Hedge and Shrub Trimming Cost: 2026 Price Guide

Professional hedge and bush trimming typically costs about $15 to $30 per small shrub, $30 to $75 per medium shrub and $75 to $150 or more for a large one, while long hedges are often priced at roughly $1 to $4 per linear foot for standard heights and more for tall or overgrown hedges. Many landscapers simply bill by the hour, commonly around $40 to $80 per worker-hour, with a minimum visit charge. Height, overgrowth, access and whether the crew hauls away clippings move the price most. Here is how pros build a quote and how to keep yours down.

Part of our Trees & Shrubs guide →

In this guide

1. Hedge Trimming Cost Per Shrub
2. Hedge Trimming Cost Per Linear Foot
3. Hourly Rates
4. What Affects Hedge Trimming Prices
5. Trimming Effort by Common Hedge Plant
6. Sample Trimming Jobs
7. Hedge Trimming vs Tree Trimming
8. How Often to Trim, and What It Costs Per Year
9. DIY vs Hiring a Pro
10. Renovating an Overgrown Hedge
11. How to Save on Hedge Trimming
12. What to Ask Before You Hire
13. Frequently Asked Questions

Hedge Trimming Cost Per Shrub

For foundation plantings and individual bushes, many landscapers price by the shrub. These are typical ranges for a routine trim on a shrub in reasonable shape, including basic cleanup.

Shrub size	Examples	Typical cost per shrub
Small (under 3 ft)	Dwarf boxwood, spirea, small azalea	About $15 to $30
Medium (3 to 6 ft)	Boxwood, holly, hydrangea, yew	About $30 to $75
Large (6 to 10 ft)	Overgrown yew, privet, ligustrum, photinia	About $75 to $150
Very large (over 10 ft)	Tall arborvitae, laurel, old lilac	About $150 to $300+

Per-shrub pricing usually drops when you have many shrubs, because setup and travel are spread across more plants. A yard with fifteen small foundation shrubs often costs less per plant than one with two.

Hedge Trimming Cost Per Linear Foot

For continuous hedges, linear-foot pricing is common. Measure the length of the hedge and note how many sides need trimming (front, back and top). Typical ranges look like this:

Hedge height	Typical cost per linear foot	Notes
Under 4 ft	About $1 to $2	Ground-level work with hedge trimmers
4 to 8 ft	About $2 to $4	Step stool or short ladder for the top
8 to 12 ft	About $4 to $8	Ladders or pole trimmers, more cleanup
Over 12 ft	Often quoted per job	May require a lift or tree crew

For example, a 60-foot privet hedge about 6 feet tall, trimmed on both faces and top, might fall in a typical range of roughly $120 to $240 for a routine maintenance trim. The same hedge after three years of neglect could cost two to three times that for the first visit.

Hourly Rates

Many landscape companies bill trimming by the hour, typically about $40 to $80 per worker-hour depending on region, with a two- or three-person crew common. Expect a minimum charge per visit, often equal to an hour or two of crew time. Hourly billing is fair for irregular yards with a mix of shrub types, but ask for a time estimate up front so there are no surprises.

Cost item	Typical range	What drives it
Labor (per worker-hour)	About $40 to $80	Region, crew experience, insurance
Minimum visit charge	Often about $75 to $150	Travel and setup
Debris haul-away	Often about $25 to $100+	Volume of clippings, local dump fees
Lift or bucket truck for tall hedges	Quoted per job	Height, access, equipment rental
Overgrowth surcharge	Often adds 25 to 100% to the first visit	Thickness of growth, how long since last trim

What Affects Hedge Trimming Prices

Height and access

Height is the biggest single factor. Work from the ground is fast; anything that needs ladders, scaffolding or a lift slows the crew and raises insurance risk. Hedges against fences, buildings, pools or steep slopes take longer to reach from both sides.

Overgrowth

A hedge trimmed twice a year needs only a light shear. One that has gone several seasons without care may need thick branches cut with loppers or saws, more passes and much more cleanup. Some companies treat badly overgrown hedges as a renovation or pruning job rather than a trim, priced separately.

Shrub type and finish

A formally sheared boxwood or yew hedge with crisp lines takes more time than an informal shaping. Thorny shrubs such as barberry, pyracantha and roses are slower and less pleasant to work on. Hand pruning to keep a natural flowering habit costs more than machine shearing; our explainer on pruning vs shearing covers when each is appropriate.

Cleanup and disposal

Raking, blowing and hauling clippings is part of most quotes, but haul-away can be a separate fee, especially for large volumes. If you compost or have curbside yard waste pickup, ask whether the crew can leave bagged clippings for a lower price.

Region and season

Labor rates vary with local cost of living. Late spring and early summer are busy months for trimming, so off-peak scheduling can help in some markets.

Trimming Effort by Common Hedge Plant

The plant itself changes how long a crew spends, and so how much you pay. Fast growers need more frequent visits; dense, formal shrubs need more careful work. This table shows how common US hedge plants compare. For planting and care details on these species, see our trees and shrubs guide.

Hedge plant	Growth rate	Typical trims per year	Cost notes
Privet and ligustrum	Fast	2 to 3	Quick to shear but frequent visits add up
Boxwood	Slow	1 to 2	Formal shapes take precise, slower work
Yew	Slow to moderate	1 to 2	Tolerates hard cuts; renovation possible
Arborvitae	Moderate to fast	1	Tall varieties often need ladders; avoid cutting into bare wood
Cherry or English laurel	Fast	2	Large leaves look best hand-pruned, which takes longer
Holly	Moderate	1	Spiny leaves slow the work and cleanup
Leyland cypress	Very fast	1 to 2	Gets tall quickly; height drives cost

Sample Trimming Jobs

To put the ranges together, here are a few typical scenarios. Your quotes will vary with local rates and the condition of the plants.

• Ranch house foundation bed: eight medium boxwoods and hollies, ground-level work, cleanup included. Often around a couple of crew-hours, landing in a typical range of roughly $150 to $350.
• Backyard privet screen: 80 feet long, 6 feet tall, both faces and top, routine maintenance. Roughly $160 to $320 at linear-foot rates.
• Tall arborvitae row: 12 plants about 14 feet tall needing ladder work and haul-away. Commonly quoted as a job, often several hundred dollars or more.
• Neglected mixed border: overgrown shrubs untouched for several years. Expect a first-visit renovation price well above maintenance rates, then lower routine visits after.

Hedge Trimming vs Tree Trimming

Shrub trimming is usually landscaper work done with hedge trimmers and hand tools. Once plants become tree-sized, with trunks thicker than a few inches, heights over about 12 to 15 feet or limbs near power lines, the job moves to a tree service with climbing gear, bucket trucks and higher insurance, and pricing changes accordingly. Our guide to tree trimming cost covers those jobs. If a shrub is too far gone to save, compare against shrub removal cost and replanting with something better suited to the space.

How Often to Trim, and What It Costs Per Year

Most formal hedges look best with two trims per year, typically one in late spring after the first flush of growth and one in mid to late summer. Fast growers such as privet and ligustrum may need three. Flowering shrubs such as forsythia, lilac and azalea should be trimmed right after they bloom so you do not remove next year’s flower buds. To estimate an annual budget, multiply your per-visit quote by the number of trims. Many companies offer a seasonal package that bundles trimming with mulching, cleanup or mowing at a lower combined price.

DIY vs Hiring a Pro

Trimming low to medium hedges yourself is very doable with a good pair of shears or a cordless hedge trimmer, and the tools pay for themselves after a few seasons. See our picks for the best hedge trimmers and our step-by-step guide on how to trim hedges. Consider a pro when:

• Hedges are taller than you can safely reach from a stable stepladder.
• The hedge runs along a busy street, pool or steep slope.
• The hedge is badly overgrown and needs renovation pruning.
• You have many shrubs and limited time.
• Power lines are anywhere near the plants; call the utility or a qualified line-clearance arborist.

Renovating an Overgrown Hedge

When a hedge has grown far past the size you want, a simple shear will not bring it back. Renovation means cutting stems back hard, sometimes in stages over two or three years, so the plant can regrow foliage closer to the base. Yew, privet, boxwood and many deciduous shrubs respond well; most junipers, arborvitae and other conifers do not resprout from bare wood and may be better replaced. Because renovation involves saws, heavy cleanup and judgment about what each plant can tolerate, it is usually quoted as a separate job and costs more than routine trimming in the first year. The payoff is a lower bill afterward, since a hedge brought back to a manageable size needs only light maintenance trims. Ask the company to explain the plan, including how much they will remove each year and when.

How to Save on Hedge Trimming

• Stay on schedule. Regular trims are quicker and cheaper than rescue jobs.
• Bundle services. Add trimming to mowing or mulching visits.
• Handle cleanup yourself if the crew will discount for leaving clippings.
• Coordinate with neighbors. Shared hedges or nearby yards on the same day can reduce travel charges.
• Choose the right plants. Replacing a fast-growing hedge with a slower, naturally compact shrub can cut long-term trimming costs.

What to Ask Before You Hire

• Is the price per shrub, per foot, per hour or a flat job price?
• Does it include cleanup and haul-away?
• Are you insured for ladder and power-tool work?
• Will you shear or hand prune, and how much will you take off?
• Do you know the right timing for flowering shrubs?