Start a garden maintenance round

Look after local gardens with regular mowing, hedge trimming, tidying and planting.

Startup cost£800 to £4k

Monthly revenue£800 to £3.5k

Time needed10+ h/week

First incomeWeeks

£800-4k
Side hustle
Out and about

Estimates for a small start in the UK, not guarantees.

Official data

23,217 UK companies in this field, 29% registered in the last 2 years

SIC 81300 “Landscape service activities”. Source: Companies House, November 2026.

What it is

Regular garden upkeep for homes and small commercial sites: lawn mowing, hedge and shrub trimming, weeding, edging, seasonal planting and tidy-ups. It is the lower-cost way into landscaping, using mostly hand tools and basic powered equipment.

Your first three steps

Price up your area by checking what local gardeners charge per hour and per visit
Buy a reliable mower, strimmer and hedge trimmer, and arrange public liability insurance
Leaflet a few nearby streets and ask first customers for reviews and referrals

Who pays

Homeowners, older people, landlords, letting agents and small businesses with grounds to keep tidy.

How it makes money

Fixed price or hourly rate per visit on a weekly or fortnightly cycle, with extra charged for one-off jobs such as clearances, turfing or bedding planting.

Skills that help

Basic plant and lawn knowledge
Safe use of garden machinery
Reliable and good at planning routes

Watch out for

Public liability insurance, and check whether your cover includes powered tools
Green waste: check the rules for carrying and disposing of it, as waste carrying may need registration
Pesticide use may need training or certification, check before offering weed or pest treatments
Seasonal income, with less work in winter, so plan your cash flow
A vehicle or trailer to carry equipment, and check your insurance covers it for business use

Deep research report · UK

Everything you need to start: garden maintenance round

Researched with live web search for United Kingdom: real startup prices, the licences and rules, what others charge, a break-even example, how to find your first customers and a 30-day launch plan. With sources.

Startup costs with real prices
Licences, registration and rules
Pricing: what others charge
Break-even example
Finding your first customers
30-day launch plan
Risks and how to reduce them

Ready in about 2 minutes · one-off payment, tax included

See a full sample report

Questions people ask

How much does it cost to start a garden maintenance round?

Estimates typically run around £800 to £4,000, depending on the equipment you buy and the vehicle or trailer you need to carry it. Check your insurance covers the vehicle for business use and includes powered tools.

How much can a garden maintenance round earn?

Estimated monthly revenue is typically around £800 to £3,500, depending on how many regular gardens you take on. Income is seasonal, with less work in winter, so plan your cash flow. Estimated time is at least 10 hours a week.

What rules should I check before starting a garden maintenance business?

Check public liability insurance, including whether it covers powered tools. Check the rules for carrying and disposing of green waste, which may need waste carrier registration, and whether pesticide use needs training or certification before you offer weed or pest treatments.