Landscaper pricing in Melbourne
What landscapers charge in Melbourne (typically $55-$110/hr), the local factors that move the rate, and a sample quote you can use as a starting point.
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Melbourne landscaper pricing
What landscapers should charge in Melbourne
Melbourne landscape work is dominated by premium-suburb full garden makeovers (Toorak 3142, Brighton 3186, Hawthorn 3122, Kew 3101, South Yarra 3141, Canterbury 3126, Camberwell 3124), Heritage Overlay courtyard restoration (single-fronted Victorian terraces in Carlton, Fitzroy, Richmond, Albert Park, Port Melbourne with bluestone laneway walls and lime-mortar pointing), bluestone paving and dry-stone retaining wall specialists, and water-wise native plantings (suited to Melbourne's temperate-oceanic climate with low-medium rainfall). Owners Corporation approvals required for any apartment or townhouse common-area garden work.
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 Melbourne
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.
Melbourne quote factors
What to factor into your Melbourne landscaper quote
Local context that should shape what you quote as a landscaper in Melbourne. Temperate oceanic. Four-seasons-in-one-day variability. Mild winters (rarely below 5°C, occasional ground frost), hot summers (often 30°C+ with sudden 40°C+ heat events), low-medium rainfall (~650mm/year), cool changes bring 15-20°C drops. Wind exposure for Port Phillip Bay-side suburbs.
Premium suburb full makeover tier
Toorak (3142), Brighton (3186), Hawthorn (3122), Kew (3101), South Yarra (3141), Malvern (3144), Canterbury (3126), Camberwell (3124) full garden makeovers A$88,000-A$495,000+ depending on size. Designer fees 12-22% of project cost. Quote design separately from build; design IP is yours. Build relationships with premium-suburb architects and interior designers for referrals.
Bluestone paving and dry-stone retaining specialist
Melbourne distinctive material: bluestone (basalt) paving and dry-stone retaining walls in inner suburbs (Carlton 3053, Fitzroy 3065, Collingwood 3066, Richmond 3121, South Melbourne 3205, Albert Park 3206, Port Melbourne 3207). Quote bluestone paving A$240-A$460/sqm installed; dry-stone retaining wall A$715-A$1,540/sqm face. Heritage Overlay properties often require like-for-like restoration.
Heritage Overlay courtyard restoration
Inner Melbourne single-fronted Victorian terraces have small bluestone-walled courtyard gardens. Heritage Overlay restricts external alterations; quote heritage architect or consultant ($A2,500-A$9,350) and council planning permit (A$1,320-A$4,950) as separate lines. Lime-mortar repointing on bluestone walls (A$130-A$310/sqm) is specialist work.
Water-wise native planting
Melbourne's temperate-oceanic climate with ~650mm/year rainfall (with hot dry summers) drives water-wise design. Quote native and indigenous plantings (yellow box, manna gum, Lomandra, kangaroo grass, Westringia, Correa, native violet) at A$66-A$200/sqm installed. Melbourne Water and council programs (Living Rivers, Urban Cool) sometimes fund partial rebates; check council.
Owners Corporation common-area gardens
Apartment and townhouse common-area gardens sit under OC control. Quote OC approval lead time (2-6 weeks), insurance certificates (A$1M-A$6M public liability), and often a competitive quote against the OC's preferred contractor as separate lines. Annual common-area maintenance contracts A$3,850-A$27,500/year per block.
Outer-fringe bushfire BAL fuel-load management
Outer-fringe properties in Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO) zones (Dandenongs: Olinda, Sassafras, Mount Dandenong; Yarra Ranges: Healesville, Warburton; Wonga Park, Warrandyte, Eltham, Hurstbridge) need bushfire fuel-load management around the BAL-rated building envelope. Quote bushfire defensible-space clearing and fire-resistant planting (Westringia, Lomandra, succulents) at A$9-A$28/sqm.
Sample quote
A real Melbourne 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
Melbourne landscaper pricing questions, answered
Common questions about landscaper pricing in Melbourne, with answers framed for tradies pricing their own work.
Design and consulting A$130-A$310/hour for premium-suburb full garden design. Installation labour A$61-A$120/hour. Project pricing: premium-suburb full makeovers A$88,000-A$495,000+; standard suburban A$16,500-A$88,000. Design fees typically 12-22% of project cost. Add GST (10%). State design separate from build.
Yes, Melbourne-distinctive niche premium. Bluestone (basalt) paving and dry-stone retaining walls in inner Melbourne (Carlton 3053, Fitzroy 3065, Collingwood 3066, Richmond 3121, South Melbourne 3205, Albert Park 3206). Quote bluestone paving A$240-A$460/sqm installed; dry-stone retaining wall A$715-A$1,540/sqm face. Heritage Overlay properties often require like-for-like restoration.
Single-fronted Victorian terraces in Carlton, Fitzroy, Richmond, Albert Park, Port Melbourne have small bluestone-walled courtyards under Heritage Overlay. Quote heritage architect or consultant (A$2,750-A$9,350), council planning permit (A$1,320-A$4,950), and lime-mortar repointing on bluestone walls (A$130-A$310/sqm) as separate lines. Lead time 8-16 weeks for permit.
Yes, Melbourne's temperate-oceanic climate with ~650mm/year rainfall and hot dry summers drives water-wise design. Quote native plantings (yellow box, manna gum, Lomandra, kangaroo grass, Westringia, Correa, native violet) at A$66-A$200/sqm installed. Melbourne Water and council programs (Living Rivers, Urban Cool) sometimes fund partial rebates; check the local council.
Apartment and townhouse common-area gardens sit under OC control. Quote OC approval lead time (2-6 weeks), insurance certificates (A$1M-A$6M public liability), and often a competitive quote against the OC's preferred contractor as separate lines. Annual common-area maintenance contracts A$3,850-A$27,500/year per block.
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.
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