Gardens North East

New Build Gardens

Building a new-build garden from scratch: the right order of works

Do the jobs in the wrong order and you pay twice: a patio dug through new turf, a fence that cuts off the only way in for a digger, topsoil spread before the drainage is sorted. This is the sequence that saves money on a bare or barely finished plot.

By the Gardens North East teamPublished , 3 min read

A new-build garden part way through: fence going up and slabs stacked

Plan before anyone picks up a spade

Live with the garden for a few weeks if you can. Notice where the sun falls at different times of day, where the wind comes from, which parts stay wet and where you naturally walk. On many North East estates the wind matters as much as the sun; an exposed corner plot may need shelter before it is pleasant to sit in.

Draw a simple plan: where the patio or deck goes, paths, a shed or garden room, beds, the washing line, bins and the lawn. Decide what must be in place before turf goes down, because that is most of it.

The order of works

  1. Clear the site

    Remove rubble, builder's waste and any turf or weeds you are not keeping. Dig test holes to see what is below the surface; our guide to new-build garden problems explains what to look for.

  2. Sort out drainage

    If water sits after rain, deal with it now: breaking up compacted subsoil, adding land drains or a soakaway where needed. It is very hard to fix under a finished lawn.

  3. Set the levels

    Decide on the finished heights of the lawn, patio and paths, and how the ground falls away from the house. Steps, retaining edges and slopes are easier to shape now than later.

  4. Run services

    Lay ducting for outdoor lights, a garden room's power supply or an outside tap before anything is covered. A length of ducting costs little; digging up a lawn to add it later costs a lot more.

  5. Build hard landscaping

    Patios, paths, a deck base, edging and walls come next, while machinery can still move around without damaging finished surfaces.

  6. Put up fences and boundaries

    Fences go up once heavy access is no longer needed. Check the height rules first, as front boundaries on estates often have extra restrictions.

  7. Spread and firm topsoil

    Bring in topsoil to the depth the lawn and beds need, then rake, firm and rake again. Our topsoil guide shows how to work out the tonnage.

  8. Turf and plant

    Lay the lawn last, at a good time of year: when to lay turf explains why early autumn is often best here. Plant beds around it.

Common mistakes

  • Turfing first because the garden looks bare, then digging it up for the patio
  • Spreading topsoil over compacted subsoil without breaking it up
  • Fencing the plot before a digger or tipper has done its work
  • Forgetting ducting for power or lighting until after the lawn is down
  • Setting a patio level with the damp-proof course of the house rather than below it

Doing it in stages

Few people do everything at once. A sensible approach on a budget is to complete the bottom layers properly (clearance, drainage, levels and any ducting), then add the patio one year and the lawn the next. A temporary gravel or bark area is cheaper than redoing a lawn that went down too early.

If you are paying someone, ask for a quote that follows this order and names each stage. It makes quotes easier to compare and makes clear who is responsible for what.

Turfing North East quotes for whole new-build gardens stage by stage, from clearing and topsoil to turf and paving. For a DIY job, New Build Turf supplies the turf and topsoil.

Share your experience

Have you turned a bare plot into a garden? We are collecting real stories and photos for the New Build Gardens series. Tell us how yours went.

Questions readers ask

How long does a full new-build garden take?

It depends on size, access and how much needs fixing underneath. Ask anyone quoting for the job how long each stage takes and what weather would delay it.

Can I do the hard landscaping after the lawn?

You can, but it usually means repairing the lawn afterwards. Machinery, barrows and stacked materials all damage new turf.

Do I need a garden designer?

Not for a simple lawn and patio. For a sloping plot, a complicated layout or planting you want to get right first time, a designer's plan can save money overall.

Want it done for you?

If you would rather hand the whole job over, this North East business takes on complete new-build gardens: cleared, prepared, topsoiled, levelled and turfed, with paving as an option.

Turfing North East

Whole new-build gardens taken on: cleared, prepared, topsoiled, levelled and turfed, with paving if you want it.

North East

New Build Turf

Turf and topsoil for new-build gardens, with guidance for doing the job yourself.

North East

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