How much does a landscaper cost in Pennsylvania?

Updated November 10, 2026 · KeystoneProGuide editorial team

What does landscaping cost?

It depends almost entirely on the job. Angi, which publishes prices drawn from projects booked through its network, puts the national average for a landscaping project at $3,518, based on 32,752 projects, with most homeowners paying between $1,248 and $6,070. A single mowing visit and a new stone patio sit at opposite ends of that range, so the useful figures are the ones for the kind of work you want.

None of the surveys below publishes a price for Pennsylvania or for any county in it. Every figure here is national, given the way its publisher gives it, and the date matters: one of the three publishers last updated some of its pages in 2022.

What do routine lawn and yard services cost?

Maintenance is priced per visit or per season. The table sets the two surveys side by side.

Angi adds that most lawn care companies charge $0.01 to $0.06 per square foot for mowing, or $50 to $200 per acre, and that basic maintenance on a typical property runs $100 to $500 a month. On its general landscaping page Angi gives a slightly different mowing range, $50 to $250 a service. Both are Angi's own figures; the difference is between two of its pages.

Hourly work is priced in a narrow band. Angi gives $50 to $100 an hour for a landscaper, and HomeAdvisor gives the same $50 to $100 an hour for a crew of two, adding that larger companies seldom quote by the hour and price by the project instead.

What does a new lawn or planting cost?

• Sod. Angi lists sod installation at $950 to $4,300 on one page and $1,070 to $3,000 on another; HomeAdvisor gives $1,050 to $2,800. The turf itself is $0.35 to $0.85 a square foot, according to Angi.
• Seed and hydroseeding. Grass seed runs $3 to $10 a pound and hydroseeding $500 to $1,910 (Angi).
• Beds and planting. Angi puts flower bed installation at $800 to $3,000 and mulch installation at $30 to $120 a cubic yard.
• Whole yards. Angi and HomeAdvisor agree on $1,500 to $5,000 for a front yard and $15,000 to $50,000 for a full backyard renovation.
• By area. Angi gives $4.50 to $12 a square foot, rising to $40 for a tear-out and remodel. HomeAdvisor gives $4 to $6 for basic services, $6 to $10 for intermediate work and $10 to $40 for a full tear-out.

What do patios and retaining walls cost?

Hardscape is where the money is. Three publishers give these figures:

• Paver patio. Angi puts the national average at $3,800, with most between $2,400 and $7,000, or $8 to $25 a square foot installed. Its own table puts a 10 by 10 foot patio at $800 to $2,500 and a 20 by 20 foot patio at $3,200 to $10,000. Fixr gives $3,000 to $8,000 for a patio, with an average of $6,000 for a 20 by 20 foot paver patio in a two-level design.
• Retaining wall. Angi's average is $6,082, based on 2,556 projects, with most between $3,191 and $9,200, or about $40 to $360 a linear foot for a wall 2 to 6 feet tall. Fixr gives $3,500 to $10,000, with an average of $5,463 for a concrete block wall 25 feet long and 4 feet high.
• Material. Angi prices concrete pavers at $8 to $15 a square foot, brick or clay at $10 to $20 and natural stone at $15 to $50. For walls it gives timber at $15 to $30 a square foot, concrete at $30 to $50 and stone at $20 to $100, all in.

What does fixing drainage or grading cost?

Angi puts yard drainage at a national average of $4,634, based on 2,203 projects, with most paying $2,147 to $7,176. By type it lists a swale at $800 to $3,000, a dry well at $1,000 to $4,000 and a French drain at $2,000 to $7,000. Lawn grading is $1,025 to $3,300 on one Angi page; HomeAdvisor gives $1,000 to $3,000 for grading or resloping.

Which extra costs catch people out?

• Design. Angi says a landscape designer adds $1,930 to $7,230 to a paver patio, but that many installers fold design into their price. HomeAdvisor gives $2,000 to $7,000 for designer fees. Ask whether a quote includes it.
• Permits. Angi puts landscaping permits at $500 to $2,750. Whether you need one at all is a local question: Pennsylvania's construction code, for example, exempts a retaining wall of 4 feet or less that holds back no extra load.
• Soil tests. Angi lists "soil testing" at $700 to $2,050 without saying what kind of test that is. A lawn and garden fertility test is a different thing: the Penn State Extension office in Bucks County sells the kit for $10.00.
• Debris. Hauling away soil, sod or old pavers is a separate line. Angi puts junk or debris removal at $130 to $375.

How do you compare two quotes fairly?

• Get more than one. HomeAdvisor advises at least three. The Federal Trade Commission says not to choose the lowest bid automatically, and to ask why estimates differ a lot.
• Make the scope match. A written estimate should name the work, the materials, the completion date and the price, the FTC says. For a patio, that means the size, the paver and the base; for a wall, the height, the length and the drainage behind it.
• Watch the deposit. For home improvement work over $5,000, Pennsylvania's Attorney General says a down payment of about one-third of the price, or one-third plus special-order materials, is generally appropriate. Patios, walls and drainage count as home improvement; what Pennsylvania requires explains which landscaping work does.
• Do not pay in full up front. The FTC says never to make the final payment until the work is done and you are satisfied.

Once the numbers line up, how to choose a landscaper covers the checks that matter more than price. Local businesses are on the landscapers directory page.

Sources

1. How Much Does Landscaping Cost? [2026 Data], Angi
2. How Much Does Lawn Care Cost? [2026 Data], Angi
3. How Much Does a Retaining Wall Cost to Build? [2026 Data], Angi
4. How Much Does a Paver Patio Cost to Install? [2026 Data], Angi
5. How Much Does Yard Drainage Cost? [2026 Data], Angi
6. How Much Does Landscaping Cost?, HomeAdvisor
7. Retaining Wall Cost, Fixr
8. Cost to Build a Patio, Fixr
9. Soil Testing Information (Bucks County Master Gardeners), Penn State Extension
10. Frequently Asked Questions: Home Improvement Contractor Registration, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
11. How To Avoid a Home Improvement Scam, Federal Trade Commission
12. 34 Pa. Code § 403.62. Permit requirements and exemptions., Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania Code)