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Garden design and build

Service

Garden design and build

One firm to design your garden and build it, from survey and drawings through to the finished space.

In short

What does Gardenscape mean by garden design and build?

One firm to design your garden and build it, from survey and drawings through to the finished space.

One firm to design your garden and build it

A garden design and build project is the whole thing under one roof: the survey, the drawings, the materials, the groundwork, the structures, the planting, through to the finished space. Tom holds a BA (Hons) in Garden Design and Construction and was named Landscaper of the Year in 2025, so the design comes from a trained eye and the build from the same hands. You are not handing a drawing from one company to another and hoping the two meet in the middle.

Design and build, under one roof

Most garden problems happen in the gap between the designer and the builder. A drawing looks beautiful, then the contractor finds the levels do not work, the drainage was never thought through, or the budget was never real. We close that gap by being both.

The person who designs your garden is the person responsible for building it. That means the design is honest from the first sketch: drawn around your actual ground, your actual budget and what can genuinely be built, not a render that falls apart on site. It also means one point of contact and one line of responsibility from the first conversation to the day we hand it over.

A design rooted in the place

A good garden belongs to its house and its setting. We design with the architecture, the views, the light and the local materials in mind, whether that is a period stone property in a Cotswold village or a contemporary house looking out over the Water Park. The aim is a garden that looks as though it was always meant to be there, not a scheme lifted from a catalogue.

That is where the design training earns its keep. A degree in garden design and construction is design and engineering together: how a space should feel and flow, and how it actually stands up once it is built. We design for both.

How a design and build project runs

Every project is different, but the shape is consistent.

It starts with a conversation about how you want to use the garden and what you want it to feel like. We survey the site and take the levels properly, because the ground decides what is possible. From there we develop a concept and drawings, specify the materials, and agree the scope and the budget before anyone lifts a spade. Then we build: groundwork and drainage first, then the hard landscaping, any structures, water or lighting, and finally the planting. We hand it over knowing how it all works, and we are at the end of the phone afterwards.

The groundwork is most of the craft

The part of a garden you never see is most of the reason it lasts. Levels, drainage, sub-bases, footings and structural works are where the real money and the real skill go, and they are the first things a cheaper firm skips to win a price.

We do not skip them. We dig to firm ground, build proper bases, set the falls so water goes where it should, and engineer the retaining and the structures to last. It is less visible than the paving and the planting, and it is the difference between a garden that still looks right in ten years and one that moves, settles and cracks in two.

Materials and planting that suit the ground

Materials are specified to the house and the setting, and to the ground they sit on: Cotswold stone that matches a period property, porcelain or sawn stone for a clean contemporary scheme, oak for structures built to weather. We work with trusted suppliers and partner brands rather than whatever is cheapest that week.

Planting is designed to establish, not just to look good on handover day. We plant to the soil and the aspect, whether that is the heavy Oxford clay of the vale around Chippenham or the free-draining limestone of the Cotswolds, so the garden grows into itself over its first few seasons.

From one feature to a whole garden

A design and build project can be a complete garden, or a defined part of one done properly: a terrace and steps, an outdoor kitchen, a natural swimming pond, a pergola, a planting scheme. The same design thinking applies at any scale. As Tom puts it, if you want it in your garden, we can make it a reality.

We work across North Wiltshire and the Cotswolds and lean toward the Cotswold villages and the Water Park. If a project genuinely excites us, we will travel for it.

Planning and the practical realities

Most garden work sits within permitted development, but larger structures, raised levels, retaining walls and outbuildings can need planning permission, and designated land such as the Cotswold National Landscape or a conservation area tightens the rules on what can be built and in what materials. We flag what applies to your plot at the design stage, before it becomes a problem, and we point you to your local authority, Wiltshire Council or Cotswold District Council, where a formal check or application is needed. This is guidance from experience, not a substitute for the council's own decision.

Talk to us about your garden

The first step is a conversation. Tell us about your garden and how you want to use it, and we will tell you honestly what is possible and how we would approach it. Arrange a consultation to get started.

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Cost context

Indicative ranges

Figures are relative, not quotations. Each scheme is priced after a survey of access, levels, drainage and finish standard.

What changes the cost
site survey and levels
scope of the brief
materials specification
structural and drainage works
planting scheme

Source: Gardenscape. Figures as of 2026-06-02.

Recent work

Projects in this discipline

Let Them Play: a charity garden build for David Rees Holistic Learning
Let Them Play: a charity garden build for David Rees Holistic Learning
Let Them Play: a charity garden build for David Rees Holistic Learning
A country-house garden transformation, in progress
A complete garden design and build with garden room, patio and decking
A complete garden design and build with garden room, patio and decking
A complete garden design and build with garden room, patio and decking

Common questions

Common questions

  • It means one firm designs your garden and builds it, rather than a designer drawing a scheme and handing it to a separate contractor. Using one firm closes the gap where most problems happen: the design is drawn around your real ground and budget, there is one point of contact, and one line of responsibility from the first drawing to handover.

  • We do not quote by the square metre, because every garden is different. The cost depends on the size, the ground, the materials and how much structural and groundwork is involved. The honest answer comes from a consultation and a proper survey, after which we give you a clear, itemised proposal before any work begins.

  • The design stage takes a few weeks, depending on the scale and how settled the brief is. The build depends on the size and complexity of the garden and the ground conditions. We give you a clear programme with your proposal so you know the stages and the timescale before we start.

  • Both. A project can be a complete garden or a defined part of one done properly, such as a terrace, an outdoor kitchen, a natural swimming pond or a planting scheme. The same design thinking applies at any scale.

  • We work across North Wiltshire and the Cotswolds, centred on Chippenham and leaning toward the Cotswold villages and the Water Park, including Malmesbury, Cirencester, Tetbury, Calne, Royal Wootton Bassett and the South Cerney and Ashton Keynes cluster. If a project genuinely excites us, we will travel further for it.

  • Most garden work falls within permitted development, but larger structures, raised levels, retaining walls and outbuildings can need permission, and designated land such as the Cotswold National Landscape or a conservation area tightens the rules. We flag what applies at the design stage and point you to your local authority where a check is needed.

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