Colchester, EssexMon–Fri, 8am–5pm dominic-lawton@outlook.com07868 289921 HomeAboutGarden RenovationServices Areas Our WorkReviewsContact07868 289921Request Estimate HomeAboutGarden RenovationOur WorkReviewsContactServicesAll ServicesPatiosDrivewaysFencingTurfing & New LawnsArtificial GrassDeckingSleeper & Raised BedsGarden WallsPlantingSleeper StepsPergolasGarden Clearance Service AreasAll Service AreasEssexSuffolkChelmsfordBraintreeMaldonWithamClacton-on-SeaHarwichTiptreeSudburyHalstead Call 07868 289921Request Estimate - Home - Garden RenovationColchester & Essex # Complete gardenrenovations in Colchester Tired garden taken back to bare ground and rebuilt as one finished space: clearance, drainage, groundwork, paving, walls, fencing, lawn and planting, all handled by one contractor with one point of accountability. Book your free site visitCall 07868 289921 - 10+ years' experience - 5-star Google rating (13 reviews) - £1m public liability insurance - 2-year workmanship guarantee - Free site visits & quotations ## What a garden renovation actually involves A renovation is different from booking a patio or a fence. It starts with the whole garden: how you want to use it, where the sun falls, where the water goes and what has to be put right underneath before anything visible gets built. Most gardens that need renovating have the same story behind them. Work was done in pieces, by different people, over years. The paving was laid on sand over clay, the lawn sits lower than the patio, the fence posts were knocked in rather than set, and nobody ever dealt with the drainage. Each piece was cheap on its own and the garden as a whole never worked. Doing it as one project means the order is right. Ground is cleared, levels are set and drainage is solved first. Hard landscaping follows in sequence so nothing finished gets damaged. Turf and planting go in last, into soil that has been prepared for them. You end up with a garden that reads as one design and holds up. ### Included in a full renovation - Full garden clearance and removal of the old garden - Levels, sub-bases and drainage sorted before anything is installed - Patios, paths and driveways in sandstone, limestone, porcelain or block paving - Retaining and feature walls, sleeper edging and raised beds - Steps that make a sloping garden usable end to end - Fencing, gates and screening on solid, well-set posts - Decking, pergolas and covered seating areas - New turf, artificial grass and planting schemes How it runs ## Six stages, in the order that keeps a garden standing 01 ### Free site visit Dominic walks the garden with you, listens to how you want to use it and points out anything that needs sorting first, such as levels, drainage or a failing boundary. No charge and no obligation. 02 ### Design and written quotation You get a plan for the whole garden, with scaled drawings where the layout needs working out, and a written quotation broken down by element so you can see exactly what you are paying for. 03 ### Clearance and groundwork The old garden comes out and goes away. Levels are set, sub-bases are built and drainage is dealt with before a single slab or post goes down. This is the stage most renovations get wrong. 04 ### Hard landscaping Paving, driveways, walls, steps, decking, pergolas and fencing go in, in the right order, so nothing finished has to be walked over or taken back up later. 05 ### Lawns and planting Turf, artificial grass and planting go in last, on properly prepared soil, so a new lawn knits in rather than patching out over its first summer. 06 ### Handover The site is cleared, everything is walked round with you, and you are told how to look after it. The workmanship is covered by a 2-year guarantee. ## Why renovate the whole garden at once ### One contractor, one point of accountability You are not co-ordinating a groundworker, a paver, a fencer and a turf supplier, or listening to them blame each other. Dominic runs the project and answers for it, bringing in trusted trades for larger jobs. ### Groundwork and drainage done in-house Most garden work that fails, fails underneath. Sunken paving, standing water and lawns that turn to bog are base and drainage problems. That work is carried out by the same team that lays the finish. ### Built once, properly A garden renovated in stages by different trades over several years usually costs more than doing it once in the right order, and rarely reads as one garden at the end. ### Honest advice before you commit If part of what you have is sound and worth keeping, you will be told. If something you want will not work in your soil, aspect or budget, you will be told that too. Everything under one project ## The elements we build into a renovation Every element below can be booked on its own, and all of them can form part of one renovation. Follow any of them for detail on how that part of the job is built. ### Patios Natural stone, Indian sandstone, limestone and porcelain, laid on a properly prepared base. View service ### Driveways Stone driveways built to drain and hold their shape, with other materials on request. View service ### Fencing Straight, solid, well-set fencing, with panels assembled and fitted on site where needed. View service ### Turfing & New Lawns Correct soil preparation and levelling so new turf knits in rather than patches out. View service ### Artificial Grass Free-draining sub-base and tight seams for a lawn that stays flat and usable all year. View service ### Decking Solidly framed timber and composite decking, set level and built to carry real use. View service ### Sleeper & Raised Beds Sleeper edging and raised beds that give a garden structure and defined planting. View service ### Garden Walls Retaining and feature walling, founded and drained so it stays put for decades. View service ### Planting Planting schemes chosen to suit your soil, aspect and how much time you want to give it. View service ### Sleeper Steps Safe, even steps that make a sloping garden genuinely usable end to end. View service ### Pergolas Timber pergolas set on solid bases and jointed to stay square, for shade and structure. View service ### Garden Clearance Overgrown or rubble-strewn plots cleared and taken away, ready for a fresh start. View service Recent work ## Finished gardens across Essex See more of our work Common questions ## Garden renovation FAQs ### How much does a full garden renovation cost? There is no honest single figure. Cost depends on the size of the garden, access for machinery and materials, how much has to be dug out and taken away, whether levels or drainage need correcting, and the materials you choose. The free site visit exists so you get a real written quotation for your garden rather than a guess. ### How long does a garden renovation take? It depends on scope and weather. A single element such as a patio or a fence run is usually a matter of days. A complete renovation involving clearance, groundwork, paving, fencing and planting runs into weeks. You will be given a realistic timescale with your quotation, not an optimistic one. ### Can the work be done in phases? Yes. Plenty of clients plan the whole garden up front and then build it in stages as budget allows. Planning it as one design first means each phase fits the next, and services such as drainage or cabling get laid before the paving goes over them. ### Do I need planning permission? Most domestic landscaping does not need it, but there are exceptions, including some retaining walls, structures near a boundary or highway, and work at listed or conservation-area properties. Dominic will flag anything that looks like it needs checking with the council before work starts. ### Will you clear the garden and take everything away? Yes. Clearance and waste removal are part of the job, including overgrown planting, old paving, rubble and anything left by a previous owner or builder. ### Do you cover my area? Lawton Landscapes is based in Colchester and works across Essex and into Suffolk, including Chelmsford, Braintree, Maldon, Witham, Clacton-on-Sea, Harwich, Tiptree, Sudbury and Halstead. If you are not sure, call 07868 289921 and ask. Next step ## Thinking about renovating the whole garden? Tell Dominic what you have and what you want it to become. You'll get a free site visit, an honest opinion on what needs doing first, and a written quotation broken down element by element. 07868 289921Mon–Fri, 8am–5pm · Colchester, Essex ## Request your free estimate Free site visit and bespoke quotation. No obligation, no pressure. Prefer to talk? Call 07868 289921 Design through to finished garden. Honest workmanship across Colchester, Essex and Suffolk. 5-star Google rating · 13 reviews Leave a Google review - Follow us on Instagram ## Services Complete Garden Renovation - Patios - Driveways - Fencing - Turfing & New Lawns - Artificial Grass - Decking - Sleeper & Raised Beds - Garden Walls - Planting - Sleeper Steps - Pergolas - Garden Clearance ## Service Areas - Colchester - Essex - Suffolk - Chelmsford - Braintree - Maldon - Witham - Clacton-on-Sea - Harwich - Tiptree - Sudbury - Halstead ## Get in touch 54a Barrington Rd, Colchester, CO2 7RW07868 289921dominic-lawton@outlook.comMonday–Friday, 8am–5pm. Saturday & Sunday closed.Request Free Estimate © 2026 Lawton Landscapes. Owner: Dominic Lawton. All rights reserved. £1m public liability insurance · 2-year workmanship guaranteePrivacy PolicyTerms & Conditions Call nowFree estimate