One of the first questions you ask us, (especially if you're a contractor!) is: how much does the Viritopia Living Wall System cost?
And we nearly always answer the same: It depends.
Because it’s a question we get asked a lot and there are several things to consider, we’ve pulled together all you need to know about how much a living wall costs in this article. We’re going to cover:
- How to define value
- What the Viritopia Living Wall System costs
- What drives our price up, and what drives it down?
- What makes some companies expensive, and some inexpensive?
- How to get an accurate figure
How you define value
First point to cover is how value is defined in our space. What makes companies more popular and systems more reliable, from your side? Based on our research, we found these three points were what defined value:
- Working with an established brand with proven experience throughout the whole process from understanding concept designs, confirming final design and taking this through all the way to installation and on-going maintenance. An understanding of how the system you are looking into works from start to finish usually means that the people you are talking to have good knowledge, experience and want to see the project through to a successful completion.
- Working with a company that uses systems with proven longevity (case studies which go back years and proof that these projects are still flourishing today), and maintenance contracts in place. Maintenance is discussed in the early stages of a project, which tends to mean the system will be a long-term success and gives you confidence your partner is invested in the effectiveness of the chosen system in the long-run.
- Whether the system offers environmental, ecological, or social benefits that can be clearly demonstrated in live examples.
What does the Viritopia Living Wall System cost?
So to get to the question: How much does our living wall system cost?
Economies of scale work here, and the price differs depending on the size of the living wall. We’ve broken it down for you:
> 50m²: £950 per m²
> 100m²: £800 per m²
> 200m²: £780 per m²
> 500m²: £750 per m²
> 1000m²: £700 per m²
Of course, there are many factors which can affect the final cost of our living wall system, making it more or less expensive. Let’s look at what drives the price of the Viritopia Living Wall system up, and what drives it down.
What drives our living wall price up?
- The size. As you can see from our list of price ranges above, the smaller the living wall the more costly it is per m².
- The shape. The Viritopia Living Wall can be installed on curved or angled facades, and in most shapes. If this means the design and installation is a more technical process, this will of course be slightly pricier.
- Complicated substructure.
- Location.
- Phased install.
- Complicated planting design.
- Out of hours access.
- Type of access equipment required (for example in some cases we’ve had to install via abseil).
What drives our green wall price down?
- A longer lead in period for the wall to establish.
- If we’re fixing back to existing vertical supports.
- Simple planting design.
- Larger surface area to cover.
- Good access with no specialist equipment required.
What makes some companies expensive?
As in any market with any product or system, there can be many options at varying price points. When faced with these options, it’s important for you to know what makes some living or green wall systems more expensive than others. Lets take a look at what makes some systems more expensive, and some less.
A proposal for your green wall could be more costly than other quotes you have received because it includes a comprehensive feasibility and design stage. This stage of works is hugely important in creating a green wall that is effective in meeting the purpose of the project, for example, designing to meet environmental targets such as Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG), to make a social impact, or to improve air quality. Getting an understanding of the purpose straightaway means a more informed design stage and a system that is around for a long time. The feasibility part would also mean the possibilities for green infrastructure (aka GI) on site are fully considered before anything goes ahead.
Another factor which would make your green wall more costly is if the living wall is an integrated system, with a variety of build-options allowing you to get a bit more creative with how it is fixed and creating a sleeker finish (eg. designing the living wall so it is flush with the rest of the façade).
Lastly, if the system comes with a calibrated irrigation unit, it will come with a higher price. This would mean less wastage and a more managed water flow: a more sustainable option.
That leads us onto the next point:
What makes some companies inexpensive?
Having worked on creating living walls for 13 years, we are aware of why some companies are able to sell their systems at a much cheaper rate. Unfortunately, from our experience we’ve noticed the short-term gain of investing less does not always go hand-in-hand with success in the long-run.
There are quite a few possible reasons why a proposal you’ve received for a green wall system is a lot cheaper:
- The product itself is cheap and this is reflected in quality.
- Less plants per m² (this means less coverage and if not designed well, bare patches in the wall.)
- Minimal maintenance.
- Limited species to use, which means limits on design possibilities and environmental benefits.
- Very few components.
- Plant-in-place (where plants are put into the wall, usually a pocket system, onsite instead of establishing and acclimatising in the system beforehand off-site.)
- No establishment period before coming to site.
- System is not designed to be an asset in the long-term.
- Uses chemicals to stay healthy rather than a more natural route (managed irrigation, biological treatment when necessary, regular bespoke maintenance)
- System does not allow for root migration, which is more expensive but necessary for the plants to grow and live longer. No root migration means shorter lifespan for the plants (therefore maintenance is more costly as it involves regular plant replacement).
The figures we’ve shared with you here in this article don’t necessarily reflect the actual cost of your living wall project. If you’d like us to put together a quote for you, please email us at enquiries@ans.global or give us a call on +44 1243 545818.
It’s important to note that what we give you in our proposal is the full cost. There are no hidden extras, and nothing sprung on you halfway through the process. It’s the full turn-key solution with no hidden costs.