What we mean by clearance
Garden clearance is a one-off job to take a garden from “neglected and overgrown” back to “tidy, manageable, ready for the next stage.” Typical briefs:
- Heavily overgrown garden: bramble, nettle, ivy and self-seeded sycamore returned the plot to wild. Common after a few years of vacant tenancy or a probate property.
- End-of-tenancy: outgoing tenant left the garden in poor shape; landlord/agent needs it tidy before re-let.
- Pre-sale tidy: estate agent photos coming up; a couple of weeks of brutal tidy makes a 5–10% difference to first-impression appeal.
- Post-renovation cleanup: house works finished; garden full of builder rubble, dust sheets, surplus materials.
- Pre-landscaping: about to start a full landscape rebuild and need the existing mess cleared first.
It’s the start of something else, not a recurring service. After a clearance, most clients either move into a garden maintenance contract (to keep the garden from going wild again) or commission a garden landscaping project.
What’s typically in scope
A standard clearance covers:
- Vegetation cutting: brambles strimmed, nettles cut, ivy pulled off walls and fences, self-seeded saplings cut at base
- Hedge tidy: overgrown hedges trimmed back to standard line (heavy hedge work is usually a separate quote)
- Lawn rescue: knee-high lawn cut down in two passes, edges re-defined
- Debris collection: fallen branches, dead foliage, rotting timber, general garden rubbish
- Surface litter: pots, tools, plastic, abandoned furniture
- Green waste removal: taken away under our waste-carrier licence
Often quoted alongside but separate:
- Stump grinding: £80–£300 per stump
- Tree work: any reduction or removal needed during clearance, quoted at standard rates
- Shed/summerhouse dismantle: labour + skip cost
- Old fencing: removal labour + skip cost (replacement quoted separately)
- Paving lift: for clearance ahead of landscaping
We’re transparent about what’s in scope and what isn’t, so the price is predictable.
Disposal routes, skip, grab or van
Three main disposal options depending on what you’re clearing:
- Van load (clean green waste only): small clearance, vegetation only, no hardcore. Cheapest disposal route. Usually £80–£150 per van.
- Skip (typical 6 or 8 yard), mixed clearance with vegetation, rubbish, broken pots, light hardcore. Requires drive or street space for skip placement. Permits sorted if on the road.
- Grab truck: large clearance with significant volume of hardcore, soil and rubble. Faster and cheaper than skips on jobs over 8 yards equivalent.
We recommend the right route after the site visit. Most domestic clearances in Rugby need a single skip or two van-loads.
Waste-carrier licence and paperwork
We hold an Environment Agency upper-tier waste-carrier licence and provide paperwork on request, particularly important for:
- Landlord / letting-agent briefs: they often need disposal paperwork to demonstrate compliance with property licensing rules
- Conservation Area properties: green waste from listed-building grounds can have specific disposal requirements
- Post-renovation cleanup: builder waste needs to be disposed under the right licences
Standard paperwork includes the waste transfer note, the licence number, and the destination site (a permitted waste-recycling facility). Available within 24 hours of completion.
Pricing for garden clearance in Rugby
Typical Rugby clearance prices:
- Small garden, light vegetation only (van removal): £150–£300
- Standard overgrown domestic garden (1–2 day job, skip): £400–£800
- Heavily overgrown / probate property (2–3 day, multiple skips): £800–£1,500
- Post-renovation clearance (builder rubble, mixed waste): £600–£1,500 depending on volume
- Same-day end-of-tenancy (small garden, scheduling priority): £350–£600
Stump grinding (£80–£300/stump), tree removal (£250–£2,500/tree) and structural removal (sheds, fencing, paving) quoted alongside.
Talk to the Rugby tree surgery and landscaping team for a free, written quote, usually within 24 hours.
