Commercial Building Landscaping Guide: Basics, Benefits, and Cost

Commercial building landscaping encompasses the design, installation, and maintenance of outdoor spaces surrounding commercial properties and businesses.

Unlike residential landscaping, which prioritizes personal enjoyment, these projects tend to be larger in scale and more expensive.

Functionality and low maintenance are prioritized, seeking to boost customer and employee satisfaction while strengthening brand image.

Let’s break down the components of commercial building landscaping and how it can help your business, and discuss the associated costs.

What Does Commercial Building Landscaping Involve?

Here’s what commercial building landscaping usually includes:

Hardscaping

Hardscaping is a label for man-made structures that are built using “hard” materials, such as concrete and brick.

These offer some sort of functionality to the outdoor environment, be it a walkway to guide movement, a retaining wall to define spaces, or a water feature to boost its visual appeal.

It also extends to installing the correct lighting fixtures, grading your landscape to manage water runoff, and installing watering systems to maintain your softscape elements.

Softscaping

Softscaping refers to planting and maintaining the living elements of a landscape.

This includes trees, bushes, shrubs, grass, and anything that grows, is “soft” to the touch, and is a means of enhancing the commercial property’s curb appeal.

In more arid areas, or if your business’ ethos is sustainability and eco-friendliness, you might benefit more from the Xeriscape landscaping approach.

It relies on native and drought-resistant plants to conserve water and make your outdoor environment an ideal habitat for local wildlife.

Softscaping with SunCo Lawns

At SunCo, our process involves you approaching us via our “Contact Us” page with your personal details and the services you’d like to be provided.

We’ll schedule a visit to assess your commercial site. After which, we will:

1. Create a plan that matches your vision and that will enhance your outdoor space with the right landscape design, fertilizers, and plantables while explaining the importance of each element to you.
2. Let our experts, who are skilled gardeners and maintenance technicians, execute the plan to transform your outdoor space.
3. Offer regular landscape maintenance services to keep your outdoor environment looking best, including sprinkler system care, edging, mulching, and other lawn care services.

We pride ourselves on our meticulous approach and commitment to customer satisfaction.

Our team listens to your needs and works closely with you to ensure that every detail is perfect, from the initial consultation to the final touches, because building a lasting relationship with you is our priority.

How Does an Aesthetic Commercial Building Landscape Help Your Business?

There’s no denying the importance of realizing an aesthetically pleasing commercial landscape in enhancing many of your company’s aspects.

First Impressions

Your commercial property’s outward appearance is the first aspect customers will set their eyes on, and they will extrapolate the quality, values, and worthiness of your company based on the first impression these elements make.

Hotel, restaurant, and café owners, in particular, attract a large percentage of customers by creating an inviting and visually appealing landscape that enhances the customer experience.

A rustic restaurant with a charming garden with native plants and a combination of wooden and vintage decor will attract customers who appreciate a cozy, nostalgic atmosphere.

This is particularly important in bustling cities where minimalistic, contemporary aesthetics are prevalent.  

Customer Satisfaction

A well-designed landscape can make your customers feel welcome before they even step inside.

When they engage with its elements, they’ll find that the added features can enhance their satisfaction.

Plants and water features reduce stress, and proper lighting and decor create a cozy, warm atmosphere.

Incorporating more hardscape elements can also make your outdoor environment more functional.

For example, an outdoor seating area for a retail center can accommodate additional customers and well-designed waiting areas can make waiting times more pleasant.

Employee Satisfaction

Your employees can benefit greatly from a pleasant outdoor space.

Studies have shown that being surrounded by greenery and nature positively influences mood and overall well-being.

For your employees, making your outdoor space a treat translates to a significant increase in team morale and productivity.

In Shanghai, China, a stepped lawn featuring trees that provide shade and a sloped design that resembles a lounge chair recently made the news.

It has become a popular spot for workers at a nearby office building, helping them recharge and prepare for the rest of the day.

Brand Image

Your landscape reflects your company’s values and is often the first thing passersby notice; it shapes their initial impressions of your property.

If sustainability is your motto, your commercial property will communicate it better through native plantings, eco-friendly options, and nature’s green color palette.

If creativity is your goal, you’ll resort to bold, artistic landscape designs, which contrast starkly with the well-maintained greenery and neat attention to detail conveyed by professional companies.

Commercial landscapes often openly display brand identities by adding outdoor features that reflect company culture, too.

If a company advocates for work-life balance, it builds recreational areas or meditation gardens to reinforce that.

Property Value

Landscaping can increase a residential property’s value by 15%–20%.

The same applies to commercial properties, albeit by different percentages depending on the property’s type, field, and existing features.

That said, note that aesthetics are subjective, and what some may regard as beautiful, others may find too flashy or over-the-top.

That’s why functional hardscape elements, such as easily accessible parking areas and extra seating, are more agreed-upon than softscaping elements.

Other Benefits

Besides this, landscaping can help your business meet accessibility requirements (tactile paving, ramps, and easy wheelchair access).

If you need to make adjustments to comply with local regulations, it can assist you in making the necessary transformations.

Most importantly, it’ll make your business more memorable—everyone has that special go-to spot they love to visit because of the experience it offers.

How Much Does Commercial Building Landscaping Cost?

Commercial landscaping costs vary wildly between locations, service providers, project requirements, market conditions, and much more.

The tables below will provide general estimates based on service types as of 2024, complying with how most professional landscapers operate.

Hardscaping

Hardscape projects, due to the materials and architectural design involved, will set you back the most.

Since most commercial properties post-2000s are around 19,000 square feet, projects end up easily exceeding the $150,000 mark.

Hardscaping Service	Unit of Measure	Average Cost Range
Concrete Paving	Per square foot	$8–$10
Asphalt Paving	Per square foot	$5–$15
Brick or Paver Installation	Per square foot	$15–$30
Retaining Wall Construction	Per square foot of wall face	$25–$50
Stone Veneer Installation	Per square foot	$30–$60
Outdoor Lighting Installation	Per fixture	$300–$800
Water Feature Installation	Design- and size-dependent	$150–$75,000+
Drainage System Installation	Per linear foot	$30–$80
Pergola Construction	Per square foot	$40–$100
Synthetic Turf Installation	Per square foot	$10–$25
Decorative Gravel Installation	Per square foot	$3–$8
Concrete Curbing	Per linear foot	$15–$30

One more concern about hardscaping is that it often involves demolishing existing landscape, regrading it, and designing the to-be-built structures.

Companies have different rates for these services, but generally, expect:

• $100–$200 for design services per hour.
• $150–$300 for landscaping grading per hour with equipment.
• $50–$200 for excavation per cubic yard.
• $3–$10 for demolishing existing landscape per square foot.

Softscaping

Many softscaping service providers will offer “packages,” such as a full lawn care package that costs $800–$1,600 per acre monthly or a particular weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly service.

Others either charge on an hourly basis ($40–$125 per worker) or per project.

Large commercial buildings, such as hospitals and campuses, sign annual full-service contracts that cost up to $100,000.

Softscaping Service	Average Cost Range	Unit of Measure
Shrubs/Bush Trimming	$5–$20	Per bush
Mulching	$400–$800	Per acre
Edging	$100–$300	Per acre
Fertilizing	$220–$440	Per acre
Overseeding/Reseeding	$1,700–$7,800	Per acre
Thatching	$450–$1500	Per acre
Hedge Trimming	$25–$60	Per 10’
Tree Trimming	$200–$900	Per tree
Aeration	$130–$250	Per acre
Mowing	$20–$40	Per acre
Weed Control	$150–$500	Per acre
Leaf Removal	$400–$700	Per acre
Herbicide	$15–$100	Per acre
Pest Control	$250–$400	Per acre
Irrigation Installation/Maintenance	$1,000–$7,000	Per acre

Get the Right Commercial Landscaping Ideas for Your Business

Your budget shouldn’t prevent you from giving your commercial business the treatment it deserves. At SunCo Lawns, we offer a complete commercial grounds management package.

From landscaping to lawn care, we ensure your property always looks its best at the right price point for you. Contact us, and let’s grow something amazing together!