01Trade cost
Landscaping and site work cost in Canada
Grading, drainage, hard and soft landscape, irrigation and site furniture. On a retail pad or industrial site this trade routinely exceeds every interior finish combined.
02The rate
Commercial hourly
$65 – $115
Billed rate, national band
General hourly
$55 – $100
House-scale work
Commercial $/sf
$6 – $10
3% of hard cost
General $/sf
$8 – $13
From the residential band
The cost per square foot above is not a separate dataset. It is 3% of the curated new-build hard-cost band and 0% of the curated fit-out band that the market pages already publish, so this page can never contradict them.
03General versus commercial
The two segments, side by side
| Segment | Hourly | New build $/sf | Fit-out $/sf |
|---|---|---|---|
| General / residential | $55 – $100 | $8 – $13 | — |
| Commercial | $65 – $115 | $6 – $10 | — |
Why commercial landscaping and site work bills higher
Commercial site work is built to an approved site plan with stormwater management, accessible routes and municipal inspection. Residential landscaping is largely soft landscape and a driveway.
What the quoted rate covers
Normally: Fine grading and topsoil placement; Planting, sod and standard irrigation; Hard landscape as drawn. Normally not: Stormwater management structures and controls; Municipal boulevard and right-of-way works; Two-year maintenance and warranty periods; Imported fill and contaminated soil disposal.
Buildlor facts
- Landscaping and site work is 3% of hard cost on a new build.
- Landscaping and site work is 0% of hard cost on a fit-out.
- Hard cost is typically 60 to 75 percent of an all-in budget, so a trade's share of the total is smaller again.
04What moves the number
Cost drivers
- Site plan approval conditions can mandate plantings, screening and permeable surfaces that were never budgeted.
- Drainage design: stormwater retention on a tight urban site is engineering, not gardening.
- Soil import and export is a haulage cost that scales with distance to the nearest accepting site.
- Maintenance and warranty periods after substantial completion are part of the tender price.
05By market
Landscaping and site work cost by city
Every market below carries a curated cost factor, so the trade rate moves with it. Markets we publish a dedicated page for are linked.
| Market | Commercial $/sf | General $/sf |
|---|---|---|
| Toronto, ON | $7 – $11 | $9 – $14 |
| Montreal, QC | $6 – $10 | $8 – $12 |
| Calgary, AB | $6 – $10 | $8 – $13 |
| Ottawa, ON | $7 – $10 | $8 – $13 |
| Edmonton, AB | $6 – $10 | $8 – $12 |
| Winnipeg, MB | $6 – $9 | $8 – $12 |
| Mississauga, ON | $7 – $11 | $9 – $14 |
| Vancouver, BC | $7 – $11 | $9 – $14 |
| Brampton, ON | $7 – $10 | $9 – $13 |
| Hamilton, ON | $7 – $10 | $8 – $13 |
| Surrey, BC | $7 – $11 | $9 – $14 |
| Quebec City, QC | $6 – $9 | $8 – $12 |
| Halifax, NS | $6 – $9 | $8 – $12 |
| Laval, QC | $6 – $9 | $8 – $12 |
| London, ON | $6 – $10 | $8 – $12 |
| Victoria, BC | $7 – $11 | $9 – $14 |
| Markham, ON | $7 – $10 | $9 – $13 |
| Vaughan, ON | $7 – $11 | $9 – $14 |
| Saskatoon, SK | $6 – $9 | $8 – $12 |
| Gatineau, QC | $6 – $9 | $8 – $12 |
| Kitchener, ON | $6 – $10 | $8 – $13 |
| Longueuil, QC | $6 – $9 | $8 – $12 |
| Regina, SK | $6 – $9 | $8 – $12 |
| Burnaby, BC | $7 – $11 | $9 – $14 |
| Windsor, ON | $6 – $9 | $8 – $12 |
06Questions
How much does landscaping and site work cost per hour?
Landscaping and site work is billed in a band, not at one rate. Commercial work bills above general work for the same hour because of documentation, inspection and coordination. The bands on this page are national baselines; the market table shows how they move by city.
Why is commercial landscaping and site work more expensive than residential?
Commercial site work is built to an approved site plan with stormwater management, accessible routes and municipal inspection. Residential landscaping is largely soft landscape and a driveway.
What share of a construction budget is landscaping and site work?
3% of hard cost on a new build and 0% of a fit-out, on the division splits Buildlor publishes. Those shares are how the cost per square foot on this page is derived.
Is this a quote?
No. Buildlor is a data publisher, not a contractor. These are indicative benchmarks for the stage before you tender, and every page states what it excludes.
Buildlor Construction Cost Index · Last updated 2026-01-15 · Maintained by Buildlor Cost Desk
Not advice — Buildlor is a data publisher. We do not bid, price, estimate, or build work, and nothing here is a quote, a tender price, or construction advice. Figures are indicative order-of-magnitude benchmarks for early budgeting and must be confirmed by a qualified cost consultant, quantity surveyor, or general contractor before you rely on them. About Buildlor