Landscaper pricing in Cairns
What landscapers charge in Cairns (typically $55-$110/hr), the local factors that move the rate, and a sample quote you can use as a starting point.
No credit card required
Cairns landscaper pricing
What landscapers should charge in Cairns
Cairns landscape work is dominated by Whitfield, Edge Hill, Trinity Beach, Palm Cove tropical estate gardens; Port Douglas (Mossman Shire) ultra-premium reef-front and resort grounds; reef and rainforest tourism commercial maintenance (Sheraton Mirage, Pullman, Shangri-La, Crystalbrook); JCU and Cairns Hospital grounds; and Aboriginal community landscaping in the broader region. FNQ freight premium and tropical climate drive native and salt-tolerant plant specs. Wet/dry season scheduling matters: planting May to Oct, irrigation and design year-round.
Hourly rate
$55-$110
per hour, weekday daytime
Call-out fee
$39-$83
within standard radius
After-hours
1.5-2x
evening, weekend, holiday
Job pricing
What to charge for common landscaper jobs in Cairns
Real-world price ranges for the jobs local tradies quote every week. Use the table as a starting point for your own quotes and adjust for parts, access, and your overheads. All figures in AUD.
Site visit and consultation
What's included
Most established landscapers consult free for jobs over $3,300. Concept design with drawings is usually charged.
Lawn install (per square metre)
What's included
Includes site prep, irrigation drop-in (optional), soil top-up, and instant lawn rolls. Seed-establish is cheaper but slower.
Paving (per square metre)
What's included
Includes excavation, sub-base, sand bed, pavers, and edging. Natural stone, porcelain, and patterned laying cost more.
Retaining wall (per linear metre)
What's included
Depends on height and material (block, gabion, sleeper). Excavation, drainage, and engineering for >1.2m walls extra.
Garden bed preparation (per sqm)
What's included
Includes excavation, compost, mulch. Excludes plants. Edging adds $22-40/linear metre.
Tree planting (advanced 100L+)
What's included
Includes tree, planting hole, stake, mulch, and 30-min watering setup. 500L specimen trees run higher.
Irrigation install (per zone)
What's included
Includes mainline, valve, drippers or rotators, controller wiring. Pump and tank install extra.
Garden maintenance (weekly visit)
What's included
Includes mow, edge, weed, blow. 1-hour visit. Pruning and fertilising on a separate schedule.
Full backyard redesign (medium plot)
What's included
Hardscape, planting, irrigation, lighting. 3-6 week duration. Plant stock 25-40% of cost.
Cairns quote factors
What to factor into your Cairns landscaper quote
Local context that should shape what you quote as a landscaper in Cairns. Tropical monsoon. Wet season Nov-Apr (26-32°C with 75-90% humidity, monsoonal rain ~2,000mm), dry season May-Oct (peak tourism), cyclone season Nov-Apr. UV + termite + salt-air + cyclone harshest in QLD. AC universal.
Tropical and rainforest native plant culture
Cairns tropical monsoon climate plus rainforest hinterland drives demand for tropical and rainforest natives: native frangipani, kapok, golden cane palm, Alexandra palm, Carpentaria palm, bougainvillea, hibiscus, heliconia, ginger, mango, mangosteen, rainforest understorey ferns and bromeliads. Quote tropical plant packages at A$130 to A$350/sqm installed. Daintree rainforest species and traditional Indigenous plant knowledge differentiate at premium tier.
Whitfield, Edge Hill, Palm Cove premium tier
Whitfield (4870), Edge Hill (4870 heritage), Trinity Beach (4879), Palm Cove (4879 resort), Yorkeys Knob (4878) customers expect designer gardens with architect coordination. Quote design fee 12 to 20% of project cost (A$16,500 to A$104,500+ for full estate project). Port Douglas (4877 Mossman Shire) ultra-premium 25 to 45% above; reef-front estates A$132,000 to A$715,000+. Build relationships with Cairns and Port Douglas architects and resort developers for referrals.
Salt-tolerant coastal plant specification
Trinity Beach, Palm Cove, Yorkeys Knob, Cairns North coastal sites (within 1km of coast) need salt-tolerant tropical species (coconut palm, pandanus/screw pine, beach almond, sea hibiscus, beach morning glory, native frangipani, Carpentaria palm, Alexandra palm). Quote salt-tolerant selections explicitly; generic ornamentals fail in Cairns coastal salt-spray within 6 to 12 months. Port Douglas reef-front and Palm Cove resort clients pay for specific knowledge.
Wet/dry season scheduling
Wet season (Nov to Apr) heavy monsoon rain (~2,000mm annual, most in this window) limits planting and soil work to weather windows; flooding can wash out new beds. Quote major planting jobs for May to Oct dry season; design, irrigation, and structural hardscape continue year-round. Dry season aligns with tourist peak season. Cyclone watch suspends outdoor work 2 to 5 days at notice.
Cyclone-resistant tree work and species selection
Cyclone wind zone C2-C3 loads can fell mature trees (Cyclone Yasi 2011 and Jasper 2023 felled thousands in FNQ). Quote tree-anchoring (deep root pruning, soil aeration, structural cabling at A$715 to A$3,850 per tree) on coastal estate trees. Avoid high-failure species (African mahogany, raintree) near structures; favour cyclone-resistant natives (Carpentaria palm, Alexandra palm, kapok, native frangipani). State cyclone-resistant species selection on every quote.
Tourism + JCU + commercial grounds maintenance
Reef and rainforest tourism (Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas, Pullman Palm Cove, Shangri-La Cairns, Crystalbrook), JCU Cairns campus, Cairns Hospital, and HMAS Cairns drive grounds-maintenance contracts. Quote monthly maintenance retainers (A$2,750 to A$16,500/month per site) at portfolio rates. Resort properties often require weekly or twice-weekly service. Lock in 12-month contracts.
Sample quote
A real Cairns landscaper quote you can copy
Backyard patio + garden makeover, 80sqm site, mid-range finish. Replace the line items and rates with your own; the structure stays.
Site excavation, removal of old lawn, soil grading
Concrete paver patio (28sqm, 400x400 charcoal)
Retaining wall, sleeper, 8m long x 600mm high
Lawn rolls (35sqm, premium Sir Walter buffalo)
Garden beds prep + planting (15sqm, mixed natives 200-300mm pots)
Irrigation install (2 zones, drippers + pop-ups, smart controller)
Mulch, edging, finish (40m linear edging, 4m³ pine bark)
Project labour (12 days, 2-person team)
FAQ
Cairns landscaper pricing questions, answered
Common questions about landscaper pricing in Cairns, with answers framed for tradies pricing their own work.
Design and consulting A$130 to A$310/hour for premium designer work. Installation labour A$61 to A$145/hour. Project pricing: standard Cairns (CBD 4870, Parramatta Park, Bungalow, Manunda, Mooroobool, Earlville) gardens A$88 to A$240/sqm installed; Whitfield, Edge Hill, Trinity Beach, Palm Cove designer gardens A$165 to A$460/sqm. Port Douglas (4877 Mossman Shire) ultra-premium reef-front A$240 to A$715/sqm. Design fees typically 12 to 20% of project cost. Estate maintenance contracts A$2,750 to A$16,500/month.
Tropical and rainforest natives: native frangipani, kapok, golden cane palm, Alexandra palm, Carpentaria palm, bougainvillea, hibiscus, heliconia, ginger, mango, mangosteen, rainforest understorey ferns and bromeliads. Salt-tolerant for coastal: coconut palm, pandanus, beach almond, sea hibiscus, beach morning glory, Carpentaria palm. Daintree rainforest species and Indigenous plant knowledge differentiate at premium tier.
Yes, on every Trinity Beach, Palm Cove, Yorkeys Knob, Cairns North coastal job (within 1km of coast). Cairns coastal salt-spray plus 75 to 90% wet-season humidity kills generic ornamentals within 6 to 12 months. Salt-tolerant tropical species (coconut palm, pandanus, beach almond, sea hibiscus, beach morning glory, Carpentaria palm) are essential. Port Douglas reef-front and Palm Cove resort clients pay for specific knowledge.
Wet season (Nov to Apr) heavy monsoon rain (~2,000mm annual) limits planting and soil work to weather windows; flooding washes out new beds. Quote major planting jobs for May to Oct dry season; design, irrigation, structural hardscape continue year-round. Dry season aligns with tourist peak season. Cyclone watch suspends outdoor work 2 to 5 days at notice.
Yes, on every coastal estate project. Cyclone wind zone C2-C3 loads can fell mature trees (Cyclone Yasi 2011 and Jasper 2023 felled thousands in FNQ). Quote tree-anchoring (deep root pruning, soil aeration, structural cabling at A$715 to A$3,850 per tree) and species selection. Avoid high-failure species (African mahogany, raintree) near structures; favour cyclone-resistant natives (Carpentaria palm, Alexandra palm, kapok, native frangipani). State on every quote.
Hourly rates are $55 to $105 in the US, £28-65 in the UK, A$61-110 in Australia, R180-500 in South Africa, and C$50-95 in Canada. Most landscapers prefer fixed-price quotes for projects over $2,200 because hourly invites scope creep.
The big variables are material grade (concrete vs natural stone), plant size (4L vs 100L), and how much earthwork is included. A 'cheap' quote usually uses budget materials and small plants that look sparse for years. Compare the materials list, not just the total.
Site walks and concept conversations are usually free for jobs over $3,300. A scaled drawing with plant schedule and hardscape detail takes 4-8 hours and many landscapers charge $330-1,500 for that. Worth it because the drawing becomes the contract.
For jobs over $5,500, get 2-3 quotes. Compare the plant schedule, hardscape materials, irrigation spec, and establishment guarantee. The cheapest quote often skips drainage, irrigation, or guarantee.
Most shrubs need 6 months of regular watering to establish; trees need 12-18 months. Lawn rolls knit in 4-6 weeks. Quote a maintenance plan covering at least the first 3 months so the investment does not die in summer.
Keep going
More landscaper resources
The full international pricing guide, ready-to-send templates, and the main landscapers page.
Full landscaper pricing guide
International rates across 8 countries, plus all common jobs and a 10-question FAQ.
QuoteGenio for Landscapers
Send branded quotes and invoices from your phone in 2 minutes. Built for landscapers.
Landscaper Quote Template
Landscaper quote with plant handling, irrigation, debris, and minimum-visit charges.
Testimonials
Trusted by tradespeople in Cairns
Real landscapers and other tradies in Cairns use QuoteGenio to quote and invoice from their phone.
“Bespoke glass jobs need detailed spec. Being able to add notes per line and send a professional-looking quote same-day is worth the whole subscription to me.”
Callum Fraser
Glazier · Auckland
“I used to quote at night after jobs. Now I send quotes while I am still on-site and get faster approvals. Makes a big difference.”
Mark Jacobs
Electrician · Perth
“Linear metre pricing with different gate options was messy before. Now my template has everything pre-loaded and I send fence quotes in under three minutes.”
Tyler Jensen
Fence Installer · Houston
Read more
Guides on pricing and quoting
Long-form posts from the QuoteGenio blog that go deeper on quote writing, pricing strategy, and getting paid.
What a Free Quoting Tool for Tradespeople Should Do
Not every free quoting tool for tradespeople earns its keep. A plain checklist of what to look for, what to avoid, and what tradies actually use.
Convert a Quote to an Invoice in One Tap, No Retyping
The one-tap convert flow eliminates the retyping, the duplicate invoice numbers, and the mismatched line items that cost tradies hours each week.
Voice to Quote: Dictate a Job, Get Priced Line Items
Hold the mic, describe the job in your own words, release. The AI drafts a priced quote. What Voice to Quote is, when to use it, and when not to.
Free forever plan
Start quoting faster. Win more jobs.
Create professional quotes in minutes, send instantly, and stay on top of your work without the admin slowing you down.
Free to start. No credit card required.