Areas we cover
Landscaping, Decking & Pavingin Exeter: city and village gardens
Well-built gardens in tight city plots and the villages around Exeter: restricted access handled, neighbours respected, site cleared every evening, and one fixed price agreed before a spade goes in.
30 years' experience · 5.0 Google rating · Tidy sites, daily clear-up
30 years
Building gardens across South Devon
5.0 rating
Average score on Google reviews
Fixed prices
Agreed in writing before we start
£2 million public liability
Fully insured, team covered
City and suburban gardens in and around Exeter, from courtyard patios to full rear-garden renovations.
Exeter is a regular run for us
Exeter is a straight run up the A38 and A380 from our base at Denbury near Newton Abbot, and it's one of the four areas we cover as standard. We work across the city and the surrounding villages: Exminster, Alphington, St Thomas, Heavitree, Pinhoe, Topsham and the settlements along the estuary.
City work is a different discipline from rural work, and it's worth saying plainly: most Exeter jobs are won or lost on logistics. How materials get in, where the spoil goes, and whether the street outside is still passable at six o'clock matter as much as the build itself.
Exeter property types
The city runs from Victorian and Edwardian terraces around St Thomas, Heavitree and Newtown, narrow plots, rear-access-only gardens, shared passages, to 1930s semis with longer gardens in Pennsylvania and Whipton, to modern estates at Cranbrook, Alphington and the eastern edge, and to village and riverside property at Topsham, Exminster and Ide.
Terraced gardens are usually about privacy, level changes at the back door and making a small area feel deliberate. Estate gardens tend to be blank rectangles over compacted construction ground. Village and riverside plots bring older boundaries, mature planting and drainage questions.
What Exeter clients ask us for
Decking and paving lead here, often to resolve a back door that sits above the garden. Courtyard patios, privacy screening, boundary fencing between close neighbours, garden rooms for home working, and full rear-garden renovations are all regular work.
Low-maintenance is a frequent brief for busy city households and for landlords and professional couples who want the space usable without a weekend of upkeep.
Towns we cover in Exeter
Each town below has its own page, with the local detail and the work we do there.
Exeter work often means restricted access, shared boundaries and neighbours close by. Planning the sequence: muck away, materials in, clean site each evening, matters as much as the build itself.
Decking, paving, garden rooms and full renovations are all regular work across the city and surrounding villages.
Every job is priced as one fixed sum from the measured work and the labour it genuinely needs, and is covered by £2 million public liability insurance.
Services available in Exeter
Patios & PavingCourtyard patios, paths and front driveways in Exeter, planned around restricted access and with drainage routed away from the house.
Porcelain PatiosCrisp, low-maintenance porcelain laid to tolerances the material actually demands.
Indian Sandstone PatiosRiven sandstone laid so the colour, the coursing and the joints all read as deliberate.
DrivewaysA driveway built to carry a vehicle, shed water and still look sharp in ten winters.
Garden WallsBoundary and raised-bed walls that make a small city garden feel structured rather than fenced in, plus retaining work where the plot steps.
Garden & Patio StepsEven risers, generous treads and a step you never have to think about in the dark.
FencingClose-neighbour boundary fencing and privacy screening, installed tidily where materials have to come through the house or a shared passage.
DeckingDecking to bridge the gap between a raised back door and a lower garden: one of the most common Exeter briefs.
PergolasStructure and shade over a patio or deck, cut and jointed like joinery.
Garden RoomsInsulated garden rooms and studios for home working in the city, designed for the plot and typically within permitted development.
Garden DesignFull renovation of Exeter rear gardens, staged so the disruption to a terraced street is kept as short as possible.
Turfing & PlantingSoil prepared properly, so the lawn knits and the borders actually establish.Why choose PC Landscaping in Exeter
Used to restricted access
Barrowing through houses, shared passages and narrow lanes is normal city work, we plan the route, protect it and price it honestly.
Tidy sites, every day
Site clear-up at the end of each day is something clients mention repeatedly in our reviews, and it matters more in a terraced street than anywhere.
5.0 Google rating
A 5.0 average across our Google reviews, from clients who highlight punctuality and professional finishes.
One fixed price
Calculated from the measured work and the labour it takes. Hourly rates apply only to unforeseen additional work, raised with you at the time.
Fully insured
£2 million public liability cover, including the self-employed tradesmen who work alongside Phil.
What Exeter gardens throw at you
Access dictates the method
When everything comes through the house or down a shared passage, machine excavation may be impossible. That changes the programme, the labour and therefore the price, so it's assessed before quoting.
Compacted ground on newer estates
Estate plots around Cranbrook and Alphington are commonly thin topsoil over compacted subsoil. Surface water sits and lawns fail until the ground is properly opened up and drained.
Older terraces and levels at the back door
Victorian rear gardens frequently sit well below the threshold. Bridging that safely needs proper steps or a deck detailed to stay clear of damp-proof level.
Close neighbours and shared boundaries
Party boundaries, overlooking and noise all need managing. Working hours, deliveries and where the skip sits are part of the plan rather than an afterthought.
Estuary-side drainage
Lower-lying ground at Topsham, Exminster and along the Exe holds water. Surface water routing has to be worked out properly rather than assumed.
How the job runs
- Step 1
Site visit in Exeter
Phil comes out to the property, measures the work, checks levels, ground conditions, drainage and access, and talks through what you want the garden to do. Site visits across Exeter are arranged between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday.
- Step 2
Fixed price and programme
You get one fixed price, calculated from the measured area and the labour the work genuinely needs, plus a realistic start window. An hourly rate only ever applies to unforeseen additional work, and we raise it with you at the time rather than at the end.
- Step 3
Groundwork, levels and drainage
Excavation, sub-bases, footings and water routing happen first. Getting these right is what decides whether the finished work is still level and dry in ten years.
- Step 4
Build and finish
Walls, paving, carpentry, structures and planting are built in a sequence that avoids disturbing completed work. The site is cleared at the end of each day.
- Step 5
Handover
We walk the finished work with you and explain any aftercare. If anything needs attention afterwards, Phil is the person who answers the phone.
Parts of Exeter we cover
We work across the city and the surrounding villages.
- Central Exeter, St Thomas and Newtown: terraced gardens with restricted access.
- Heavitree, Whipton and Pinhoe: established residential plots with longer rear gardens.
- Alphington and Exminster, a mix of older property and modern estate housing.
- Topsham and the estuary villages: riverside plots, mature gardens and drainage-sensitive ground.
- Ide, Kennford and the villages toward Haldon: semi-rural plots on the Teignbridge boundary.
How we work in a city garden
Before quoting, we work out the route in and the route out: what can be wheeled, what has to be carried, where a grab lorry or skip can legally stand, and how floors and shared paths get protected.
The programme is then sequenced to keep the disruptive stages short, breaking out and muck away done in as tight a window as possible, materials delivered when they're needed rather than stacked on a pavement for a fortnight.
Site clear-up at the end of each day isn't a courtesy in a terraced street; it's the difference between a job your neighbours tolerate and one they complain about. We work 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, which also keeps early starts off the street.
Small gardens, done properly
A small Exeter garden rewards structure more than square metreage. A change of level, a raised bed, a screen, a well-positioned deck or a single good surface usually does more than filling the plot with paving.
Garden rooms work in surprisingly compact city plots too, as long as position, boundary distances and permitted development limits are checked first, which Phil does before anything is agreed.
Nearby areas we also cover
Back to the PC Landscaping homepage, see all services, browse every area we cover or get in touch with Phil.
Exeter: common questions
Do you cover Exeter and the surrounding villages?
Yes. Exeter is one of our four regular areas, covered from our base at Denbury near Newton Abbot, including Exminster, Alphington, St Thomas, Heavitree, Pinhoe, Topsham and Ide.
How quickly can you get to Exeter for a site visit?
Exeter is a straight run up the A38 for us and site visits are booked in the normal way. Ring Phil on 07792 076673 and he'll give you a realistic date, we're on site 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.
How much does landscaping cost in Exeter?
Every job is priced individually. Area, materials, ground conditions and, in the city especially, access are what drive the figure. Phil measures on site and gives one fixed price before work starts.
My garden has no rear access: can you still do the work?
Yes, it's normal city work. Materials come through the house or along a shared passage with the route protected. It affects the labour involved, which is exactly why Phil sees the site before quoting.
Do you offer emergency or weekend work in Exeter?
No, we work 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, and don't run an emergency callout service. Ring Phil and he'll be straight with you about when we can get to the job.
Will you leave the street and my house in a mess?
No. Sites are cleared at the end of each day and access routes are protected. Tidiness is one of the things our Google reviewers mention most often.
Can you build a garden room in a small Exeter garden?
Often yes, subject to position, boundary distances and permitted development limits on your specific plot: Phil checks those before anything is agreed, and building regulations are always adhered to.
Do I need planning permission for decking or a wall in Exeter?
It depends on height, position and your property. We'll flag anything that looks worth checking with the council before work is agreed rather than after.
Do you work in Teignbridge and Torbay as well?
Yes: Teignbridge, Torbay, Exeter and the South Hams are all within our coverage area.
Client feedback
Reviews from across South Devon
“Fab job for my pathway around my house and patio… Phil's suggestion and explanation of the construction work was the most solid.”
Hung Alice
Pathway & patio · Google review
“Phil and his team provided some excellent service… The decking looks fab, love my new garden!”
Frank S
Decking & garden · Google review
“Phil finished the remainder of my featherboard fence. Started the job promptly, arrived on time and finished the job professionally.”
Big Steve
Featherboard fencing · Google review
“Phil and Nigel did a complete redesign of our garden, did a very professional job from start to finish… this is the second job they have done for us and we have another project for later in the year.”
Robert Down
Full garden redesign · repeat client · Google review
Planning a garden project in Exeter?
Phil visits, works out the access and the levels, and quotes one fixed price for the whole job.
30 years' experience · £2 million public liability · 8am–6pm, Monday to Friday