Please reach us at Dan@hovegardens.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.
We're based in Hove and work across Brighton & Hove, including Portslade and Shoreham-by-Sea. If you're not sure whether you're in our patch, send us your postcode and we'll let you know.
We design and build gardens. That covers patios and paths, brickwork and rendered walls, decking, planting, front gardens, bespoke garden rooms and offices, full garden renovations and ongoing maintenance. We take on complete makeovers and single jobs alike.
Both. The people who design your garden are the same people who build it, so plans are practical and priced realistically from the start. Already have a design from another designer? We're happy to build it for you.
Yes, and we enjoy it. Many Hove gardens are compact terraced plots, and a small space needs more careful planning, not less. A good design can make a narrow garden feel bigger and far more usable.
Yes, the first visit and your estimate are free. Some projects need detailed design drawings, and we may charge a design fee for these. If so, we'll discuss it with you before any design work starts.
It depends on the size of the garden, the materials and how much work is involved. A new patio is a very different job to a full redesign with walls, planting and a garden room. Once we've seen your garden, we give you an itemised estimate so you can see exactly where the money goes.
Yes. Every estimate includes VAT, shown clearly, so there's nothing added at the end.
Yes, we're fully insured. If you'd like details of our cover for your records, just ask.
Yes. Once you're happy with your estimate, we send our terms and conditions and ask for a deposit to book your start date. The amount varies with the project, and we'll agree it with you before you book.
Yes. Many clients split a bigger project into phases, starting with clearance or the main hard landscaping and adding planting or a garden room later. We'll plan the phases so nothing has to be undone later on.
Smaller jobs can take a few days. A full design and build with hard landscaping, planting and structures can take several weeks. Your estimate includes a realistic timescale, and we'll keep you posted if anything changes.
We build all year round, pausing only for hard frost or heavy rain. Autumn and spring are the best times to plant. Spring and summer book up quickly, so planning over the winter gets you a garden ready for the warmer months.
Not usually. It helps if you're around on the first day and for key decisions, such as choosing materials or setting out planting.
Heavy rain can hold up groundwork and laying patios. If we need to pause, we'll tell you and get back on track as soon as the weather allows.
Not at all. Lots of Hove terraces only have access through the house. Before any work starts, we install temporary protection along the route through your house, and remove it when the job is done.
Yes. We're a licensed waste carrier. We clear and remove garden waste, and it's included in your estimate.
Usually not for a back garden. Paving more than 5 square metres of a front garden needs permission unless the surface is permeable or drains onto a lawn or border. New walls and fences need permission if they're over 1 metre next to a road, or over 2 metres elsewhere. Conservation areas and listed buildings have extra rules, which applies to many Hove streets. We'll flag anything that needs checking before work starts.
Anything from a sturdy shed to a fully fitted garden office. We've built garden rooms, studios, gyms, workshops, summer houses, saunas, pergolas, outdoor kitchens and storage. Every one is made to measure for your garden rather than bought off the shelf.
Most don't. A garden room usually counts as permitted development if it is:
Flats and maisonettes don't have these rights, and conservation areas and listed buildings have tighter rules. We'll check your situation before you commit.
Usually not, if the internal floor area is under 15 square metres and nobody sleeps in it. Larger rooms up to 30 square metres can also be exempt if they sit at least a metre from the boundary or are built mainly of non-combustible materials. Any electrics must be installed and certified by a qualified electrician.
Yes, if that's what you need. Every garden room we build is bespoke and made to your specification, so we can include the insulation and electrics to make it a comfortable office, studio or gym through the winter.
Yes. Many clients keep us on for regular or seasonal visits once their garden is finished, so it carries on looking the way it did on the day we handed it over. We'll suggest a schedule that suits your garden.
Yes. At handover we walk you round the garden and explain what each plant needs, especially watering in the first few months. We can also give you a list of everything we've planted.
Tell us straight away. We'd much rather hear about it and sort it out than have you live with something you don't like.