Find a landscaper you can trust

When to call a landscaper

Some jobs you can chip away at on a weekend. Others are worth handing to someone who does this every day. Call a landscaper when you want a real result that lasts, not just a quick tidy-up.

Good reasons to get one in:

• Your backyard is patchy, muddy or just plain unloved and you want it usable again
• You need new turf laid properly, with the soil prepped so it actually takes root
• You want paving for a patio, path or outdoor area that won’t sink or crack
• A slope needs a retaining wall to hold it back and make the space flat and safe
• You’re after a full garden design, new planting and an irrigation system to keep it alive

The difference a pro makes is mostly hidden. It’s the drainage, the base prep and the right plants in the right spots. That’s the stuff that decides whether your new garden still looks good in three years.

What to check and licensing

Landscaping covers a huge range, from mowing and mulching right through to structural work that holds back tonnes of soil. The licensing follows the risk.

General gardening, planting and turf don’t need a trade licence. But structural landscaping, like retaining walls and paving, often does, and the line moves by state. Queensland, NSW and Victoria license it above a set job value, South Australia at any value, and WA and the ACT don’t license landscapers at all. Our licence checks page has the right lookup for your state, and our short guide to tradie licences walks through how this works.

Before you hire anyone, make sure they have:

• The right licence for the structural parts of your job
• Current public liability insurance (ask for the certificate)
• A clear plan that covers site prep, drainage and levels
• Plant choices that suit your soil, sun and local climate
• An itemised written quote so there are no surprises later

Retaining walls deserve extra care. Past a certain height, or near a boundary, many councils want approval and an engineer’s design. A decent landscaper will flag this early rather than leaving you with a wall that has to come down.

What it costs

Most landscapers charge around $50–$100 an hour for smaller work, and quote bigger build jobs as a fixed price. As a guide for common jobs:

• Lay new turf: around $10–$25 per m²
• Lay paving: around $60–$120 per m²
• Build a retaining wall: around $250–$700 per m² of wall
• Small backyard makeover: around $3,000–$10,000

Site access, how much dirt has to move, removing old lawn or concrete, and the materials you choose all shift the number. Timber sleepers sit at the cheap end for retaining walls, while block and engineered walls cost more.

These are a guide, not a quote. Our landscaping cost guide has more jobs and how each city compares, so you can spot anything that looks too cheap or way over the odds.

How needatradie matches you

Here’s the simple bit. Tell us what your yard needs and we match you with one vetted local landscaper, not a list of five who all ring you at dinner. We check their licence, insurance, ABN and reviews first, so the person who turns up is the real deal.

One good tradie. Not five sales calls. That’s the whole idea. You can also browse our guides if you want to read up before you start.

When you’re ready, get a free quote and we’ll line you up with a landscaper who can sort your backyard out properly. It’s free, and there’s no pressure.