Construction Landscape Cost Calculator

Landscaping is the visible front-of-house investment for multifamily, hotel, retail.

Landscaped sq ft

Planting $/sf

Irrigation $/sf

Hardscape sq ft

Hardscape $/sf

Lighting fixtures

Per fixture

Total landscape cost

$234,500

Softscape (planting + irrigation)

$135,000

Hardscape

$80,000

How the math works

Soft = sq ft × (planting + irrigation). Hard = hardscape × $/sf. Total = soft + hard + lighting.

30k × $4.50 + 5k × $16 + 30 × $650 = $135k + $80k + $19.5k = $234,500 landscape cost.

How to Use

Enter landscaped sq ft.
Enter planting $/sf.
Enter irrigation $/sf.
Enter hardscape sq ft.
Enter hardscape $/sf.
Enter lighting fixtures.
Enter per fixture.
Read total landscape cost.

Frequently Asked Questions

Landscape cost benchmarks?

Multifamily Class A: $4–10/sf of lot ($40k–250k typical 4-acre site). Hotel/resort: $8–25/sf. Retail/restaurant: $5–15/sf. Office: $3–8/sf. Components: planting/sod ($1.50–4/sf), irrigation ($1.50–3.50/sf), hardscape ($8–25/sf), lighting ($2–8/sf), site furniture (variable). Drought-tolerant in CA, AZ, NV: 30–50% irrigation savings. Establishment maintenance year 1: 30–50% of install cost.

How does this impact project budget?

Construction budgets layer hard costs (50–65%), soft costs (15–25%), financing (5–10%), contingency (5–10%), and developer fee (3–5%). Schedule risk often equals or exceeds cost risk — every month delay carries carry cost (interest, real estate tax, insurance, opportunity cost) of 0.5–1.5% of project budget. This calculator quantifies one cost component.

Owner-controlled vs GMP vs CM-at-risk?

Lump sum/GMP: contractor takes risk above guaranteed maximum price, owner pays for change orders. CM-at-risk: open book, fee + GMP, more transparent. Construction management: agent for owner, GC subcontracted directly. Design-build: single accountability, faster but less price competition. Match delivery method to project complexity and owner sophistication.

Schedule and cost contingency?

Standard contingency: 10% of hard cost for entitlement, 5–8% for construction. Schedule contingency: 60–90 days buffer past target completion. Force majeure provisions: weather, material lead time, labor strike, permit delay. Track via critical path method (CPM) schedule. Major lender draws contingent on schedule + cost variance to budget remaining within 5%.