A landscape design plan costs $700 to $3,000 on average nationally, ranging from $300 to $600 for a small garden plan up to $3,500 to $9,000 for a large, detailed one, per HomeGuide's 2026 cost guide. Designers bill $50 to $150 an hour, and a first consultation runs $100 to $200. Fuller design packages cost more: Angi's landscape design page, localized to Arlington Heights, Illinois, shows a normal range of $2,847 to $6,926 with an average of $4,832. Installation is a separate number entirely — Angi's landscaping page for the same Illinois location gives a normal range of $1,209 to $5,083.
Two numbers get confused constantly here, and that confusion is why quotes look so far apart. The design fee pays for thinking and drawings; the installation cost pays for soil, stone, plants, machines, and crew hours. Below is what each covers, how designers structure fees, what finished work costs by scope, and the local factors that decide where a Skokie, Evanston, or North Shore project lands inside those ranges. Our Chicago landscape design page covers the service itself; this one covers the money.
What a Landscape Design Fee Actually Buys
A design fee buys a sequence of deliverables, each one narrowing the project until the price of building it becomes predictable.
The consultation and site analysis
Almost every project starts with a consultation. HomeGuide puts an initial consultation at $100 to $200 and notes it typically includes the first hour, with hourly fees applying to extra site visits and plan revisions. Angi and HomeAdvisor describe a broader band, $100 to $3,000 averaging $300, because some firms fold a full site survey into that first meeting.
The site analysis is the part that earns the fee. Angi's guidance is that a professional conducts a comprehensive site analysis covering sun exposure, soil pH, slope, drainage paths, and microclimates before designing anything — the step that catches a downspout emptying into a future patio, or a shade pocket that would kill your plant list.
Concept plan, master plan, and planting plan
HomeGuide splits design plans into three tiers by size and complexity: $300 to $600 for a small basic design, $700 to $3,000 for a medium-size plan with minimal hardscaping, and $3,500 to $9,000 for a large, complex plan with extra features. A garden-only design covering roughly 600 to 1,000 square feet — consultation, plant list, and basic sketches from a nursery horticulturist — costs $200 to $600 without installation, per HomeGuide. The tiers map to how much of your property changes: a planting plan for two beds is not the same document as a master plan that relocates a walkway, resets grade, and stages a patio and a retaining wall over two seasons.
3D renderings and revisions
Visuals cost extra almost everywhere. HomeGuide states that extra hourly fees typically apply for revisions and for plans made with 3D-modeling software, and that different fees apply for 2D, 3D, hand-drawn plans, or videos made in computer-aided design programs. Angi lists scaled plans and 3D renderings among what a professional produces so you can see the layout before work begins.
How Designers Charge: Hourly, Flat Fee, or Percentage
Four fee structures are common, and published sources do not agree on all of them.
| Fee type | Published range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Initial consultation | $100 to $200 | HomeGuide |
| Hourly rate | $50 to $150, average about $100 | HomeGuide, Angi, HomeAdvisor |
| Flat fee, small plan | $300 to $600 | HomeGuide, Angi, HomeAdvisor |
| Flat fee, medium plan | $700 to $3,000 | HomeGuide |
| Flat fee, large plan | $3,500 to $9,000 | HomeGuide |
| Percentage of project | 10% to 20% | HomeGuide |
| Percentage of project (broad band) | 10% to 70%, average 55% | Angi, HomeAdvisor |
HomeGuide splits hourly rates further, at $50 to $100 for a freelance designer and $70 to $150 for a designer at a design-and-build firm. Angi and HomeAdvisor add a broad project-rate band of $300 to $15,000 averaging $4,500, and a wider percentage band of 10% to 70% averaging 55% against HomeGuide's 10% to 20%. Fixr gives a third shape again — designers often charge $200 an hour for planning and design work, and a detailed plan may run $2,000 to $7,000 with most homeowners paying around $4,500. Ask for the fee structure in writing before the first site visit, including whether revisions and 3D views are inside the number or billed hourly.
Design-Build vs Design-Only: The Fee Changes
Who builds the plan changes what the plan costs. HomeGuide groups landscape designers three ways — those who only create conceptual designs, those who design and then consult with contractors, and those whose company offers design and installation together — and notes that landscaping companies who build their own designs typically deduct the plan fee from the total installation price. That deduction is the biggest reason two quotes for "a design" can differ by thousands. A design-only fee is money spent before anyone touches the yard, and Angi points out that designers who only design will not carry out the installation themselves and are less likely to coordinate the trades who will.
A design-build landscape contractor folds both steps into one contract, which is how most residential work in the Chicago area gets built. R & G Almanza Landscape Inc is a family-owned, insured design and installation company based in Skokie, serving Evanston, the North Shore, and the greater Chicago area since 1999. To see how the two halves fit together, the landscape design process step by step walks through every stage from the first site visit to the final walkthrough.
Landscape Installation Cost Ranges by Scope
Design decides what gets built; scope decides what it costs. These are published 2026 ranges and market ballparks, not a quote for your property.
| Scope | Installed cost | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Front yard landscaping | $1,500 to $5,000 | Angi, HomeAdvisor |
| Front yard, fuller scope | $4,000 to $6,000 | Fixr |
| Backyard landscaping | $8,000 to $10,000 | Fixr |
| Full backyard renovation | $15,000 to $50,000 | Angi, HomeAdvisor |
| Softscape-led project (plants, beds, lawn) | $800 to $10,000 | Angi, Fixr |
| Hardscape-heavy project (patios, walls, walkways) | $10,000 to $30,000 | Fixr |
Per-square-foot figures line up well: Angi and HomeAdvisor give $4.50 to $12, rising to $40 for a full tear-out or outdoor kitchen build; HomeGuide gives $4 to $12; Fixr gives $5 to $20, reflecting how much hardscape is in the mix. Angi and HomeAdvisor break the same data out by area:
| Area landscaped | Average cost | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 200 sq ft | $900 to $2,400 | Angi, HomeAdvisor |
| 500 sq ft | $2,250 to $6,000 | Angi, HomeAdvisor |
| 1,000 sq ft | $4,500 to $12,000 | Angi, HomeAdvisor |
| 2,000 sq ft | $9,000 to $24,000 | Angi, HomeAdvisor |
Individual features carry their own ranges, which is how a design turns into a budget line by line. Angi lists patio installation at $2,000 to $5,800, retaining wall construction at $3,250 to $9,000, outdoor kitchen installation at $6,000 to $25,000, flower bed installation at $800 to $3,000, and sod installation at $950 to $4,300. HomeGuide prices several items by unit instead: a retaining wall at $35 to $65 per square foot, fence installation at $20 to $60 per linear foot, a pergola at $10 to $65 per square foot, and a concrete patio at $4 to $12 per square foot installed.
Labor share is the one number sources genuinely disagree on: Angi and HomeAdvisor put it at 40% to 65% of the total, HomeGuide at around 80%. Either way, installed landscaping is mostly people and machines.
What Moves a Chicago Landscape Budget Up or Down
National ranges are a starting point. Four local factors decide where a North Shore project lands.
Lot size, slope, and access
Size is the obvious driver, but shape and reach matter nearly as much. Angi notes a yard on a sloping hill or with circular edges makes measurement more complex and costs more than a flat surface, and HomeGuide adds that plans take longer for sloped land, hard-to-access properties, and sites with obstacles. On a tight Skokie lot with a narrow side yard and no alley, material moves by wheelbarrow rather than machine, and that shows up in labor hours.
Permits in Skokie and nearby villages
The Village of Skokie states that most construction or home improvement projects require a permit, and its "you do need a permit" list includes patios, fences, garages, and sheds, with driveways and sidewalks permitted subject to approval. Painting, siding, gutters, and roof replacement do not require one. Skokie's published process: apply through the online portal, submit forms signed by both homeowner and contractor with plans and a plat of survey, wait for plan review — small projects like fences or garages are usually reviewed in three to five business days — then display the permit placard street-facing and schedule inspections.
On fees, national guides give general figures only: Angi puts landscaping permits at $50 to $450 depending on project type and local law, and HomeGuide puts general landscaping permits at $45 to $200 minimum for projects over 2,500 square feet or on land by the public right-of-way. Rules and fees vary village to village, so check with yours before budgeting a permit number.
Clay soil, grading, and drainage
Much of Skokie, Evanston, and the surrounding North Shore sits on dense clay that drains slowly and holds water, which pushes two line items up. Grading comes first — Angi puts leveling or grading at $390 to $6,110 — and drainage often follows, with HomeGuide putting an exterior drainage system for backyard surface water at $1,000 to $4,000. Fixr notes the designer evaluates the need for grading or resloping during the design phase, because water that does not drain away from the foundation causes damage quickly.
Soil testing ranges widely by depth of test: HomeGuide gives $10 to $500 for a soil profile and composition test, while Angi's landscaping page gives $700 to $2,050.
Plant hardiness: the Chicago area is now zone 6a
Plant selection is a budget item disguised as an aesthetic one, because a plant that dies is a plant you buy twice. The Chicago Botanic Garden, writing about the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, reports that most of the Chicago area is now in zone 6a, including the Garden itself, which previously sat in 5b, while much of northern Illinois remains in zone 5. The Garden notes the map is a starting point only, and that soil quality, sun, shade, wind, and microclimates all affect how a plant performs.
How to Budget and Phase the Work
You do not have to buy the whole plan at once, and published advice on sequencing is consistent. HomeGuide's cost-saving guidance is to do land grading and hardscaping in the first year and add plants later — the right order, because plantings installed before earthwork get torn out by it. HomeGuide also suggests buying younger plants and trees, since the yard ends up looking the same and simply takes longer to grow in, and choosing prefabricated items such as a ready-made fire pit over a custom-built stone one. Angi agrees: permeable materials such as gravel cost less per square foot than paver patios, and keeping mature trees avoids replacement, which Angi puts at $150 to $300 per tree planted.
For a top-down check, HomeGuide reports that realtors recommend spending 5% to 15% of total home value on landscaping, and Angi suggests around 10% of property value when landscaping a new home.
A workable phasing order for a Chicago-area property looks like this:
- Year one: design, grade, drainage, and the hardscape that sets the bones — patio, walkways, retaining walls, fence line
- Year one or two: irrigation and lighting sleeves, far cheaper before surfaces are finished than after
- Year two: structural plantings and trees, sized young where the plan allows time to fill in
- Year two or three: lawn or sod, beds, and the finishing layer of perennials
Landscape Design and Installation Pricing: FAQ
How much does landscape design cost in Illinois?
HomeGuide's national average for a landscape design plan is $1,850, with an average range of $700 to $3,000 and a maximum near $9,000. For Illinois, Angi's landscape design page localized to Arlington Heights shows a normal range of $2,847 to $6,926, an average of $4,832, a low end of $1,350, and a high end of $11,000. Hourly rates run $50 to $150.
How much does landscaping cost in Chicago?
Angi's landscaping cost page, localized to Arlington Heights, Illinois, gives a normal range of $1,209 to $5,083 with an average of $3,129 and a high end of $10,000. Nationally, Angi and HomeAdvisor put professional landscaping at an average of $3,515 across a $200 to $14,750 span. Fixr's whole-property figure for new construction is $8,000 to $15,000.
What does a landscape design consultation include?
Typically a site walk, a discussion of goals and budget, and a first read on what the property can support. HomeGuide puts the initial consultation at $100 to $200 and says it usually includes the first hour. Angi describes the site analysis as covering sun exposure, soil pH, slope, drainage paths, and microclimates — the conditions that decide which parts of a wish list are realistic.
Is the design fee separate from the installation cost?
Usually yes. HomeAdvisor states directly that landscape design is design only, and that installation costs are separate once you move forward. The exception is a design-build company: HomeGuide notes that landscaping companies who build their own designs typically deduct the plan fee from the installation price, so ask whether that credit applies before comparing quotes.
Do I need a permit for landscaping work in Skokie?
It depends what you are building. The Village of Skokie says most construction or home improvement projects require a permit, and lists patios, fences, garages, and sheds as needing one, with driveways and sidewalks requiring approval. Small projects such as fences or garages are usually reviewed in three to five business days. Requirements differ in every North Shore village, so confirm with yours first.
How can I phase a landscape project to spread the cost?
Build in the order the ground demands. HomeGuide's guidance is to complete land grading and hardscaping in the first year and add plants later, which avoids paying twice for beds that earthwork would destroy. Run irrigation and lighting lines before surfaces are finished, then add trees and structural plantings, then lawn and perennials. Buying younger plants spreads cost without changing the finished look.
Get a Landscape Design Estimate for Your Property
Published ranges tell you what the market charges. The number for your yard depends on its size, slope, soil, access, and how much of the plan you build at once — all easiest to judge on site. R & G Almanza Landscape Inc has designed and installed landscaping across Skokie, Evanston, the North Shore, and the greater Chicago area since 1999. Contact us to request an estimate.
Call R & G Almanza Landscape at (847) 869-8584 to talk through your landscape design and installation budget.
