Landscaping Across Aylesbury and Buckinghamshire
Hard and soft landscaping finished to the same standard as the building work behind it, so the outside space is not left as an afterthought once the scaffolding comes down.
Free survey, fixed-price quote normally within a week, no obligation.
26 years
Tom on the tools, Aylesbury based
3–8 trades
Directly managed, scaled to your job
£2m / £10m
Public and employers' liability cover
Within a week
Free survey and fixed price quote
We come back
Issues after completion get put right
The service
Landscaping finished by the same team that built the extension
A landscaping job is usually judged by two things: whether the levels and drainage were done properly underneath, and whether the finished surface still looks good in five years' time. DBD Builders Ltd carries out landscaping as part of the same complete building service used on extensions and new builds, which means the same attention to groundwork, drainage and structural detail that goes into a house build is applied outside it too.
This work often follows on directly from an extension or new build, where the garden has been disturbed by construction traffic, spoil storage or a new structural footprint, and needs bringing back to a finished, usable state. It is equally offered as a standalone job for homeowners who want the outside of an existing property improved without any building work attached to it.
Tom's 26 years of hands-on building experience covers the groundworks side of landscaping directly — levels, drainage, retaining structures and hard surfaces — with a team of three to eight tradespeople scaled to the size of the job. Fixed-price quotes are given after a free survey, so the cost of patios, walling, drainage and planting is agreed before work starts.
We landscape gardens across Aylesbury and throughout Buckinghamshire, including High Wycombe, Amersham, Beaconsfield, Chesham, Tring, Wendover, Princes Risborough, Great Missenden, Marlow, Gerrards Cross and Leighton Buzzard, on properties ranging from compact town gardens to larger plots with significant level changes.
Who it is for
- Homeowners finishing the garden after an extension or new-build project
- Anyone with a sloping or uneven garden needing levels, retaining walls or steps
- Homeowners with persistent standing water or drainage problems in the garden
- Anyone wanting a proper patio, path or terrace rather than a DIY job that has not lasted
When it is needed
- Building work has just finished and the garden needs making good
- Water pools in the garden after rain rather than draining away
- Changes in level around the house make the garden difficult to use safely
- An existing patio or path has cracked, sunk or become uneven
Why this is not a job to take on unmanaged
The part of landscaping that fails first is almost always what you cannot see once it is finished — an inadequate sub-base under a patio, a retaining wall without proper drainage behind it, or ground levels that direct water towards the house instead of away from it. Getting the groundwork right the first time avoids problems that are far more disruptive to fix once planting and paving are in place.
What's included
- Patios, paths and terracing
- Retaining walls and steps
- Ground levelling and drainage
- Fencing and boundary work
- Turfing and planting beds
- Making good after extension and new-build work
Get a fixed price for your landscaping
Free survey, normally within a week. Fully insured, and the price you agree is the price you pay for the scope quoted.
What you get
What landscaping with DBD actually gets you
Groundwork given the same attention as a house build
Levels, drainage and sub-base preparation are treated with the same standard as foundation and drainage work on a building project, because that is exactly what they are.
Fixed price agreed before work starts
You know the cost for the agreed scope up front, based on a proper survey of the ground conditions rather than a guess from a photo.
One team from building work through to the finished garden
Where landscaping follows an extension or new build, the same directly managed team continues the job, avoiding a handover gap between contractors and a mismatch in standards.
Drainage designed to protect the property
Ground levels and drainage runs are set to move water away from the building, not just to look tidy on the surface.
Retaining structures built with drainage in mind
Walls and steps that hold back a level change are built with proper drainage so they do not come under pressure they were not designed for.
26 years of groundworks experience behind the finish
The visible patio, wall or path sits on top of groundworks expertise built up over 26 years of foundation and drainage work on buildings.
What it costs to wait
Why so much landscaping work fails within a few years
A large amount of garden landscaping work in the UK is let down by what happens before the visible finish goes down. Patios laid on a thin bed of sand without proper excavation and compaction move and crack within a couple of seasons. Retaining walls built without drainage behind them fail under hydrostatic pressure after heavy rain. Ground levels set without thought for where water needs to go end up directing it straight at the house instead of away from it.
The second common problem is landscaping treated as a purely decorative afterthought once building work has finished, done quickly and cheaply to tidy up a site rather than built to last. That approach means paying for the same work again within a few years.
Mistakes we get called in to undo
- Laying paving on sand alone without proper excavation and sub-base
- Building retaining walls without weep holes or drainage behind them
- Ignoring existing drainage runs when regrading a garden
- Treating landscaping as a quick tidy-up after building work rather than a proper job
- Planting straight into compacted construction-affected ground without conditioning it
Inadequate sub-base under paving
Patios and paths laid without proper excavation and a compacted sub-base move, sink and crack, usually within a year or two of a hard winter.
Retaining walls without drainage
Water builds up behind a retaining wall if drainage is not built in, and the pressure this creates is a common cause of wall failure and bulging.
Ground levels directing water towards the house
Getting falls wrong when landscaping close to the building can send surface water towards the foundations rather than away from them, a problem that is far more serious than it looks.
Damage left from construction work not properly made good
Compacted ground, spoil left in beds, and damaged drainage runs from construction traffic need addressing properly, not just covered over with new topsoil and turf.
Our process
How the job runs from first call to sign-off
The same sequence on every project, so you always know what happens next and who is responsible for it.
STEP 01
Free survey
Tom walks the garden or outside area, checks existing levels, drainage and ground conditions, and discusses what you want the finished space to do — entertaining space, level access, planting, or all three.
STEP 02
Fixed-price quote
You receive a fixed quote for the agreed scope, normally within a week of the survey, covering hard landscaping, drainage, retaining structures and any planting-ready groundwork included.
STEP 03
Groundwork and levels
Excavation, level setting and drainage runs are carried out first, since everything above ground depends on this being right. Falls are set to move surface water away from the building and towards proper drainage points.
STEP 04
Hard landscaping construction
Patios, paths, retaining walls and steps are built on a properly prepared and compacted sub-base, with drainage built into retaining structures where needed.
STEP 05
Finishing and planting-ready groundwork
Turfing, planting beds and final finishing complete the job, or the ground is left properly prepared and conditioned if you are handling planting yourself.
In detail
What our landscaping work covers
Landscaping spans hard structural work and softer finishing work. The detail below covers the main elements and how we approach different garden situations.
Hard landscaping: patios, paths and terracing
Patios, paths and terraced areas are built on a properly excavated and compacted sub-base, sized to the loading the surface needs to take, whether that is foot traffic or occasional vehicle access. Surface materials range from slabbed paving to block paving and porcelain, chosen to suit the property and budget discussed at survey. Falls are set into the construction so surface water drains away rather than pooling, which is the single biggest factor in how long paving lasts before it needs relaying.
Retaining walls and steps
Where a garden has a significant change in level, retaining walls and steps make the space usable and safe rather than leaving a bank that is difficult to walk on or maintain. Retaining walls are built with drainage behind them, either weep holes or a drainage channel depending on the height and situation, so water does not build up and create pressure the wall was not designed to resist. Steps are set out to consistent, safe rise and going dimensions rather than the uneven steps that often result from informal garden landscaping.
Drainage and ground levelling
Ground levelling is rarely just about appearance. Getting the falls right around a house is one of the more important things a landscaping job does, directing surface water towards soakaways or drainage runs rather than towards the building. Where an existing garden has standing water problems, our survey identifies whether the cause is compacted ground, an existing drainage run that has failed, or ground levels working against the property, and the fix is specified accordingly rather than just adding topsoil over the problem.
Boundaries, fencing and soft landscaping
Fencing and boundary work completes the enclosure of a garden, and turfing and planting beds finish the softer areas once the hard landscaping and ground preparation are done. We prepare planting beds properly, particularly where ground has been compacted by construction traffic, conditioning the soil rather than laying turf or planting directly onto ground that will not support healthy growth. Boundary fencing is set to proper post depths and spacing so it stands up to weather over time rather than leaning within a season or two.
Making good after extension and new-build work
Building work inevitably disturbs the surrounding garden, from spoil storage and scaffolding footprints to compacted access routes for deliveries. Making good after a project means more than just covering over the disturbed areas. It means checking whether drainage runs were affected during construction, whether ground compaction needs breaking up before planting, and whether levels around the new structure still direct water away from the building. Because this is carried out by the same team that built the extension or new build, the landscaping picks up exactly where the construction work left off, with a proper understanding of what is beneath the surface.
Where we work
Landscaping across Aylesbury and Buckinghamshire
Based at Aylesbury and working across the surrounding towns, including Aylesbury, High Wycombe, Beaconsfield, Gerrards Cross.
Recent work
Landscaping we have carried out
Photographs from DBD Builders Ltd sites across Aylesbury and Buckinghamshire.
Before you commit
Landscaping — your questions answered
Straight answers, so you know exactly how we work before picking up the phone.
- How much does landscaping cost?
- Landscaping is priced individually after a free survey, since scope varies hugely between a small patio and a full garden regrade with retaining walls and drainage. You get a fixed price for the agreed scope before work starts.
- How long does a landscaping project take?
- It depends on the size of the area, the amount of groundwork involved and the weather. We set out a realistic programme alongside your fixed quote once the survey has established the full scope.
- Can you landscape the garden after you finish building my extension?
- Yes. This is one of the most common ways we deliver landscaping work, using the same team that carried out the extension to make good the garden and finish it properly once the build is complete.
- My garden has a drainage problem — can you fix it?
- Yes. The survey identifies the cause, whether that is ground levels, a failed drainage run, or compacted soil, and the fix is specified as part of your fixed-price quote rather than just covering the symptom.
- Do you build retaining walls?
- Yes, including proper drainage behind the wall so it is not put under pressure it was not designed to handle. Height and ground conditions determine the exact construction method, which is confirmed at survey stage.
- Do you offer a guarantee on landscaping work?
- We do not provide a formal written or insurance-backed guarantee. If an issue arises with the work after completion, Tom comes back and puts it right.
- How long should a properly built patio last?
- It depends on the material chosen and the ground conditions beneath it. A patio built on a properly excavated and compacted sub-base with correct falls should perform well for many years, and we discuss expected durability honestly for your specific project at survey stage.
- How far ahead do I need to book landscaping work?
- Surveys are normally arranged and quoted within a week of getting in touch, but start dates depend on our current workload, so it is worth getting in touch early if you have a particular season in mind.
- Are you insured for landscaping work?
- Yes. DBD Builders Ltd carries £2,000,000 public liability cover and £10,000,000 employers' liability cover for all landscaping and groundworks we undertake.
- Do you landscape gardens outside Aylesbury?
- Yes. Alongside Aylesbury, we carry out landscaping work across High Wycombe, Amersham, Beaconsfield, Chesham, Tring, Wendover, Princes Risborough, Great Missenden, Marlow, Gerrards Cross and Leighton Buzzard.
Often booked alongside
Driveways & Patios
Block paving, resin and slabbed driveways and patios laid on properly prepared bases.
House Extensions
Single and double-storey, side, rear and wrap-around extensions built to a fixed price.
Groundworks & Foundations
Excavation, foundations and drainage — the part of the job nobody sees and everything depends on.
Ready to get the outside space finished properly?
Book a free survey and get a fixed-price quote, normally within a week. Call 07825 776763 or send an enquiry and we will arrange a time to visit.
Tom Dobson, 18 Lambourne Avenue, Aylesbury, HP21 9NB · Monday–Friday, 8am–6pm · £2m public liability and £10m employers' liability cover.