How to Find a Trustworthy Landscaper in the UK

Look for membership of the British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI), the main UK trade body for landscaping. Membership is not a legal requirement, but it signals a track record.

Ask to see completed projects similar to yours. Hard landscaping, such as paving, needs different skills to planting.

Be clear about property boundaries before work starts, especially for fences or walls near a neighbour. A boundary dispute is far easier to avoid than to resolve.

Agree in writing exactly what is included. Landscaping quotes vary widely depending on groundwork, materials and waste removal.

In England, paving more than five square metres of a front garden with a surface that water cannot drain through usually needs planning permission. Permeable paving, or draining water to a lawn or border, avoids this.

A new dropped kerb, so you can drive across the pavement, needs permission from the council. Ask whether your plans need one before work starts.

Trees may be protected by a Tree Preservation Order or by being in a conservation area. Check with the council before any tree is cut or removed.

It is an offence to disturb an active bird's nest, so hedge and tree work in spring needs care.

Ask for the landscaper's waste carrier registration number. If your waste is fly-tipped by an unregistered carrier, you can be fined as well.

Landscaping can look different once plants have grown or paving has settled, so a history over time is useful. On Propvio, a review only appears once a homeowner has logged the job and the landscaper has confirmed it.

Look for confirmed jobs that match the work you need, whether that is hard landscaping, planting, or both.

Ask for a written quote covering materials, groundwork, drainage and waste removal, with a timeframe that allows for weather.

Questions for any trade are listed in What to Ask a Tradesperson Before Work Starts.