Landscape Financing: Best Loans for Your Yard in August 2025

A newly manicured lawn or blooming garden can help you enjoy your home and enhance its curb appeal. The National Association of Realtors estimates that homeowners can recoup 217% of the cost of standard lawn care service when selling a home. Depending on your housing market, a landscaping upgrade could be a wise investment if you plan to sell. If you're staying put, it could encourage your family to spend more time together outdoors.

But paying your landscaping contractor could also strain your budget. Many homeowners don't have enough savings to cover the cost of landscaping, particularly more expensive projects. If you're looking to finance landscaping work, a personal loan could be a good fit. “It's quick and doesn't require appraisals or lots of paperwork,” says Karen Watts, founder of DomiSource, a moving help website. “Most importantly, it doesn't tie up your house as collateral.”

Compare personal loan rates

How much does landscaping cost?

Depending on the size of your outdoor area and the complexity of the project, landscaping can cost anywhere from $2,000 to $50,000 or more, according to Watts.

“The biggest cost factors are site conditions like slope or drainage, regional labor rates, and material choices,” she says. “Even seemingly small upgrades — like lighting or fencing — can move the needle fast, so it's worth getting a few detailed estimates and planning your phases carefully.”

The table below shows some common landscaping services and their estimated average cost range, according to Angi.

Best personal loans for landscaping

Methodology

Credible evaluated 32 lenders across 1,216 data points to find the best personal loans to finance landscaping projects. We feature lenders that offer loans for home improvement and one or more of the following factors: high loan amounts, low rates, and financing options for fair credit.

Lender star ratings were established based on the following weighted categories:

• Rates and fees: 18.75%
• Eligibility and options for bad and no credit: 17.5%
• Availability: 12.5%
• Loan amounts and terms: 10%
• Customer satisfaction: 10%
• Customer service: 10%
• Efficiency and fund delivery: 10%
• Discounts: 7.5%
• Credible proprietary data: 3.75%

Credible's team of experts gathered information from each lender's website and from our partners directly. We also considered each of our partner lenders' statistics over a 12-month period — including average funding times, average credit scores for approved applicants, and average rates. Each data point is verified by a senior editor to make sure it's accurate at the time of publication.

Learn more about how Credible rates lenders by exploring our personal loans lender rating methodology.

How to compare personal loans for landscaping

When comparing your personal loan options, consider the following factors:

• Eligibility requirements: Some lenders have more stringent credit and income requirements than others. If you have bad credit, that will narrow your options to bad credit lenders, unless the lender allows you to apply with a cosigner or co-borrower. 
• APR: Lenders typically advertise a range of annual percentage rates (APRs), which represent the annual cost of interest charges and upfront fees as a percentage of the loan amount. You can also prequalify to get an estimate of your individual APR, which makes it easy to compare your options. Loans with lower APRs are typically less costly.
• Fees: Some lenders charge an origination fee, which is an upfront fee included in the APR. The fee is typically deducted from the loan proceeds, so it may reduce the amount you can get. You should check your loan agreement for other fees as well. Some lenders, like LightStream, don't charge any fees.
• Monthly payment: Ensure the monthly payment fits your budget before formally applying for a personal loan.
• Repayment term: Choosing a longer repayment term allows for a lower monthly payment, but it also means staying in debt longer and paying more interest. “The financing term should always match the durability of the project,” says Watts. “I always tell my clients, 'Don't take on five years of debt for something with a five-year lifespan.'”
• Total repayment cost: Make sure to calculate the total repayment cost of each loan option before choosing a lender. You can use a personal loan calculator to estimate how much interest you'll pay over time. If you're upgrading your landscaping to sell your home, make sure the total borrowing cost doesn't wipe out the return on investment.
• Secured vs unsecured: While most personal loans are unsecured, some lenders offer secured personal loans, which require you to offer a valuable asset as collateral. This may help you get approved and earn a lower APR. For example, Best Egg offers personal loans secured by the fixtures in your home with an average rate discount of 20%.
• Lender reputation: Read customer reviews on third-party sites like Trustpilot to ensure the lender is reputable. You can also check whether the lender was rated by J.D. Power.

How do landscaping loans work?

A “landscaping loan” is typically a personal loan used to finance a landscaping project, but it could also refer to another loan type.

Personal loans provide a wad of cash you can use to pay your landscaping contractor. You then repay the lender in equal monthly installments (typically) for the duration of the loan term. Most personal loan lenders offer repayment terms between one and seven years, but some lenders give you longer to repay if you're using the funds for home improvement, including landscaping. For instance, LightStream offers home improvement loans up to 20 years.

Unlike home equity loans, most personal loans are unsecured. That means you can avoid appraisals and a lengthy underwriting process — you can typically apply online and get your cash in a few days or as soon as the same day with some lenders.

What can landscaping loans be used for?

Personal loans can be used for almost any household expense. You can typically pay for any landscaping cost with a personal loan, whether that's materials, labor, or even a hot tub for your new garden. But each lender has its own restrictions, so you should check your loan agreement for any prohibited uses before signing.

Pros and cons of landscaping loans

Pros

• Quick funding: Personal loans don't require a lengthy approval process or a home appraisal. In fact, some lenders offer funding as soon as the same day you sign.
• Fixed interest rates and payments: You'll always know how much you owe each month, so it's easy to plan for repayment.
• Cheaper than credit cards: Personal loans have lower APRs than credit cards on average, according to the Federal Reserve data. However, if you can qualify for a long-term 0% APR introductory rate on a credit card, that could be a better option.
• Collateral not required: Unlike a home equity loan or HELOC, collateral is not required for most personal loans.
• Options for fair credit: You could potentially qualify for a landscaping loan with fair credit, especially if you'll use the funds to spruce up your home pre-sale. Personal loans for bad credit may also be available for landscaping, but the rates are likely to be much higher.

Cons

• Higher rates than home equity loans: Watts says personal loans offer convenience but aren't necessarily the lowest-cost options. “Personal loans usually carry higher interest rates than home equity loans and have shorter repayment periods, which means your monthly payments will be higher,” she says.
• May be tough to qualify for: If you have a low income or credit issues, you may have difficulty qualifying for a personal loan. If you're approved, you may pay a high APR.
• Increased debt balance: Taking out a personal loan increases your outstanding debt, which can negatively affect your credit score. It can also put strain on your budget, especially if you're using the funds to pay for a landscaping upgrade that requires additional maintenance costs.

How to get a loan for your outdoor project

The personal loan application process varies from one lender to the next, but here's what you can generally expect:

1. Research lenders: Choose a few options that offer the loan amount you need and have a minimum credit score requirement that's lower than your score.
2. Prequalify: The process is quick and won't damage your credit, but may involve sharing some or all of your Social Security number. Use a personal loan marketplace like Credible to check your prequalified rate with multiple lenders at once. Remember that prequalification isn't an offer of credit — the rates and terms of a loan offer may differ.
3. Choose the best option: Of the options you qualify for, pick the one with the lowest APR and a monthly payment that fits your budget. If you're planning on selling your home, don't assume that you will be able to right away - you should still choose a loan you can afford long-term.
4. Formally apply: Answer the lender's remaining questions and upload any required documents. At this stage, you'll also need to authorize a hard credit check, which will typically cause your credit score to dip slightly.
5. Sign your loan documents: If approved, read the terms and conditions of your loan agreement before e-signing your documents. Check that the rate, monthly payment, repayment term, APR, and upfront fees are as expected.
6. Receive the funds and begin repayment: Wait for the lender to transfer the funds to your bank account and begin planning for repayment. You may want to set up autopay to help avoid missing due dates.

Other ways to finance improvements to your yard

A personal loan may not be the best fit for every project. Ben Ashton, CEO of Rocky Mountain Turf, says homeowners should start by considering the scope of the project. “Smaller projects are easier to finance with personal loans or even zero-interest credit cards, but larger projects will usually require home equity,” he says.

Below are a few alternatives to personal loans for landscaping.

Contractor financing

Some landscaping businesses offer financing for their customers. However, in most cases, the landscaper won't lend you the money directly.

“Landscapers aren't banks,” says Ashton. “If they're offering financing, they're going through a third-party lender. Figure out who that lender is, since they'll be the ones actually servicing your loan and collecting the payments.” Be sure to check the lender's reputation and compare your landscaper's financing offer with other options.

Watts also says that contractor financing may seem like a better deal than it is. “Always read the small print twice,” she says. “I've spotted deferred interest clauses, prepayment penalties, and terms that change once the project is underway.”

Home equity loan or HELOC

A home equity loan provides a lump sum of cash, while a home equity line of credit (HELOC) allows you to borrow against your home equity on an ongoing basis, much like a credit card. Both options use your home as collateral, which means there's a risk of foreclosure if you don't repay the money according to the terms of your loan agreement.

Home equity loans and HELOCs also come with upfront costs and take longer to fund than a personal loan — you may wait longer than a month to get your cash. But they typically come with lower interest rates and longer repayment term options. “If it's a larger-scale project, such as grading, retaining walls or a full irrigation system, and you have substantial equity and time, home equity loans or HELOCs might offer more flexibility,” says Watts.

0% APR credit card

Some credit card issuers offer 0% interest promotions to new cardholders, which allow you to avoid paying interest for up to 24 months in some cases. This can be a good option if all of the following are true:

• Your landscaper accepts credit cards and doesn't charge a processing fee
• You can qualify for a new credit card with a 0% promotional offer
• You can repay the full balance before the promotional period ends

If you need more time for repayment, a personal loan may be less costly. Credit card APRs are high, so interest can rack up quickly once the 0% APR introductory period is over and the card's regular APR takes effect.

Savings

If you can wait to start your landscaping project, consider depositing a portion of your income in a high-yield savings account. Instead of paying interest, you'll earn interest. It's always better to pay for an expense with savings than take on debt (as long as you don't liquidate your emergency fund to do so). Be mindful of seasonality and rising labor costs when planning your project.