Building a garden from scratch, or replacing what is there. Paving, terraces, fencing, planting, ponds and the drainage underneath it all.
Start with the ground, not the plan
Most of Amsterdam and Haarlem sits on peat and clay. That has one practical consequence that decides half the budget: the ground sinks, and anything laid on it sinks with it. A terrace that is beautiful and unsupported will be uneven within three years.
- On peat: a stabilised base, or accept that you will re-level.
- Drainage before paving, never after — digging it up afterwards costs more than laying it right.
- Check the water table before you plan a pond; in this region it is high.
Permits
You rarely need a permit for a garden, and often do for what surrounds it. A fence over two metres, a shed over a certain size, or any work on a listed building needs approval from the municipality. We tell you before we quote, not after.
What it costs
| Item | Usual range |
|---|---|
| Paving, supplied and laid, per m² | € 45 – € 95 |
| Wooden terrace, per m² | € 90 – € 180 |
| Fence, per running metre | € 60 – € 140 |
| Drainage, per running metre | € 35 – € 70 |
| Pond, small, complete | € 1.500 – € 4.000 |
How working with us actually goes
You send a short description of the job. We come and look, in person, and you get a written quote with the work broken down per item — no lump sum that hides what you are paying for.
- We speak English on site and in writing.
- The quote is fixed unless you change the job; if we hit something we could not see beforehand, you hear it before we carry on.
- We work across Amsterdam and the surrounding area, so travel is not billed as a separate surprise.
- Green waste is removed and disposed of properly.
If you are renting, check with your landlord first: in the Netherlands the division between tenant and owner for garden work is set in the rental contract, and it decides who pays.
