Find a trusted landscaper in Perth

Making Perth sand work for a garden

Most of Perth’s suburbs sit on the sandy soils of the Swan Coastal Plain. Sand drains in minutes and holds few nutrients, and once it dries out it can turn water-repellent, so sprinkler water beads up and runs off instead of soaking in. A good landscaper deals with that before anything is planted, digging in compost or soil improver, using a wetting agent and finishing beds with a thick layer of mulch. Skip that step and new turf and plants struggle through their first summer.

Reticulation is part of almost every Perth garden job. The Water Corporation sets the days you can run sprinklers, and there’s a winter sprinkler switch-off from 1 June to 31 August, so the system has to deliver enough water on the days you’re allowed. Ask your landscaper to zone the lawn and garden beds separately, run drip line under mulch where it suits, and set the controller to your watering days. Connecting a new system to the scheme water supply is plumbing work for a licensed plumber.

Limestone walls, sloping blocks and verges

Limestone is the local building block for garden walls. Natural and reconstituted limestone retaining walls hold up level changes on sloping coastal blocks and between lots in the newer estates, and they pair well with limestone or brick paving. Walls are where a cheap job shows quickly, so ask how the footing will be built and how water will drain from behind the wall.

Verges are the other Perth quirk. Most councils let you plant or mulch the strip between your boundary and the road, but they have rules about plant heights near driveways and corners, hard surfaces, and keeping access for footpaths and services. Check your council’s verge guidelines before the landscaper starts.

Licences and landscapers in WA

WA doesn’t license landscapers, and retaining walls, fences and timber decks are exempt from builder registration. That puts the checking on you. Look the business up on ABN Lookup, get a copy of their public liability certificate, and ask to see walls and paving they built a few years ago, not just last month. Garden lighting, pumps and any other electrical work need a licensed electrician. Our WA licence checks page lists the lookups for the licensed trades.

Landscaping prices in Perth

Landscapers in Perth charge mid-range rates compared with the rest of the country. Expect roughly $50–$100 an hour, or $400–$800 a day for one landscaper, with bigger jobs quoted as a fixed price. New turf typically costs $10–$25 per m² laid on prepared soil, paving $60–$120 per m², and retaining walls $250–$700 per m² of wall face. A small backyard makeover usually lands at $3,000–$10,000, and a full design-and-build $10,000–$50,000.

Soil improvement and reticulation are often separate lines, so check they’re in the quote. Our landscaping price guide explains what drives the numbers.

How we match you with a Perth landscaper

Let us know what the yard needs and which part of Perth you’re in. We’ll put you in touch with one local landscaper who has already passed our insurance, ABN and reviews checks. You aren’t added to a list that gets sold on, and five businesses won’t start ringing.

Browse landscapers in other cities or all trades in Perth, or get a free quote when you’re ready.