually the noisiest and most disruptive phase. We try to keep it short and tidy.
Stage 7: Hard Landscaping
With the ground prepared, the structural elements go in. Patios, walls, paths, steps, decking, and any built features are constructed in the order that makes sequencing sense – typically working outward from the house and downward from any retaining elements.
Throughout this phase you will see the project starting to look like the design. We check measurements and finishes against the plans constantly, and we will walk you through anything that is at decision point if there is a choice to be made.
Stage 8: Soft Landscaping
Once the hard landscaping is in place and the site is clean, the soft landscaping happens. This is the planting phase – turf, beds, borders, hedging, trees, and any specimen plants. Plants are placed first (still in their pots) so you can see the layout and adjust before anything goes in the ground permanently.
Soft landscaping is best done in the right season for the plants involved, which is one of the reasons we agree timelines well in advance during pre-start.
Stage 9: Final Inspection and Handover
Once everything is in, we walk the garden with you. We are checking for snags, finishing details, and anything that needs touching up. You sign off on the work, we deal with any final tidies, and we give you the handover documentation.
That includes:
- A care guide for the planting, especially the first 12 months of establishment.
- Details of any guarantees on materials or workmanship.
- Maintenance recommendations and the rough schedule of seasonal tasks.
- Contact details if anything needs follow-up.
Stage 10: Aftercare
A new garden is not finished on the day we leave. The first 12 to 18 months are the establishment period – planting beds in, lawn rooting, and any settled soil being topped up. We offer ongoing garden maintenance for clients who want their investment looked after properly. If you are happy to do this yourself, the handover guide will walk you through the key tasks.
How Long Does the Whole Process Take?
A small project (a patio refresh, a borders rework, a single feature wall) can run from first enquiry to completion in a matter of weeks. A larger garden transformation – design, groundwork, hardscaping, planting – is more typically a 3 to 6 month process from first enquiry to handover, with the actual on-site build taking anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months depending on scale.
The single biggest variable is design lead time. Build speed is mostly fixed – design rounds depend on how quickly decisions are made.
Frequently Asked Questions
How early should I involve a landscaper in a new build or extension?
Early enough that drainage, levels and service routing land in the same drawing as the architecture. On a new build that is usually at concept or planning stage. On an extension, before the foundations are dug. Bringing the landscaper in late forces compromises that show up either as wasted spend (lifting and relaying patios) or as design constraints (a service trench running through the worst possible spot). For sites with landscape conditions on the planning consent it is worth involving us before the discharge application goes in.
Do I need planning permission for landscaping?
Most domestic landscaping in England is permitted development and does not need a planning application. Common exceptions include listed buildings, work in conservation areas, fences and walls above the permitted heights, work that changes drainage flow into a public sewer, and any landscape condition attached to a recent planning consent. If you are not sure, your Local Planning Authority is the authoritative source. The Planning Portal has plain-language guidance on what falls inside permitted development.
What is a landscape condition on planning permission?
A landscape condition is a requirement attached by the Local Planning Authority to a granted planning consent, asking for a detailed landscape plan or scheme to be submitted and approved before the development is built out or occupied. It is one of the most common conditions on new-build housing and on commercial developments. Discharging the condition involves submitting the plan, paying the LPA fee and waiting up to eight weeks for a decision. GOV.UK guidance on use of planning conditions explains the framework in detail.
Do new developments have to deliver Biodiversity Net Gain?
Yes. Most new developments in England are required to deliver a minimum 10% Biodiversity Net Gain under Schedule 7A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. This is calculated using the statutory biodiversity metric and is normally authored by a chartered landscape architect or ecology consultant. Further changes to the regime are scheduled for July and November 2026. Where Gadsden fits in that chain is the build: delivering the soft and hard landscape that the approved BNG scheme calls for.
Do new developments have to install SuDS?
There is no statutory SuDS regime in England under Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010, but major developments (broadly ten or more dwellings) are expected to deliver Sustainable Drainage Systems through the planning system. In practice that usually means permeable paving on driveways and parking, swales or filter strips along boundaries, rain gardens at downpipe outlets, and an attenuation tank or basin sized to the catchment. The LPA consults the Lead Local Flood Authority on the details.
Talk to Us About Starting a Project
If you have read this far, you are probably the kind of client who appreciates knowing what is going to happen before it does. We work the same way. If you have a project in mind for somewhere in Hampshire, Surrey, or West Sussex, get in touch and we will arrange the first conversation.
Get in touch to start.
For a wider view of what a professional landscaper does (rather than how the project runs), see our guide to professional landscaping services. If you are weighing up whether to do the work yourself, see our DIY vs professional decision guide.