the Hamptons
Planting design and installation in the Hamptons: shrubs, perennials and the mature trees that actually drive the bill
Planting installation runs about $3–15 per square foot for a bed ($4.50–13.50 specifically for a flower bed), $25–230 per shrub, and $8–25 per perennial (national 2026 ranges; no Long Island-specific figure exists for any of these). The real cost driver is mature trees: a small 6–10 ft specimen for screening runs $300–800 installed, and an 18–26 ft evergreen $4,000–12,000+, from a single non-Hamptons source. Planting-focused design work alone, by a legal, unlicensed landscape designer, typically runs $400–3,000.
Last updated · Reviewed by Bridgehampton Gardens
What this covers
Everything that goes into the ground once a design exists: shrubs, perennials, ground cover, planting beds, and the specimen trees that do most of the visual work on a Hamptons property — screening, privacy, an instant sense of maturity a young tree can't give.
Small plants, by the numbers (2026)
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Shrub, installed | $25–85 (one source) to $25–230 (a much wider source) — record both, do not average |
| Perennial | $8–25/plant |
| Ground cover | $5–20/plant |
| Planting bed, installed | $3–15/sq ft general; a flower-bed-specific source narrows to $4.50–13.50/sq ft |
| Flower bed, total project | National avg $2,370 (range $1,100–3,175, extreme $480–5,800); a second source gives $865–3,000 |
| Raised garden bed | DIY $150–600; professionally built $400–1,800; a 5×12 bed specifically $1,200–4,000 |
| Small nursery tree (non-specimen) | $565–680 |
Where the money really goes: mature trees
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Purchase, by caliper | Under 2" DBH $100–300 · 2–3" $350–900 · 4–6" $1,000–2,500 |
| Purchase, by height | Small ornamental (6–8 ft) $100–450 · medium shade (10–20 ft) $350–1,600 · large shade (20–40 ft) $800–4,000 |
| Delivery | $50–150 local; $300–600 distant |
| Planting labor alone | $50–1,200, depending on soil prep |
| Transplant/installation, small (6–10 ft) | $300–800 (single non-Hamptons, Pennsylvania source) |
| Transplant/installation, medium (10–18 ft) | $800–2,500 (same source) |
| Transplant/installation, large specimen (18–30 ft) | $2,500–8,000+ (same source) |
| Privacy screening: 8–10 ft arborvitae | $900–2,400 |
| Privacy screening: 12–16 ft evergreen | $2,400–5,000 |
| Privacy screening: 18–26 ft spruce | $4,000–12,000+ |
| Large-tree dig/move premium | Hand-dug, >10" diameter: $1,500–3,500 same-site, $5,000+ off-site; "mega-trees" >24" diameter $3,500–10,000+ |
Planting design as its own, cheaper service
Not every planting job needs a full master plan. An unlicensed (and entirely legal — see Landscape Design & Master Planning for why) landscape designer will do planting-focused design work for $400–3,000, which is the right scope for a bed, a screening line or a single problem area rather than a whole property.
What we have not found
No Long Island or Hamptons-specific mature-tree or specimen-tree pricing exists in any source we located; the only detailed transplant figures come from a single Pennsylvania company, flagged as such above rather than presented as a local number.
FAQ
Common questions
What plants are actually deer-resistant in the Hamptons?
Rutgers Cooperative Extension rates plants on a four-tier scale from A (rarely damaged) to D (frequently severely damaged); sample A-rated plants include American holly, barberry, bayberry, bleeding heart and blue fescue. The important caveat: in winter, deer eat species they normally avoid entirely, explicitly including privet, arborvitae, euonymus and boxwood — the most common hedge and screening plants in the Hamptons. "Deer-resistant" means less preferred, not immune, and a hard winter with enough deer pressure will test even an A-rated planting list.
How does Bridgehampton Gardens work, and what does it cost me?
It costs homeowners nothing. You tell us, in about sixty seconds, whether you need design (a master plan or a planting design) or care (maintenance, cleanup, irrigation, deer fencing) — that first answer is the whole funnel. We put you in touch with one licensed, insured landscape pro who works your town and does that kind of work, and they call you within one business day. We are a Hamptons-only referral service, not a landscape architecture, design or maintenance company, and we are not connected to any garden, nursery or landscaper of a similar name. Participating pros pay us a referral fee.
Related
Other services
Landscape Design & Master Planning
2026 fee ranges for a master plan or full design — percentage, flat fee and hourly — and the legal distinction between a licensed landscape architect and a landscape designer most homeowners never hear.
Garden Maintenance
Weekly and biweekly garden care: 2026 per-visit prices, why the local figures disagree with each other, the labor market behind the price, and what has never been published for an estate-scale property.
Seasonal Cleanup
Spring and fall cleanup costs, cadence, and the legally binding calendar behind them: New York and Suffolk County both ban lawn fertilizer for months at a time, timed to the soil temperature turfgrass actually needs.
Irrigation
New system installation, fall winterization and spring startup: 2026 national cost ranges, the timing window that avoids a freeze, and the Suffolk County Water Authority rules that now bind every system on Long Island.
Deer Fencing & Deer-Resistant Planting
Deer fence height and permit rules differ sharply by Hamptons town, a real 2023 case shows the enforcement in practice, and even "deer-resistant" plants get browsed in winter: 2026 costs and rules.
Book a landscape pro for planting design
Sixty seconds. One licensed, insured landscape pro who works your town calls you within one business day. Free for homeowners; nobody else gets your number.
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