Design costs & hiring

What are the disadvantages of landscaping?

The main disadvantages of landscaping are upfront cost, ongoing maintenance, and water use. A full professional install commonly runs $15,000 to $60,000, and even a modest yard needs mowing, pruning, and mulching afterward, typically $100 to $200 a month if you hire it out.

Other downsides get less attention. The wrong plant in the wrong spot dies or outgrows its space within a few years. Tree roots can crack driveways and invade sewer lines. Dense plantings against the house hold moisture and invite pests. An over-personalized, high-maintenance yard can also hurt resale, because buyers price the upkeep into their offer.

Most of these problems come from weak planning rather than landscaping itself. Seeing the finished look on a photo of your own yard first, via OutdoorBrite's design plans, is how you avoid the expensive redo.

See your yard reimagined

Upload one photo and see your yard finished, in seconds. Compare real styles on your own space, then build the one you love. No designer, no software.