Landscapers · Canberra, ACT

Find a trusted landscaper in Canberra

Planning a new lawn, garden or paved area in Canberra? Tell us about the yard and we'll match you with one vetted local landscaper who knows what frost, clay and a dry summer do to a garden here. ABN, insurance and reviews are checked before we put you in touch, and it's free for homeowners.

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Common landscaper jobs in Canberra

Turning a bare new-build block in Gungahlin or the Molonglo Valley into a usable yard
New turf or a lawn renovation, timed for spring or early autumn rather than mid-winter
Paved entertaining areas and paths built on a compacted base over clay
Sleeper and block retaining walls on sloping blocks in the hillside suburbs
Drip irrigation for garden beds planted with frost-hardy, low-water plants
Reworking tired established gardens in the inner north and inner south
Synthetic turf for shady or high-traffic corners where real grass gives up
Tidying and replanting a front garden before the house goes on the market

Frost, clay and a dry summer

Gardens in Canberra deal with conditions that coastal cities don’t. Hard frosts are common through winter, and summer can bring long, hot, dry spells, so plant choice and timing matter more here. A local landscaper will steer you toward plants that can handle both ends of the year.

Lawns are a good example. Warm-season grasses such as couch and kikuyu go brown and dormant through a Canberra winter, while cool-season grasses such as tall fescue stay greener in the cold but want more water over summer. Neither is wrong; it depends on your sun, shade and how much watering you’re prepared to do. New turf also needs time to root before the frosts arrive, which is why spring and early autumn are the usual windows.

Under the topsoil, many suburbs sit on heavy clay. It drains slowly in winter and sets like brick in summer. Good landscapers allow for that with drainage, soil improvement in planting beds and a properly compacted base under paving, so the pavers stay flat and water runs away from the house.

New estates and established gardens

The newer estates in Gungahlin, the Molonglo Valley and Strathnairn often hand over homes with bare, compacted ground around them. That’s a blank slate, but it usually means soil work, levels and drainage before anything goes in, and sometimes a retaining wall on a sloping block.

Older suburbs have the opposite problem: big established trees. Under the ACT’s Urban Forest Act, protected trees on private land need approval before they’re removed, heavily pruned, or dug around within their tree protection zone. If your plans involve trenching or paving near a large tree, check before work starts. The nature strip out front is Territory land too, so ask City Services before you change it.

Approvals and licence checks in the ACT

You won’t find a landscaping licence in the ACT, so start with the ABN (search it on ABN Lookup) and a current certificate of insurance. Some parts of a project are regulated, though. Retaining walls over 1.2 metres usually need building approval. Irrigation connected to the water supply, and drains connected to the sewer, have to be done by a licensed plumber or drainer, who you can find on the Access Canberra register. Before any digging, lodge a free Before You Dig Australia request to locate underground services. Our ACT licence checks page covers each register.

What landscaping costs in Canberra

Canberra landscaping prices run high by national standards. Turf typically costs around $10 to $25 per m², paving $60 to $120 per m², and a small backyard makeover $3,000 to $10,000. See our landscaping price guide for more, and treat those figures as a guide, not a quote.

One landscaper for your yard

We don’t list landscapers or sell your details to several of them. Tell us about your block and what you’d like it to become, and we’ll put you in touch with one Canberra landscaper we’ve vetted for ABN, insurance and reviews. Get a free quote, read how we choose landscapers nationally, or look at more trades in Canberra.

Last reviewed 3 October 2026.

Check the licence in the ACT

You don't need a licence to work as a landscaper in the ACT. Retaining walls over 1.2 metres usually need building approval, though, and irrigation connected to the water supply or drains connected to the sewer must be done by a licensed plumber or drainer.

Licensed by: No ACT landscaping licence (plumbing, drainage and building approval rules apply)

ABN Lookup ↗ How licence checks work in the ACT →

Indicative prices

Landscaping in Canberra is priced at the higher end, close to Sydney. Spring is the busiest time, since frosty winters limit what can be planted and when new turf will take.

Lay new turf (per m²) $10–$25
Lay paving (per m²) $60–$120
Build a retaining wall (per m²) $250–$700
Garden makeover (small yard) $3,000–$10,000

What a landscaper costs →

Landscapers in Canberra: common questions

What does landscaping typically cost in Canberra?

As a rough guide, new turf runs about $10 to $25 per m², paving $60 to $120 per m², and retaining walls $250 to $700 per m² of wall face. A small backyard makeover usually lands between $3,000 and $10,000, and a full design-and-build $10,000 to $50,000. Canberra prices sit toward the upper end of those ranges, much like Sydney.

What can I get for a $5,000 landscaping budget in Canberra?

On an average suburban block, $5,000 might cover levelling and new turf over a decent-sized lawn with a couple of edged garden beds, mulch and frost-hardy plants. Or it could go on a modest paved area by itself. If your yard needs a retaining wall or drainage through heavy clay, put that first and stage the rest.

When is the best time to landscape in Canberra?

Spring and early autumn suit most planting and new turf, because the soil is warm enough for roots to establish before frost or summer heat arrives. Hold off on frost-tender plants until the frosts have passed. Paving and walls can go in for most of the year, but landscapers fill up fast in spring, so booking in late winter helps.

What's the least expensive way to landscape a Canberra yard?

Keep the existing levels, choose hardy plants that cope with frost and dry spells, and spend on good soil rather than features. Turf, mulched beds and drip irrigation give a tidy result for modest money. Doing the clearing yourself saves labour, but leave walls, drainage and paving bases to a professional, because fixing them later costs more.

Does landscaping add value to a house in Canberra?

It usually helps a house sell, because buyers notice a neat, usable garden from the street and in the listing photos. Expect the biggest return from simple work: a healthy lawn, clean beds and a solid paved area. Expensive water features or exotic planting that suits one owner's taste rarely earn back what they cost.

How much does a gardener or landscaper charge per hour?

Landscapers and landscape gardeners generally charge around $50 to $100 an hour, and a full day of one landscaper's time often comes to $400 to $800 before materials. Regular garden maintenance tends to sit at the lower end of the hourly range. Larger build jobs are normally quoted as a fixed price instead.

Areas we cover around Canberra

Gungahlin
Molonglo Valley
Belconnen
Tuggeranong
Woden Valley
Weston Creek
Inner North
Inner South
Strathnairn
Denman Prospect
Taylor
Red Hill
Yarralumla
Lyneham

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