Your questions answered
Everything you might want to ask.
Grouped by where you are in the decision — from early research through the build to the years after. If your question isn't here, just call and ask.
Before you call
Do you charge for a design consultation or quote?
No. The first consultation and the quote that follows are free and come with no obligation. We come out, walk the garden with you, listen to how you use it and then put a clear design and price to it — whether it's a single patio or a full transformation. You're under no pressure to go ahead.
How long has Surrey Landscapers been going?
Since 1980. We were founded by the Parkinson family and have stayed a family-run business for more than 45 years. That continuity is the point: the same family judgement, refined across four decades of Surrey gardens, goes into every job.
What does RHS membership actually mean for me?
Being certified Royal Horticultural Society members means the horticulture behind your garden is held to a recognised standard, not just the paving. In practice it means honest, informed advice on what will thrive in your soil and aspect, and planting that's chosen to mature well rather than just look full on day one.
Do you only do big projects, or smaller jobs too?
Both. We take on full design-and-build transformations, but we also lay a single patio, build a driveway, put up a fence, turf a lawn or come back for regular maintenance. Plenty of clients start with one job and keep us on afterwards.
What areas do you cover?
We're based in Reigate and our service area explicitly includes Reigate, Banstead, Esher and Surbiton, plus the surrounding Surrey and South East — Redhill, Dorking, Leatherhead, Epsom and the villages between. For larger design-and-build projects we'll travel further across the South East.
Roughly what should I budget?
It depends on the garden, but we'd rather give you a sense than leave you guessing. As a broad guide for our area: a new lawn or a stretch of fencing is typically the smaller end; a quality patio often lands in the low-to-mid thousands; a full design-and-build with levels, hard landscaping and planting is a several-week project priced accordingly. Every quote is itemised and free.
During the project
Will the same team see the whole job through?
Yes. One crew carries the work from groundwork and levels through hard landscaping, structures and planting. When one team is answerable for the whole garden, nothing gets lost between trades — and you always know who you're dealing with.
Will you keep me updated as the work goes on?
That's how we work. As one client put it, Chris was excellent at keeping them updated as the work progressed and gave them options to help make decisions. We explain each step in advance rather than just turning up and digging.
How long does a garden project take?
It depends entirely on the scope — a new lawn might be a day or two, a patio a week or so, and a full transformation several weeks. One of our steep-garden projects ran to twelve weeks. We'll give you a realistic timescale with your quote and keep the site orderly throughout.
Do you work tidily, and clear up as you go?
Yes. Clients regularly single out that the team is on time, courteous and tidy. On a build that runs over weeks that matters — we keep the site orderly the whole way through rather than leaving it in a state between visits.
Can you handle sloping or awkward gardens?
Very much so. A good deal of our work is on tiered, steep or uneven plots — building in the levels, drainage and structure a flat finish needs. One client's garden went from scruffy, tiered and uneven to a level courtyard oasis; another's very steep garden got a patio, games area and flat pitch designed and installed.
Are you insured?
Yes — Surrey Landscapers is fully insured, so you're covered while we're on site, on projects large and small.
After we're done
Can you look after the garden once it's built?
Yes, and it's worth doing. A new garden is an investment that reaches its best with care, so we offer ongoing maintenance — the same people who built it keeping it right. A garden that's looked after goes on developing and maturing through the seasons rather than drifting back.
What does aftercare actually involve?
Seasonal work, scaled to the garden: grass-cutting and lawn care, hedge-trimming and pruning, weeding, and attention to the planting as it establishes. We can do it as a one-off seasonal check-up or as regular year-round care.
Do you do more than you quoted for if it helps the garden?
It happens. One family told us we turfed much more than originally quoted for and added extra soil to their nearby plant areas while we were there. Where a small extra clearly serves the garden, we tend to just get on and do it.
Do you work with local community groups?
We do — we help maintain outdoor spaces for local groups as well as private gardens. Being genuinely rooted in Reigate for 45 years, that feels like part of the job.
Still wondering about something?
The quickest way to a straight answer is a quick call or a WhatsApp photo of the garden. No obligation, no pressure.