During every initial client meeting I try to bring up the uncomfortable subject of budget, and about fifty percent of the time I hear some version of, “I have no idea how much this should cost!” Sometimes it may be a little easier to broach if the client has already gotten an estimate that is way too high—that can at least provide a reference point for “too high,” though it doesn’t necessarily tell me what they think is reasonable.

I want to be very clear that there is no magic formula for estimating landscaping projects. I think some people feel that there is a sort of universally accepted cost to their project, and some contractors are trying to cheat them out of more money by charging more than what would be fair. Some people do not like to give contractors any idea of budget, because they feel like this gives the contractor the ability to overcharge them

It is completely legitimate for costs to vary between different contractors for many reasons. Here are a few possibi