Every autumn the same problem comes round. The leaves need clearing, the job is too small for most gardeners to bother quoting for, and doing it yourself eats a whole weekend. Here is what it costs to pay a professional, what the council will and will not do, and the cheaper option most people have not thought of.
What does professional leaf clearing cost?
Leaf clearing is usually charged at a gardener's normal rate, plus a charge for taking the green waste away. Going by published 2026 price guides:
- Gardeners typically charge around £25 to £45 an hour outside London and £35 to £60 an hour in London, according to Fantastic Services.
- Checkatrade puts the average gardener's hourly rate at about £30.
- The most common spend on a routine visit is a half day, at around £75 to £150.
For a typical front and back garden that needs raking, bagging and a sweep, that often means paying for a minimum visit even if the job takes an hour, which is why plenty of people put it off.
Will the council clear my leaves?
Councils sweep leaves from public streets and parks as part of their cleaning programme, but they do not clear private gardens, driveways or forecourts. Richmond Council, for example, says on its leaf clearing page that it cannot clear leaves from private roads, driveways or forecourts. What most councils do offer is a garden waste collection, so once the leaves are bagged you can put them in your green bin.
What the job involves
- Raking leaves off the lawn, which stops the grass underneath going yellow
- Clearing paths, steps and patios, which get slippery when wet leaves sit on them
- Bagging leaves for the garden waste bin, or piling them for leaf mould
- Clearing leaves from flower beds and around plants
- A final sweep of the driveway
Gutters are a different job. They need ladders or specialist equipment, so book a gutter cleaner for those.
The cheaper option: a local teenager
Raking and bagging needs effort, not expertise, which makes it ideal work for a local teenager. It is ground-level, uses simple hand tools and is easy to check when it is done. A typical front and back garden might take a teenager an hour or two, and a fixed price of somewhere around £15 to £30 is a fair starting point depending on the size of the garden. See the full price guide for other jobs.
Tips for getting it done well
- Wait until most of the leaves have fallen, then book one clear-up rather than several small ones.
- Leave out rakes, gloves and bags, or say clearly that the teenager should bring their own.
- Say where the leaves should go, whether that is the green bin, a compost heap or a corner of the garden.
- Agree a fixed price for the whole job before it starts.
Post a leaf clearing job
On KidsHustle you can post a leaf clearing job in a couple of minutes and get applications from local 13 to 17 year olds whose parents have approved them. You verify your identity once, payment is held until the job is done, and you never need cash. Post a job on KidsHustle, or read how to hire a teenager safely.