Twenty bushes puts you firmly in the larger residential job category. This is the kind of garden that takes the better part of a day to do properly: a property with substantial foundation planting, a mature border, or a combination of specimen shrubs across different areas of the garden. The pricing logic shifts a little at this scale, and there are genuine savings available if you approach it right.
Average Cost to Trim 20 Bushes
United States: $280 to $700 for 20 average-sized bushes in reasonable condition.
United Kingdom: £200 to £500.
Australia: A$320 to A$800.
New Zealand: NZ$350 to NZ$850.
You’ll notice that the cost for 20 bushes is not simply double the cost of 10. That’s intentional, because larger jobs genuinely are more efficient on a per-bush basis. A professional who is already on site, set up, and in a rhythm works through bushes faster on bush 15 than on bush 2.
The Bulk Efficiency Factor
Here’s something that the per-bush pricing model often obscures: there’s a setup cost to every garden job that doesn’t scale linearly with the volume of work. The professional drives to your property, unloads equipment, walks the garden, and gets started. That setup time is essentially fixed whether there are 5 bushes or 20.
On a 5-bush job, that setup overhead represents a large percentage of the total time on site. On a 20-bush job, it’s a small fraction. This is why per-bush prices tend to fall on larger jobs, and why it’s worth negotiating on volume.
In the US, per-bush pricing typically looks like this:
| Number of Bushes | Typical Per-Bush Cost | Total Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| 5 bushes | $30 to $50 | $150 to $250 |
| 10 bushes | $20 to $40 | $200 to $400 |
| 20 bushes | $14 to $30 | $280 to $600 |
| 30+ bushes | $10 to $22 | $300 to $660+ |
The per-bush rate drops as volume goes up. At 20 bushes, you’re already at a point where many contractors will offer a day-rate or flat job quote rather than per-bush pricing.
When Does a Day Rate Make More Sense?
For 20 or more bushes, particularly if they vary significantly in size, many professionals prefer to give a flat quote for the whole job after seeing it in person. This is actually better for you as a customer in most cases because:
- You know the total cost upfront
- The contractor isn’t incentivised to rush each bush to maximise per-bush efficiency
- If some bushes turn out to be more work than expected, you’re not hit with a revised invoice
A full day of professional garden work runs $350 to $750 in the US depending on location and the contractor’s experience level. In the UK, a day rate is typically £200 to £450. If your 20 bushes represent a full day’s work, a day rate quote is worth asking about.
What Makes a 20-Bush Job Take Longer (And Cost More)
Not all 20-bush jobs are equal. Here’s what consistently pushes the price up:
Large or overgrown specimens. A garden with 20 well-maintained compact shrubs is a very different job from 20 large, spreading shrubs that haven’t been touched in three years. The latter can take two full days.
Mixed species requiring different approaches. A garden with roses, laurel, boxwood, holly, and ornamental grasses all needs different handling. Switching tools and approach for each plant adds time.
Restricted access. Bushes planted in tight spots against walls, fences, or each other require more careful work and take longer to finish cleanly.
Topiary or shaped specimens. If any of the 20 are shaped into formal forms (balls, cones, spirals), those take significantly more time than natural-form trimming. One well-maintained topiary ball might take as long as two or three informal shrubs.
Debris volume. Twenty bushes produce a lot of clippings. On a big job, debris bagging and disposal can add $50 to $150 to the invoice in the US, £40 to £100 in the UK.
Getting the Best Price on a Larger Job
Twenty bushes is the kind of job where it genuinely pays to get two or three quotes. The range between contractors on this size of work can be significant, not because some are overcharging but because they’re making different assumptions about how long it will take and what’s included.
When getting quotes, be specific about:
- The number and approximate size of each bush
- Which species are included (mention roses, holly, or anything thorny specifically)
- Whether you want debris collected and removed, or left for you to deal with
- Whether you want a one-time job or are open to a recurring schedule
That last point matters. A contractor who knows they’re going to be back twice a year will often give a sharper price on the first visit than they would for a one-off job.
Ask explicitly about recurring discounts. It’s not always volunteered upfront, but most landscapers offer 10 to 20 percent off for clients on a regular schedule. Over a full year with two visits, that saving on a 20-bush property adds up to real money.
Get a tailored estimate for your specific garden using the Shrub Trimming Cost Calculator. It factors in bush size, type, density, and your location to give you a realistic number before you start calling around.