Why do quotes for landscaping services in UK differ so dramatically? Here are 10 ways some businesses use to reduce their costs and subsequently offer 40% cheaper prices.
Some people think checking Companies House means they’re safe. Reality check: it takes one hour and £30 to set up a limited company in the UK. That fancy LTD name? It gives you less control, not more. And if they’re under £1M turnover, they don’t even need to file real accounts. So no—being listed means nothing. In fact, it could be a smokescreen. And when you see prices slashed in half, it’s not magic—it’s often ten hidden shortcuts that would make most homeowners sweat
1. No training, no problem – Quote reduction 10%
Since COVID, when people of all trades lost their jobs, everyones became a landscaper! It seemed the best way to find work was to knock on doors and offer to fix somebody’s driveway. Or mow their lawn. These people now call themselves “Landscapers” and operate through flashy looking websites without any history or training whatsoever. They sub-contract out some of the work to others. They sell on price first, so that no-one bothers to ask about their skills and where they acquired them. The client has no idea who is working on their property at any given time.
2. Employ Slaves – Quote reduction 10%
The minimum wage for an unskilled adult in the UK is £12.21 an hour from April 1st 2025. Many companies will look for a never-ending pool of people desperate enough to sweat and toil for that amount. They are clearly unable to work safely, unsupervised but are “used” to do most of the loading and carrying jobs disliked by other workers. However, when a Manager is required to supervise them and the correct health and safety guidelines are followed, their true cost escalates. Add to that all of the tax, national insurance and other legal entitlements these workers receive and the true cost is always double the minimum wage. Much cheaper to employ illegal workers. Most people know that workers coming here as undocumented migrants are treated as slaves by unscrupulous businesses and are happy to look the other way when they see these people being used and abused for payment no more than food and lodgings.
3. No VAT. – Quote reduction 10%
Sometimes referred to as “Cash jobs” or just where less paperwork is used. These businesses are often keen for the client to pay for materials and offer their work to install the goods only. Not paying VAT usually means that the overall bill can be 10% cheaper as the 20% VAT benefit gets shared mutually. Beware if the tradesman wants you to pay a large percentage upfront. When you are running a business at low prices, cashflow becomes impossible and these businesses crash and burn and disappear everyday. Often with clients money in their hands.
4. Beg, steal or borrow machinery – quote reduction 2%
A cheaper way of working is to reduce costs of assets such as diggers and lifts etc. Asset ownership is expensive, when not being used, these machines have to be kept secure and regularly maintained. It is possible to reduce costs by acquiring machinery only when a job requires it.
5. No Insurance – quote reduction 1%
Whilst proper insurance protects the client and ensures the contractor can pay out if he is liable for damage, some businesses are so keen to show cheap prices, they will work without proper business insurance. The benefit on price is small and the risk to the homeowner is huge.
6. No waste licenses – Quote reduction 2%
How would you feel if you discovered that waste from your garden makeover has been dumped on somebody else’s property? Fly-tipping from unscrupulous landscapers is rife. But people never ask to see waste disposal licenses.
7. No project leadership or paperwork – Quote reduction 5%
Some smaller projects we do over and over again are not complicated enough to require project plans. But some jobs can go awry without a named contact responsible for the whole project. If this is important to you, then ask to meet the person responsible and ask to see his project plan. you would be surprised to see how many companies overlook this entirely.
9. Keep no business premises – quote reduction 2%
There is nothing wrong with a small contractor working from their home address. However, when that address doesn’t exist or when you go there and nobody has heard of the company, alarm bells should ring. This sort of behaviour is often accompanied by no insurance, no guarantees gang.
10. No administration – quote reduction 2%
It is easy today to administer a business using the latest technology. You don’t have to employ somebody to answer the phones or type invoices anymore. But, some companies still see this as an unnecessary expense and offer no paperwork, receipts or personal assistance at all.