Landscaping cost in Austin: every service on one table, and the five things that move it
Landscaping runs from a $45 mow to a $30,000 backyard, and the question most people really have is where their project falls. Here is the whole price list for Austin and the suburbs in 2026, then the five variables that explain why two neighbors with the same lot get different numbers.
Ranges below are for Austin and the Williamson and Hays County suburbs in 2026. Every project is walked first and priced on paper; the written estimate is free and holds for 30 days. Design plans carry a fee that is credited against the installation.
The table
| Service | 2026 range | Priced by |
|---|---|---|
| Mowing, edging, blowing, per visit | $45 – $95 | Lot size |
| Full lawn program, monthly | $150 – $300 | Lot size, services |
| Pre-emergent or fertilization, each | $55 – $120 | Lawn area |
| Core aeration | $90 – $200 | Lawn area |
| Tree trimming, per tree | $150 – $1,800 | Height, access, volume |
| Tree removal, per tree | $300 – $3,500 | Size, drop zone |
| Crane-assisted removal | $2,500 – $6,000+ | Crane, pieces |
| Stump grinding | $100 – $700 | Diameter |
| Landscape design plan | $500 – $3,000 | Yard size, detail |
| Planting and beds, installed | $8 – $20 per sq ft | Plant sizes, soil, drip |
| Flagstone or limestone patio | $18 – $40 per sq ft | Stone, base |
| Dry-stack limestone wall, under 4 ft | $35 – $60 per face sq ft | Height, backfill |
| Irrigation service call | $85 – $150 | Plus parts |
| Drip conversion, per zone | $250 – $600 | Bed size |
| Sod, installed | $0.90 – $2.20 per sq ft | Grass type |
| Xeriscape conversion | $8 – $20 per sq ft | Plants, stone, drip |
| Landscape lighting, per fixture installed | $120 – $280 | Fixture grade |
| Mulch, delivered and spread | $75 – $120 per cu yd | Access |
| Front-yard makeover, complete | $5,000 – $15,000 | Scope |
| Full backyard project | $15,000 – $30,000+ | Hardscape share |
The five variables
Size. Lawn work is priced by area, tree work by height and spread, hardscape by the square foot of surface and the face of a wall. A half-acre lot in Cedar Park is a different mow from a sixth of an acre in Hyde Park. Access. A tree over a pool, a patio with no gate wide enough for a skid steer, a Lakeway slope with no place to park a truck: each adds hours. Materials and sizes. A 15-gallon tree costs several times a 5-gallon one; cut limestone costs more than flagstone; Zoysia costs more than Bermuda. Soil. West of MoPac there is rock under the grass and topsoil has to be brought in; east of I-35 there is clay and drainage has to be built. Rules. A protected tree adds a permit and possibly mitigation; a wall over four feet adds an engineer; an irrigation system adds a licensed irrigator's time. Each is itemized so the reason is visible.
What is free
The walk-through and the written estimate. The HOA submittal when it is part of a quoted project. The advice to do less: a lawn program before new sod, a prune before a removal, a terrace before a tall wall.
Questions on this
Why is a tree quote so wide?
Because a 40-foot pecan in an open field and a 40-foot pecan over a garage are different jobs by a factor of three. Nobody prices a tree without standing under it.
Is there a minimum charge?
A mowing visit is the smallest job; small installations have a delivery minimum of about a pallet of sod or a yard of mulch. The estimate says so.
Do prices differ by suburb?
No. One list across Austin, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Georgetown, Pflugerville, Leander, Dripping Springs, Kyle, Lakeway and Hutto, with no travel charge. Soil and access change the number, not the ZIP code.
Is a design plan worth paying for?
For a small bed, no; a consultation and a sketch does it. For anything with hardscape, irrigation or more than a dozen plants, yes, and the fee comes off the installation.
What is the cheapest way to improve a yard?
A lawn program and an irrigation audit, in that order. Most Austin yards look bad because they were never fed and are watered wrong, not because they need to be rebuilt.
How do I budget for a year?
Mowing in season plus a program is about $2,000 to $3,500 a year for a typical lot. Add a tree visit every two or three years and mulch twice a year. Projects are extra and are best done one season at a time.
Related reading: Tree removal cost · Lawn care cost · Design cost · Sod cost