Having Your Garden Designed: Garden Concept, Costs and Who Plans What

If you want someone to design your garden, you quickly run into very different offers: landscape architecture practices, landscaping firms that also design, independent garden designers, planning at a garden centre or online. Behind them are different services at very different prices. This article shows what a garden concept is, what "having your garden designed" can mean, who offers which service and how design work is billed. It also shows how to start a garden concept yourself and how to prepare the first meeting so that you get a useful result. It is based on the rules in Germany.

At a glance

• A garden concept is the step before the plan. It sets out which areas there are, where they lie and roughly what it all costs.
• Decide on the scope first, then choose the designer. An idea sketch is something different from a plan a contractor can build from – and both are different from having someone supervise the build.
• "Landschaftsarchitekt" (landscape architect) is a protected professional title in Germany. Only people registered with a state chamber of architects may use it. "Garden planner" or "garden designer" are not protected.
• Since 2021, the German fee regulation HOAI only gives guideline values. The fee is agreed freely, in text form.
• If the firm that builds also designs, the design and the quote come from one source. That is convenient, but it makes comparing quotes harder.
• The clearer your ideas, the better the meeting: photos, measurements, wishes, budget and a list of what should stay.

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What "having your garden designed" can include

For architects, the HOAI (the German fee regulation for architects and engineers) sets out a structure that also helps for a private garden. It divides the planning of outdoor facilities – gardens, squares and green spaces – into nine work stages. For a home garden, these stages matter most:

Stage	What you get	Share
Basics (1)	Site visit, clarify wishes and existing features	3 %
Preliminary design (2)	Concept with variants, first cost estimate	10 %
Design (3)	Plan with planting and materials, cost calculation	16 %
Construction drawings (5)	Detail plans, plants with varieties and grades	25 %
Tendering (6–7)	Bill of quantities, checking quotes	10 %
Site supervision (8)	Checking the work, acceptance, checking invoices	30 %

"Share" = the stage's share of the full HOAI fee. Planning approval (stage 4, 4 %) only matters if something needs a permit; aftercare (stage 9, 2 %) covers the period after acceptance.

You don't have to commission everything. For a private garden, a good design can be enough, with a landscaping firm then quoting on that basis. If you are dealing with levels, slopes, drainage or retaining walls, or need to coordinate several firms, construction drawings, tendering and site supervision pay off. If only some stages are commissioned, only their share is charged.

Picture, sketch, plan: three different tools

The three images show the same design idea in three ways. They are AI visualisations, not real planning documents, but they make the difference easy to see:

• The picture shows how the garden can feel: light, materials, planting. It helps with the question "Do I like this?".
• The sketch is what you often get after a first meeting. It captures an idea you can talk about.
• The top view shows where things are and how big they are. Only then can you talk about areas, quantities and costs.

Even a good-looking top view is not enough to build from. Construction drawings also contain levels, falls, the build-up of paths and terrace, water and power connections and a planting list with varieties and grades. By the way: the HOAI does not count perspectives and animations as basic services but as "special services". If you want pictures of your future garden, mention it up front.

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What is a garden concept – and what does it include?

A garden concept sets out what goes into your garden and where: areas, paths, planting areas, the main materials and a rough cost frame. It is the stage between the first idea and the detailed plan.

In the German HOAI, this stage is called preliminary design (stage 2). According to the regulation, it includes agreeing the objectives, a design concept with variants, a preliminary design with explanations and a cost estimate compared with the financial framework (HOAI, Annex 11, in German). The HOAI does not prescribe a scale for it. Only the design (stage 3) is drawn at a scale of 1:500 to 1:100.

A good garden concept answers these questions:

• Which areas are there, and how big are they? Terrace, lawn, beds, play area, kitchen garden, space for bins and bikes.
• How do you get there? Paths and transitions between the areas.
• What stays, what goes? Trees, hedges, terrace, garden shed.
• How should the garden feel? Mood, materials and plants in broad strokes.
• Roughly what does it cost, and in what order will it be built?

What a concept does not yet include: levels, build-ups, utility lines and a planting list with varieties. Those come with the design and construction drawings. With a concept, though, you can already decide what you will build yourself and get first quotes.

Do you run a landscaping business yourself? How firms organise the concept stage with their clients is covered in Creating a garden concept with AI (in German).

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Who plans what: the options

Who	Fits if …	Limit
Landscape architect	levels, technical work, several firms	the full service has its price, worth it for larger projects
Landscaping firm with design	one firm should design and build	design and quote from one source
Garden designer	layout and planting are the focus	training varies widely
Garden centre, DIY store	single areas, buying on site	design and sales from one source
Online design	simple garden, little technical work	no site visit
Plan it yourself	you want to sort your ideas first	no substitute for professional planning when building

Landscape architect

In Germany, only someone registered on the list of a state chamber of architects may call themselves "Landschaftsarchitektin" or "Landschaftsarchitekt". This is set out in the architects' acts of the federal states; the requirements are a relevant degree and several years of professional practice. Word combinations with the title are protected too. You can ask whether someone is registered or check with the chamber of architects of the federal state.

A landscape architecture practice can take on all work stages, from the first idea to acceptance. It plans independently of a contractor, tenders the work and helps you compare quotes. That is especially worthwhile for a new build, a slope, drainage, retaining walls, a pond or a pool – and whenever several firms work one after another.

Landscaping firm with design

Landscaping firms offer designs too. You then have one contact from the idea to the planting, and whoever designs knows the cost of their own work. The catch: design and quote come from the same source, and other firms first have to quote on that design so you can compare.

Agree in writing beforehand what the design costs and whether it is credited against an order. Under German law, a simple cost estimate is, in case of doubt, not chargeable (Section 632 (3) BGB). A worked-out design that you order, however, is a separate service.

Garden planner or garden designer

These titles are not protected. Behind them may be master landscape gardeners, perennial growers, graduates of a further-training course or career changers. Ask for references and sample plans, and ask exactly which services are included: only a design, a planting plan too, or also support during the build?

Garden centres and DIY stores

Some garden centres and DIY stores offer advice or planning tools you can use to put together single areas such as a terrace, bed or fence. That is practical if you are buying there anyway. Check whether the planning is tied to a purchase and whether you may use the documents elsewhere.

Online design

Here, garden designers plan remotely, based on your photos, measurements and information. That can work well for a manageable garden without changes in level. Without a site visit, though, nobody sees the soil, the slope or the afternoon shade. The more precise your measurements and photos, the better the result fits.

Planning it yourself with tools

You can also start yourself: with paper, a tape measure, a planning program or a visualisation on a photo of your garden. That does not replace professional planning for construction work, but it helps you sort your wishes and compare variants before you hire someone. More on this below in the section on GardenPilot.

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What does it cost to have your garden designed?

The HOAI: a guideline, no longer mandatory

Until the end of 2020, the HOAI set mandatory minimum and maximum rates. Following a 2019 ruling by the European Court of Justice, an amended version has applied since 1 January 2021: the fee tables are now only guideline values. For you as a private client this means:

• The fee is agreed freely, in text form (for example by email or a written contract).
• If there is no agreement in text form, the base fee rate applies – the lower value in the table.
• If you are a consumer, the practice must tell you in text form before you sign that a fee above or below the table values can be agreed. If it doesn't, the base fee rate applies instead of a higher fee.
• On top come incidental costs (such as travel and printing) and VAT.

The table is based on the "eligible costs" – roughly, the net cost of the planned outdoor works. This is what the table for outdoor facilities looks like in the middle fee zone:

Eligible costs	All stages (1–9)	Stages 1–3 only
€30,000	€7,388–9,215	approx. €2,140–2,670
€50,000	€11,416–14,238	approx. €3,310–4,130
€100,000	€20,574–25,659	approx. €5,970–7,440

Source: Section 40 HOAI, fee zone III ("average requirements"), range from the base fee rate to the upper fee rate, net, excluding incidental costs. Stages 1–3 = 29 % under Section 39 HOAI, rounded by us. Version of the regulation in force since 1 January 2021.

If you only want a garden concept, i.e. basic evaluation and preliminary design (stages 1 and 2, together 13 % of the full fee), it comes to roughly €1,480 to €1,850 net at €50,000 eligible costs.

Two things stand out. First, the share is high for small gardens: for all stages at €50,000 eligible costs it lies between just under 23 and just over 28 per cent. Second, the table only starts at €20,000 eligible costs; below that there are no guideline values. Which fee zone applies to your garden depends, among other things, on the number of functional areas, the design requirements and services such as water and power.

Other ways of billing

Outside the HOAI, three models are common, also combined:

• Flat fee for a clearly described service, such as "design with planting plan".
• Hourly rate, for example for advice on site.
• Percentage of the construction cost, modelled on the HOAI.

For a landscaping firm, the German comparison portal Aroundhome quotes around €400 to €1,000 for a rough garden design and roughly another €1,000 for a detailed design including planting (as of 10 Oct 2025). That is a portal figure, not a survey. Get a written quote for your case that states exactly what will be delivered.

What the build itself costs – terrace, paths, plants per square metre – is covered in the article How much does garden design cost?

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Which option suits you?

A garden like this one has several areas: terrace, lawn, a round gravel bed with a tree, a water basin and a pergola with a seating corner. The more of these building blocks come together, the more a well-thought-out plan pays off – especially where water, power or levels are involved.

• You don't know yet what you want: collect ideas and pictures first, including on a photo of your own garden. Then a design from a garden designer or a practice.
• You have a clear idea and want one firm to do everything: a landscaping firm with design. Ask what the design costs, and get a second quote based on it.
• New build, slope, drainage, retaining walls, pond or pool: landscape architecture with construction drawings, for larger projects also with tendering and site supervision.
• It's only about beds and plants: a planting plan from a garden designer or perennial nursery can be enough.
• You'll do most of the building yourself: a design with a planting plan and a clear order of work. The order in which to go about it is covered in Redesigning your garden step by step.

For a new build, the checklist for home builders also helps: it lists what to coordinate with the house build before the garden's turn comes.

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Creating a garden concept yourself: in 5 steps

Before you hire anyone, you can also make a simple concept yourself. It helps you sort out your wishes, and it is the best basis for the meeting with a designer.

1. Survey what is there. Measure the length and width of the garden and draw a simple plan, for example at a scale of 1:100 (1 centimetre on paper is 1 metre in the garden). Mark what should stay, and on a sunny day watch where there is sun and shade in the morning, at midday and in the evening.
2. Decide how you will use it. Write down what the garden should do: eating, playing, lounging, harvesting, storing bins and bikes. Cross out what matters less to you. Not everything fits into every garden.
3. Divide it into zones. Draw the areas as simple circles on the plan: the seating area where you get evening sun, beds along the edge, the path where you actually walk. Try out two or three variants.
4. Choose the look. Settle on a few materials and a handful of plants that you repeat. That looks calmer than many individual pieces. Pictures of gardens you like help with this.
5. Estimate costs and stages. Roughly add up the areas and use prices per square metre to estimate what the build will cost. Guide values are in the article How much does garden design cost? Decide what comes first and what can wait.

In the end you have a plan with zones, a list of your wishes and a cost frame. With that you can get started yourself or go into the meeting well prepared. For construction work on paths, terraces, walls or utility lines, you still need a professional firm.

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How to prepare for the meeting

A designer can only plan what they know. With these documents you save yourself follow-up questions and get a design that suits you sooner:

• Photos from several directions, including from the house and from the far end of the garden. Plus the areas that cause problems.
• Measurements: a site plan if you have one, otherwise your own measured length and width. Changes in level, steps, slopes.
• Existing features: What should stay? Trees, hedges, terrace, garden shed, pipes and cables, water and power connections.
• Use: What should the garden do? Eating, playing, lounging, vegetables, pets, space for bins and bikes.
• Maintenance: How much time do you want to spend working in the garden?
• Budget: a range for design and build. Without one, nobody can plan to fit.
• Pictures you like – and ones you don't.
• Timing: When should the work happen, and should it be done in stages?

Ask in the meeting: Which work stages or services are included? How is it billed? What does a second variant cost? Will I get a plan that another firm can also quote on?

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Where GardenPilot fits in

GardenPilot is not a design practice or a landscape architect, and it doesn't build anything. It mainly helps before you hire someone: you upload a photo of your garden and see design ideas on your own plot. The first image is free. That lets you compare styles and variants and go into the meeting with concrete pictures instead of vague wishes.

If you want to go further, the concept details explain the materials and plants in an image. The garden plan shows the idea as a top view with outer dimensions, north arrow and legend. Its proportions are estimated; it does not replace a survey, construction drawings or a binding quote. For building paths, terraces, walls or utility lines you still need a professional firm. How it all works and what it costs is explained in the article AI garden design with a photo.

Want to see what suits your garden before the first meeting? Upload a photo – the first image is free. Start free with your photo

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Frequently asked questions

What does it cost to have a garden designed?

That depends on the scope. The HOAI only gives guideline values for outdoor facilities: at €50,000 eligible costs, all work stages in the middle fee zone come to €11,416 to €14,238 net, stages 1 to 3 to roughly €3,310 to €4,130. Outside the HOAI, billing is by flat fee, by the hour or as a percentage of the construction cost. Agree the fee in text form beforehand.

What does a garden concept cost?

At a landscape architecture practice, the concept corresponds to the preliminary design. The HOAI sets it at 10 % of the full fee, with the basic evaluation before it at 3 %. At €50,000 eligible costs in the middle fee zone, that comes to roughly €1,480 to €1,850 net together. For rough garden planning by a landscaping firm, the comparison portal Aroundhome gives €400 to €1,000 (as of 10 Oct 2025). A written quote shows exactly what is included.

Is a garden architect worth it?

This usually means a landscape architecture practice. It is worth it above all for a new build, a slope, drainage, retaining walls, a pond or pool, and when several firms work one after another. For a small garden without technical work, a concept or design from a garden designer is often enough – or your own concept following the five steps above.

What is the difference between a landscape architect and a garden designer?

In Germany, "Landschaftsarchitekt" is a protected professional title: only people registered on the list of a chamber of architects may use it. The requirements are a relevant degree and professional practice. Anyone can call themselves a "garden planner" or "garden designer". That says nothing about quality in an individual case, but a lot about what you should ask.

Do I have to pay for the design if I then don't hire the firm?

Under Section 632 (3) BGB, a simple cost estimate is, in case of doubt, not chargeable. If you order a worked-out design, however, that is a separate service. So agree in writing beforehand whether the design costs anything and whether it is credited against an order.

Do I need a designer for a small garden at all?

Not necessarily. For a small garden without changes in level and without new utility lines, a good design with a planting plan or your own planning can be enough. As soon as drainage, walls, water or power come in, professional planning makes sense. Ideas for small spaces are in the article Designing a small garden.

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Further reading

• How much does garden design cost? Prices, worked examples and what drives the price
• Redesigning your garden: costs, process and a before-and-after preview
• Creating a garden: the builder's checklist
• AI garden design with a photo