Choosing between hourly and day rates is one of the biggest pricing decisions gardeners face. In this guide, I break down the pros and cons of each approach so you can choose a pricing structure that actually works for your business.
I’m Luke, a working gardener in Yorkshire. I built a fully booked UK gardening business from scratch, and I’ve learned pricing the hard way through real jobs and real customers.
This guide is based on what actually works in the UK, not theory, so you can choose a pricing structure that protects your time and income.
When pricing gardening work, most people start by charging an hourly rate. It feels simple and fair on the surface. Day rates, on the other hand, involve charging a fixed amount for a full day’s work regardless of hours.
Hourly pricing is easy to explain to customers and can work well for small or unpredictable jobs. However, it often leads to undercharging once travel time, admin, and preparation are taken into account.
Day rates allow you to price your time more realistically and protect your income. They work particularly well for maintenance rounds, full-day jobs, and regular customers.
There is no single correct answer. Many experienced gardeners start with hourly rates, then gradually move towards day rates or fixed job pricing as their confidence grows.
Understanding your costs, workload, and customer base is key.
If you’re still working out how much to charge overall, it helps to step back and look at typical UK gardener rates and how they translate into sustainable income.
You may find it useful to read my guide on how much a gardener should charge in the UK, which breaks this down in more detail.
Whichever structure you choose, it only works if the figure behind it is right. If your hourly or day rate is one you picked up from other gardeners rather than worked out, the hourly rate guide shows how to set one from what your own business needs to earn.
And a structure is only a structure until you put it on a quote. When you've got a real job in front of you and need to turn hourly, day rate or fixed price into an actual number for the customer, how to quote gardening jobs in the UK walks through it step by step.
Once your pricing structure is right, the next question is how this translates into real income. I also break this down in detail in my guide on how much a self-employed gardener can earn in the UK.
Many gardeners charge roughly £20 to £35+ per hour depending on location, experience, and the type of work.
Day rates often range from around £180 to £300+ depending on workload, travel time, and whether waste removal is included.
Many gardeners end up using a mix: hourly for small, uncertain tasks, and day rates or fixed pricing for larger jobs. The goal is to choose a structure that reflects your true costs and protects your time.
If you’d like the pricing cheatsheet, the 30-day checklist and the client enquiry email template in one place, the free Starter Toolkit is below. It’s written mainly with newer gardeners in mind, but the pricing cheatsheet can be useful if you’re already trading too.
Get the free toolkit