Published UK price reference
A starting point for your budget
- Clearance labour
- £45–£60 per hour
- Clearance priced by load
- £60–£360 per load
Published UK ballpark ranges. The table does not define a standard load size or clearly state the VAT basis. Ask the provider to confirm both, along with cutting, loading and disposal. These figures are not a total for your garden.
Source: Checkatrade garden clearance cost guide · April 2026 · checked 12 September 2026. These are the publisher’s estimates, not our own job data or a local quote. Super’s separate customer deposit is additional to the gardener’s price.
There is no single price for every garden
Use the published benchmark above as an initial budgeting reference, then request a price for the actual job. It is third-party guidance rather than a rate set by Get Gardening Quotes. Compare the same scope, tax basis and extras before accepting any offer.
Ask whether the quotation is based on photos or a site visit. If waste is priced by load, request a description of the load allowance and what happens if more material is uncovered. Do not use a vehicle photograph as a substitute for the stated disposal scope.
The details that change the price
A clearance quote should separate labour from collection and disposal. A low price that leaves all the cuttings behind is not comparable with a price that includes taking them away.
- Area and density of vegetation
- Cutting work versus material already piled up
- Vehicle access and distance to the loading point
- Volume and type of waste leaving the property
What to put in your quote request
Good details reduce the chance of comparing different jobs. Include the following before asking for a price.
- Photograph the whole garden and any hidden corners
- Identify plants and structures you want to keep
- List mixed rubbish separately from green waste
- Say whether you want a usable space or preparation for landscaping
Compare the whole offer
Put each quote alongside the same checklist: agreed work, included materials, removal and disposal, visit length or completion basis, and proposed dates. Ask whether the total includes any applicable VAT and extra charges. Do not compare a labour-only offer with an all-in price.
If the scope changes after a visit, ask for the revised price before the additional work starts. Payment and any deposit arrangements should be clear in writing before you accept a booking.
Check the next step
A quote request is free and carries no obligation to book. Our team gathers the job details through WhatsApp and discusses the request with suitable providers. Their response, price and availability depend on the actual job.
Hourly, daily or fixed: what are you buying?
An hourly quote buys time; a fixed quote buys the written scope, subject to its stated conditions. A day rate also needs a definition of the working day and the number of people attending. Ask whether loading and the journey to dispose of waste use the quoted time. A team rate and a one-person rate cannot be compared by looking at the headline number alone.
For a fixed price, show the entire clearance area and agree what happens if hidden material is discovered. The useful safeguard is a written variation process: the gardener explains the extra work and price, and you approve it before it proceeds. A broad instruction to clear everything leaves too much open to interpretation.
A clearance brief you can adapt
Illustrative brief, not a completed customer job: “Please cut back the unwanted vegetation in the rear garden, retain the labelled shrubs, clear the route to the shed and remove the resulting green waste. The shed, fence, soil and paving stay. Access is through the side gate shown in the photos. Please state any extra charge for loading or disposal.”
Photograph any separate pile of timber, rubble or furniture. If the garden is needed for an estate-agent visit or tenancy handover, give that deadline alongside dates when access is possible. A same-week request can be made, but only the responding provider can confirm an available slot.
Make removal part of the agreement
GOV.UK provides the registers to check when a private company removes household waste, with separate routes for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Use the appropriate register and match the business identity to the quote. Retain the agreed waste description and removal arrangement with your booking.
A council garden bin is not a universal disposal option for a contractor. Capacity, accepted material and professional-waste restrictions need checking for the address. If disposal is excluded, identify who is responsible and where the material will remain before accepting the price.
Sources and further reading
These sources support the guidance above. They are independent of Get Gardening Quotes and do not endorse the marketplace.
About this guide
General guidance prepared for Get Gardening Quotes. Where a published price benchmark is included, its source, date and scope are shown beside it. We have not independently sampled provider prices or measured a national average. For plant-specific or specialist work, agree the approach with a suitably experienced provider.
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