Hedge cutting is easy to underprice. Height, thickness, access, waste and the kit you need all vary from one hedge to the next, and a price that worked on the last one can leave you short on this one.
This guide explains realistic hedge cutting prices, how to charge per metre, and how to avoid underestimating large jobs.
Need help quoting hedge jobs properly? Read the quoting guide →
I’m not writing this from theory. I run a real, fully booked gardening business in the UK. I’ve made pricing mistakes, undercharged early on, and learned the hard way what works.
Everything on this site is based on real experience: quoting jobs, managing customers, covering costs, and building a sustainable round.
For standard garden hedges (under 2 metres high), many gardeners charge:
However, the correct price depends heavily on access, height, thickness, and waste removal.
Per-metre pricing is common for straight, accessible hedges. Hourly or day rates are safer for overgrown or unknown conditions.
If you're not sure which way to price a particular hedge, my guide on hourly vs day rates for gardeners in the UK goes through when each structure protects you and when it doesn't. And whichever you use, the figure behind it should be yours: the hourly rate guide shows how to work out what your own business needs per hour before you apply it to hedge work.
Always view the hedge in person if possible. Photos rarely show thickness or access issues accurately.
Once you've seen it, turning what you found into a confident price is what how to quote gardening jobs in the UK covers, including a worked hedge example.
If the hedge is very tall, heavily overgrown, or part of a larger garden tidy-up, a day rate protects your margin. If the hedge work is really one part of a bigger overgrown-garden job, it may be worth pricing the whole thing as a clearance. See how much to charge for garden clearance in the UK.
Hedge cutting can be profitable, but only when priced confidently. Avoid guessing and build pricing structure into your business.
If hedge cutting is just one part of a wider maintenance round for you, see my guide on how much to charge for garden maintenance in the UK for pricing the rest of the job.
Many gardeners charge between £3 and £8 per metre depending on size and condition.
Yes. Anything requiring ladders, platforms or extended reach tools increases risk and time.
You can include it or itemise it separately, but never ignore disposal costs.
It can be very profitable when priced correctly, especially for regular maintenance clients.
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