Unit pricing
Landscaping cost per square foot
Planted beds cost $3–$12 per square foot installed. Sod is $1–$2, mulch $2–$4, and a paver patio $15–$40. The units look comparable and are not: each covers a different amount of labor and material.
Updated November 2026 · Installed prices, national planning ranges
| Work | Installed $/sq ft | What the unit covers |
|---|---|---|
| Planting beds (soil, plants, mulch) | $3 – $12 | The number to use for a bed rebuild. Dense or mature planting sits at the top. |
| Sod, installed | $1 – $2 | Grading and starter fertilizer included. Seed is a fraction of the cost but slower. |
| Mulch, installed | $2 – $4 | Two to three inches over an existing bed, including delivery and spreading. |
| Paver patio or walkway | $15 – $40 | Base prep, pavers, edge restraint and polymeric sand. Complex patterns cost more. |
| Segmental retaining wall | $20 – $45 | Per square foot of wall face. Height, drainage and engineering push the top. |
| Xeriscape conversion | $5 – $12 | Turf removal, inorganic mulch or gravel, drip and drought-tolerant plants. |
| Artificial turf | $8 – $20 | Material, base, infill and drainage. Cheap turf looks cheap within two summers. |
| Lawn seeding | $0.15 – $0.6 | Seed, starter fertilizer and straw or erosion blanket; watering is on you. |
Installed prices include labor, material and basic disposal. They exclude permits, engineering, irrigation and lighting unless noted.
Measure before you compare
A landscaping quote is only comparable if the square footage is the same. Walk the property with a tape and sketch the beds. For each bed, measure length and width in feet and multiply. For a curved bed, split it into rectangles and triangles; for a circle, use 3.14 × radius squared.
Then separate the quote into four areas: beds, lawn, hardscape and systems. Ask for the square footage and the depth of mulch or topsoil in each. A quote that says “refresh front beds” without a number is an invitation to a change order.
Mulch math
One cubic yard covers 324 square feet at one inch deep, 162 square feet at two inches, and 108 square feet at three inches. Most beds want two to three inches. At $30–$45 per cubic yard for bulk mulch, a 1,000 square foot bed at three inches needs about nine cubic yards.
Sod math
Sod is sold by the pallet, usually 400–500 square feet. Measure the lawn area, add 5–10% for cuts and waste, and confirm whether grading and starter fertilizer are included. Sod laid on compacted fill fails, so soil prep is not optional.
What pushes the per-square-foot price up
Plant density and size
The same bed can hold 12 shrubs or 40 perennials. Larger specimens and tighter spacing raise the plant bill without changing the square footage.
Soil replacement
Amending clay is cheaper than removing and replacing it. If the bed sits on builder fill or rubble, expect a line item for excavation and new soil.
Access and slope
Hand-carrying materials through a narrow gate or up a slope adds labor that a per-square-foot price does not capture. Tell the estimator before they measure.
Edging and drainage
Steel or stone edging is priced per linear foot. A French drain or dry well is priced per linear foot or per pit, and should be separate from planting.
FAQ
How many square feet is a typical landscaping project?
Most single-family projects touch 500 to 1,500 square feet of beds, plus 500 to 2,000 square feet of lawn. A full quarter-acre rebuild can reach 5,000 square feet of planted area. Measure the beds, not the lot.
Why is a paver patio $30 per square foot when a bed is $8?
They are different trades. A bed is soil, plants and mulch. A patio is excavation, compacted base, drainage, edging, cut stone and a skilled mason. The per-square-foot number is only comparable within the same category of work.
Does the per-square-foot price include labor?
The ranges here are installed prices, so labor, materials and disposal are included. Material-only prices are much lower: sod is roughly $0.30–$0.80 per square foot, mulch $30–$45 per cubic yard, and pavers $3–$8 per square foot before base and labor.
How do I measure irregular beds?
Break the bed into rectangles and triangles, measure each, and add them. For curved beds, measure the widest and narrowest points and average them. A landscape supply yard will also convert cubic yards of mulch from your square footage and depth.
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