Garden clearance cost in London: 2026 prices by load, plus sheds, stumps and the rules to check first.

Garden clearance in London with Hausio costs £120 for a quarter load, £180 for a half Luton and £280 for a full load. Dismantling a shed adds £60 and stump grinding adds £80. The garden clearance cost is set by how much of the van the waste fills, plus those two add-ons, so photos of the whole garden are the quickest way to a confirmed figure.

Below are the published prices, worked examples for typical London gardens, the things that push a quote up, the cheaper council options and when they stop making sense, and the tree and wildlife rules worth checking before anything is cut.

Garden clearance cost in London: the price table

The prices come from the published Hausio price list and apply in every London borough.

Hausio's garden clearance page puts a typical small London back garden, with shrubs, a collapsed shed, some pots and a broken chair, at a quarter to half load: £120–£180. The "typical use" column is a guide; the load is confirmed from photos.

Worked examples from the published rates

These are estimates using only the prices above. Your confirmed quote follows the photos.

• Small back garden tidy. Bagged prunings, leaf litter and a few pots: a quarter load, £120.
• Overgrown terrace garden with an old shed. Half Luton £180 + shed dismantling £60 = £240.
• Garden left behind by a tenant. Overgrowth, a broken barbecue, toys, a shed and one stump: full load £280 + shed £60 + stump grinding £80 = £420.
• Balcony or roof terrace. Dead plants, pots and broken furniture usually sit at the quarter-load minimum, £120, once lift or stair access is confirmed.

What changes the garden clearance cost

• Volume. Loose branches and brambles take more room than cut and bagged material. Cutting back before loading helps the waste pack down.
• Heavy materials. Soil, rubble, paving slabs and hot tubs fill a van by weight, not by volume. The garden clearance page quotes stumps, slabs and hot tubs as add-ons from a photo.
• Access. In a mid-terrace house with no side passage, every bag goes through the house. Tell us about steps, side access and whether waste has to be carried through, so the right crew comes. Travel and access, including the Congestion Zone, are quoted after postcode review, with no automatic £18 charge and no separate parking charge.
• Invasive plants. If you suspect Japanese knotweed, say so before booking. It is not part of a standard green-waste load, and GOV.UK sets out separate rules for disposing of it (GOV.UK: prevent Japanese knotweed from spreading).
• Timing. A same-day booking carries a £15 surcharge when applicable, and a job requested about a month ahead may need a £100 deposit, credited to the final bill.

Cheaper options, and when they stop working

For light, regular green waste, your council is usually the cheapest route. Prices below were checked on the council websites at the time of writing (November 2026).

• Garden waste subscriptions. Islington charges £77.85 for 12 months of fortnightly garden waste collections, up to three sacks per collection. It takes grass, leaves, prunings, weeds, hedge trimmings and small branches, but not soil, bricks or rubble, plastic pots or large branches (Islington Council: garden waste recycling).
• One-off garden waste collections. Hackney lists a one-off garden waste collection at £24 for up to 10 bin bags (Hackney Council).
• Bulky waste collections. These usually exclude garden waste. Lambeth's bulky service, for example, does not collect garden waste, rubble or building waste (Lambeth Council).
• Composting. GOV.UK suggests composting or recycling garden waste (GOV.UK: garden bonfire rules).

A bonfire is not a free shortcut. The same GOV.UK page says councils can serve an abatement notice where smoke causes a nuisance, and you could be fined if smoke drifts across a road and becomes a danger to traffic.

The council options stop working when the waste runs to more than a few sacks, includes soil, slabs, a shed or old furniture, or has to be cleared before a fixed date such as a tenancy check-out. That is the point where a single van load is simpler than months of sack collections.

Rules to check before anything is cut

A clearance usually means cutting back as well as carrying out. Two sets of rules matter in London gardens.

Protected trees and conservation areas

A Tree Preservation Order (TPO) protects specific trees, and cutting down, topping, lopping or uprooting a protected tree needs written consent from the local planning authority. In a conservation area, you must normally give the council six weeks' notice before work on a tree, unless an exception applies, such as a tree whose stem diameter does not exceed 75mm measured 1.5 metres above the ground. Unauthorised work can lead to an unlimited fine, whether the case is heard in the magistrates' court or the Crown Court (GOV.UK: tree preservation orders and trees in conservation areas). If you are not sure, ask your council before booking.

Nesting birds

Under section 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 it is an offence, in England and Wales, to intentionally take, damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird while that nest is in use or being built (legislation.gov.uk). Check hedges and dense shrubs before heavy cutting, especially in spring and early summer, and leave an active nest alone.

How to get an accurate garden clearance quote

• Recent photos from the back door and from the far end, so the whole garden is visible.
• An approximate size and the areas you want cleared.
• Anything that stays: plants, pots, a shed you are keeping, the lawn.
• Structures to come down: shed, decking, trampoline, log store.
• Stumps, slabs, soil or rubble, and any plant you think might be knotweed.
• Access: steps, side passage, or whether everything goes through the house, plus the postcode.

If the garden needs regular care once it is clear, see garden maintenance in London and our seasonal garden maintenance guide. If the house is being cleared too, see house clearance cost in London.

FAQ

How much does garden clearance cost in London?

With Hausio, £120 for a quarter load, £180 for a half Luton and £280 for a full load. A typical small London back garden falls between a quarter and half load, £120–£180. Shed dismantling is +£60 and stump grinding +£80.

How much does it cost to remove an old shed?

Shed dismantling is £60 on top of the load the shed and its contents fill. For example, a half Luton with the shed taken down would be £180 + £60 = £240.

Is stump grinding included in the clearance price?

No. Stump grinding is an add-on at £80. Send a photo of each stump so it can be included in the quote.

Can I use my council garden waste collection instead?

For regular, light green waste, yes, and it is usually cheaper. Council garden waste services limit the number of sacks per collection and generally exclude soil, rubble, large branches and plastic pots, so they do not suit a one-off clearance of an overgrown garden.

Do I need permission to cut down a tree in my garden?

If the tree is protected by a Tree Preservation Order you need written consent from your council, and in a conservation area you normally have to give six weeks' notice first. Check with the council before any felling.

Can I just have a bonfire instead?

GOV.UK says there are laws on burning certain types of waste and on bonfires that cause a nuisance. Councils can serve an abatement notice where smoke is a nuisance, and you could be fined if smoke drifts across a road and endangers traffic. GOV.UK suggests composting or recycling garden waste instead.

For the service itself, see garden clearance in London. To get a price, send photos and your postcode on WhatsApp or call +44 7304 330614.