Shrub Trimming Cost Calculator
For gardens with individual bushes rather than one continuous run. Priced per shrub by size and count, with the batch discount contractors actually apply.
How shrub pricing differs from hedge pricing
A hedge is one object and gets priced by its length. A collection of shrubs is a series of small jobs, each with its own setup: walk to it, work around it, rake underneath it, move on. That's why per-shrub pricing exists, and why the count matters as much as the size.
It also means the economics run backwards from what people expect. Doubling the number of shrubs does not double the price. The crew is already there, the truck is already unloaded, and the disposal run happens once regardless.
What a batch of shrubs typically costs
| Job | United States | United Kingdom | Australia |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 medium shrubs | $150 – $210 | £110 – £155 | A$190 – A$260 |
| 10 medium shrubs | $230 – $330 | £165 – £235 | A$290 – A$410 |
| 20 medium shrubs | $420 – $610 | £300 – £430 | A$530 – A$760 |
| 10 large shrubs | $390 – $560 | £275 – £395 | A$490 – A$700 |
| 10 overgrown medium shrubs | $330 – $480 | £235 – £340 | A$420 – A$600 |
Maintained condition, easy access, average market. Adjust the calculator for your own garden.
Getting the size right
Size is the input people misjudge most, and it moves the price more than anything except count. Use the shrub's height as it stands now, not what you'd like it to be:
- Small. Knee to waist, a few minutes each. Low box, lavender, compact hebe.
- Medium. Waist to chest. The default for most garden shrubs.
- Large. Chest to head height. Needs working around from several sides and produces real volume.
- Very large. Above head height. At this point it is closer to a small tree and the steps come out.
Bundle small jobs together
If you have three shrubs to shape, a short hedge to cut and some clippings to clear, get them done in one visit. Each of those on its own hits the minimum charge. Together they fill a morning and you pay for the morning rather than three call-outs.
Shrubs, or a hedge?
If your plants have grown into each other and you cut them as one face, price it as a hedge, because that is how a contractor will see it. If they are distinct plants with gaps between them and each gets shaped individually, this calculator is the right one. Formal balls or cones in a row still count as shrubs, because each one is worked separately.
Shrub trimming costs: your questions answered
How much does it cost to trim shrubs?
Individual shrubs generally run $20 to $50 each once a crew is already on site, with most homeowners paying $150 to $400 for a batch of ten average bushes. The per-shrub price drops as the count rises, because the crew only sets up, unloads and cleans up once.
Why is trimming ten bushes not ten times the price of one?
Because a large part of any small job is fixed cost: travel, unloading, setting up, bagging and hauling away. One shrub on its own is almost never worth a call-out, so you'll pay the minimum charge. Ten shrubs spread that same overhead across ten units, and twenty spreads it further. The calculator applies this automatically once you go past ten.
Is there a minimum charge?
Nearly always. Most contractors won't turn up for less than $150 or so in the US, and similar amounts elsewhere, because the drive alone eats the morning. If your job prices below that, the calculator says so rather than quoting you a number no one will honour. It's usually worth bundling small jobs together into one visit.
When should shrubs be trimmed?
It depends what they do. Anything that flowers on old wood, such as lilac or forsythia, should be cut right after it finishes flowering, or you remove next year's display. Evergreens and formal shapes are best in late spring once the first flush has hardened, with a tidy-up in late summer. Avoid hard pruning in autumn, which pushes soft growth straight into the first frost.
Does shaping cost more than a straight trim?
Yes, if you mean formal topiary, cones, spirals or cloud pruning. That's skilled slow work and it is usually priced by the hour rather than per shrub. A standard rounded or squared-off trim is what this calculator prices. If you want something sculptural, expect to pay a premium and to want the same person back each year for consistency.