---
title: "Garden Makeovers & Full Renovations In Cambridge | Cambridge Landscape Gardeners"
description: "Cambridge gardens range from fast-draining chalk plots to heavy clay that holds water all winter. Tell us your site…"
canonical: "https://www.cambridgelandscapegardeners.co.uk/services/garden-makeovers-full-renovations"
lastmod: "2026-11-14T09:32:05.343Z"
---

# Garden Makeovers & Full Renovations in Cambridge

![Garden Makeovers & Full Renovations carried out by a professional landscaping](https://utmost-ibex-736.convex.cloud/api/storage/15748826-757e-4cdf-a2dc-f294ed7bdc91)

From bare new build plot to finished outdoor space, drainage, surfaces, planting, and boundaries in one coordinated scope.

- **Itemised Quotes**: Patio, turf, drainage, and fencing each quoted as a separate line item.
- **Survey First**: Levels, drainage, and soil condition checked before any plan is drawn.
- **Hard & Soft Landscaping**: Surfaces, borders, planting, and boundaries covered in one scope.

## Why rushed garden renovations fail, and what a proper scope looks like

- **Drainage Ignored**: Cambridgeshire clay soil holds water; a layout quoted without a drainage check floods in its first winter.
  **Drainage Assessed First**: A site survey covers soil condition and levels before any surface or planting is specified or priced.
- **Stages Quoted Blind**: A single combined figure hides which elements cost what, making it impossible to adjust scope without starting again.
  **Separate Line Items**: Clearance, drainage, [hard landscaping](https://www.cambridgelandscapegardeners.co.uk/services/hard-landscaping), soft landscaping, and fencing each appear as individual figures in the quote.
- **Hard & Soft Planned Apart**: Patio and planting specified by different contractors leave gaps at edges, mismatched levels, and unfinished borders.
  **One Coordinated Scope**: Hard and soft landscaping are planned together so surfaces, raised beds, turf, and borders connect without gaps.
- **Sub-Base Skipped**: Paving laid without a compacted sub-base shifts and sinks within two seasons, requiring the surface to be lifted and relaid.
  **Ground Prep Included**: Sub-base, topsoil, and levelling sit within the quoted scope rather than appearing as additions once work starts.

## What a full garden renovation covers

Every stage from initial clearance through to finished planting is included in the scope, nothing is treated as an optional extra.

- **Site Survey & Level Check**: Drainage, soil condition, and ground levels assessed before any plan or quote is produced.
- **Garden Clearance**: Existing structures, overgrown planting, and failed surfaces removed and cleared from site.
- **Hard Landscaping Surfaces**: Patio in natural stone, porcelain, or block paving; paths and retaining walls built on a compacted sub-base.
- **Soft Landscaping & Planting**: Turf laying, garden borders, and a planting scheme specified to suit the soil condition and aspect.
- **Drainage Solutions**: Soakaways, channel drainage, or graded falls installed where the survey identifies water retention risk.
- **Fencing & Raised Beds**: Boundary fencing, gravel boards, and raised beds included where needed to complete the layout.

- **New Build Garden Layout**: Full design and structure for bare, unlevelled new build plots.
- **Worn Patio & Lawn Replacement**: Lift failed surfaces, relay sub-base, and re-turf in one visit.
- **Low-Maintenance Redesign**: Gravel, porcelain, and border planting chosen to cut ongoing upkeep.
- **Retaining Walls & Levels**: Correct uneven ground with walls, steps, and graded drainage falls.

## A complete garden rebuild scoped from the ground up, not from a template

A renovation that covers drainage, surfaces, planting, and boundaries in one coordinated scope avoids the gaps that cause problems later.

Cambridge new build plots often arrive bare, unlevelled, and poorly drained, with no existing layout to work from. Older gardens that have been neglected or poorly laid out present a different starting point: existing structures may need removing, levels correcting, and drainage assessed before any new work can go in. Cambridgeshire clay soil makes drainage assessment a standard part of any renovation survey, not an optional extra.

A full renovation scope covers both hard and soft landscaping together. Hard landscaping, patio in natural stone, porcelain, or block paving, paths, retaining walls, and raised beds, is planned alongside soft landscaping, turf, borders, and a planting scheme, so the two parts of the job connect without gaps. Fencing and boundary structures are included where needed to complete the layout. Ground preparation, sub-base, topsoil, and levelling sit within the scope rather than appearing as additions once work starts.

Each stage is quoted as a separate line item: site clearance, drainage, hard landscaping, soft landscaping, fencing, and planting each appear individually. You see the full breakdown before any work is agreed, so the scope can be adjusted by stage if needed. A site survey establishes levels, drainage, and soil condition first, the plan and quote follow from what the ground actually requires.

[Start Your Enquiry](https://www.cambridgelandscapegardeners.co.uk/contact)

## Why Cambridge Landscape Gardeners for a full garden renovation?

Every project is scoped, surveyed, and quoted in a way that keeps it accountable from start to finish.

- **Itemised Quotes, Not a Single Figure**: Each stage, clearance, drainage, paving, turf, planting, is priced separately so you control what is included.
- **Survey Before Any Plan**: Levels, drainage, and soil condition are checked on site before a layout or quote is produced.
- **Hard & Soft Landscaping Coordinated**: Surfaces and planting are scoped together, so edges, levels, and borders connect without rework.
- **Ground Prep Within Scope**: Sub-base, topsoil, and levelling are included in the quote, not added once work is under way.
- **Local Knowledge of Cambridge Soil**: Every survey accounts for Cambridgeshire clay drainage, so the right solution fits the actual ground conditions.

## From first enquiry to finished garden in three steps

1. **Describe Your Plot**: Tell us the size, soil type, and how you want to use the space so we can schedule the right survey.
2. **Survey & Itemised Quote**: A site visit checks levels, drainage, and soil condition, then quotes each stage as a separate line item.
3. **Build & Handover**: Work progresses in agreed stages, clearance, hard landscaping, soft landscaping, and planting, through to a finished garden.

[Start Your Enquiry](https://www.cambridgelandscapegardeners.co.uk/contact)

## Typical Garden Makeovers & Full Renovations Prices

| Job | Typical cost |
| --- | --- |
| Small garden makeover | £1,800-£3,500 |
| Medium garden renovation | £3,500-£7,500 |
| Large garden renovation | £7,500-£15,000 |
| Full garden redevelopment | £15,000-£30,000 |

These prices are estimates and often vary with the condition, size and scope of each job. Message or call us for a free, no-obligation quote.

[See all prices](https://www.cambridgelandscapegardeners.co.uk/pricing)

## Questions about garden makeovers & full renovations in Cambridge

### What does a full garden renovation usually include?

A full renovation typically covers clearing the existing garden, groundwork and levelling, drainage, hard surfaces such as patios and paths, fencing, turfing or planting, and any structural elements like walls or raised beds. The exact scope depends on what the garden needs, but most projects touch all of these areas rather than just one or two.

### How do I know if my garden needs a full renovation rather than small fixes?

If the drainage is failing, levels are uneven, surfaces are cracked or sunken, and the planting is overgrown or patchy, small fixes rarely hold. Patching one area often exposes problems in the next. A full renovation makes sense when the underlying groundwork is the root cause, not just the surface finish.

### Will a full makeover leave my garden unusable for a while?

Yes, for the duration of the build the garden will be a working site. Groundwork, hard landscaping, and planting happen in sequence, so there is no shortcut around that. Most projects restore basic access within a few weeks, though newly laid turf needs several weeks before it can take regular foot traffic.

### What is included in the job from the first design idea to the finished garden?

The process runs from an initial site visit and design discussion, through a detailed quote broken down by element, then groundwork and drainage, hard landscaping, fencing, turfing or planting, and a final check. Each stage is agreed before work starts so there are no surprises mid-project. See [Garden Design & Planning](https://www.cambridgelandscapegardeners.co.uk/services/garden-design-planning) for more on the design stage.

### How much disruption should I expect while the garden is being rebuilt?

Expect machinery, soil movement, and deliveries of materials during the groundwork and hard landscaping phases. Access to the garden will be restricted, and there will be noise and dust. Most of the heavy disruption is front-loaded in the first phase; planting and finishing work is considerably quieter.

### How do I know the new garden will still look good after the first year or two?

Longevity comes from correct groundwork and material specification, not just appearance on day one. Hard surfaces laid on a properly compacted sub-base resist sinking and cracking. Planting chosen for the soil type and aspect establishes rather than struggles. Asking about sub-base depths and plant provenance at the quote stage is a reasonable check.

### What does a full garden renovation usually cost?

Guide prices run from £1,800-£3,500 (Small garden makeover) to £15,000-£30,000 (Full garden redevelopment). Patio, paths, turf, fencing, drainage, and planting are each quoted as separate line items so you can see exactly where the budget is going.

### What can make the cost go up or down?

Plot size, ground conditions, and material choice are the main drivers. Poor drainage or significant level changes add groundwork cost. Premium stone costs more than concrete pavers. Keeping an existing lawn or fence rather than replacing it reduces the total. A site visit identifies these factors before any figure is agreed.

### Which areas do you cover for Garden Makeovers & Full Renovations?

We cover Garden Makeovers & Full Renovations in and around Cambridge, including Trumpington, Great Shelford, Sawston, Fulbourn, Histon, Cottenham, Waterbeach, Cambourne and Northstowe. If your area isn’t listed, [send us a quick message](https://www.cambridgelandscapegardeners.co.uk/contact) to check.

## Tell Us About Your Garden

Patio, paths, turf, fencing, drainage, and planting are each quoted as a separate line item, so you know exactly what you are paying for before any work begins.

[Start Your Enquiry](https://www.cambridgelandscapegardeners.co.uk/contact)

## Business details

### Contact

- **Phone**: [07787 475312](tel:07787475312)
- **Email**: [contact@cambridgelandscapegardeners.co.uk](mailto:contact@cambridgelandscapegardeners.co.uk)
- **Based in**: Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB1
- **Enquiries**: [Send an enquiry](https://www.cambridgelandscapegardeners.co.uk/contact) — We ask for your name, phone number, email and a message.

### Opening hours

- **Monday**: 08:00 – 18:00
- **Tuesday**: 08:00 – 18:00
- **Wednesday**: 08:00 – 18:00
- **Thursday**: 08:00 – 18:00
- **Friday**: 08:00 – 18:00
- **Saturday**: 10:00 – 16:00
- **Sunday**: 10:00 – 16:00