Landscaper pricing in Townsville
What landscapers charge in Townsville (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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Townsville landscaper pricing
What landscapers should charge in Townsville
Townsville landscape work is dominated by Castle Hill, Pallarenda, North Ward tropical estate gardens; defence and government residence grounds; Lavarack and RAAF Townsville commercial maintenance; JCU campus and tropical medicine grounds; Port of Townsville and resort hotel commercial; and Heritage Queenslander cottage gardens in North Ward and Belgian Gardens. Tropical climate drives 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 Townsville
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.
Townsville quote factors
What to factor into your Townsville landscaper quote
Local context that should shape what you quote as a landscaper in Townsville. Tropical savanna. Hot humid wet season Nov-Apr (28-32°C with 75-90% humidity, cyclone risk), warm dry winters May-Oct (peak tourism). Annual rainfall ~1,100mm/year. UV extreme. Termite pressure extreme. AC universal.
Tropical native plant culture
Townsville tropical savanna climate drives demand for tropical natives and adapted species: native frangipani (Hymenosporum flavum), kapok (Cochlospermum fraseri), Carpentaria palm, golden cane palm, bougainvillea, hibiscus, heliconia, ginger, mango, lychee, jackfruit. Quote tropical plant packages at A$120 to A$325/sqm installed. Wulgurukaba and Bindal Country indigenous ecological consultation differentiates at premier tier.
Castle Hill, Pallarenda, North Ward premier tier
Castle Hill (4810 hillside landmark), Pallarenda (4810 coastal premier), North Ward (4810 heritage premium), West End (4810 heritage), Belgian Gardens (4810 heritage), Hyde Park (4812 affluent) customers expect designer gardens with architect coordination. Quote design fee 12 to 20% of project cost (A$13,750 to A$93,500+ for full estate project). Castle Hill premier-view homes drive specialist view-framing and view-protection landscape work.
Salt-tolerant coastal plant specification on Pallarenda
Pallarenda (4810) coastal sites and Strand-facing North Ward apartments need salt-tolerant tropical species (coconut palm, pandanus, beach almond, sea hibiscus, beach morning glory, Carpentaria palm). Quote salt-tolerant selections explicitly; generic ornamentals fail in Townsville coastal salt-spray within 6 to 12 months. Pallarenda HNW clients pay for specific knowledge.
Wet/dry season scheduling
Wet season (Nov to Apr) heavy monsoon rain limits planting and soil work to weather windows; 2019 Monsoon Trough flood-scale events can wash out new beds. Quote major planting jobs for May to Oct dry season; design, irrigation, structural hardscape continue year-round. Cyclone watch suspends outdoor work 2 to 5 days at notice.
Cyclone-resistant tree work and species selection
Cyclone code C1-C2 wind loads can fell mature trees. Quote tree-anchoring (deep root pruning, soil aeration, structural cabling at A$605 to A$3,520 per tree) on Pallarenda coastal and Castle Hill hillside estate trees. Avoid high-failure species (African mahogany, raintree) near structures; favour cyclone-resistant natives (Carpentaria palm, kapok, native frangipani). State cyclone-resistant species selection on every quote.
Defence DHA + JCU + commercial grounds maintenance
Defence Housing Australia (DHA) Townsville at Lavarack and RAAF Townsville plus JCU campus plus Port of Townsville plus resort hotels (Magnetic Island ferry-served resorts) drive grounds-maintenance contracts. Quote monthly maintenance retainers (A$2,420 to A$13,750/month per site) at portfolio rates. Lock in 12-month contracts.
Sample quote
A real Townsville 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
Townsville landscaper pricing questions, answered
Common questions about landscaper pricing in Townsville, with answers framed for tradies pricing their own work.
Design and consulting A$120 to A$290/hour for premier designer work. Installation labour A$55 to A$140/hour. Project pricing: standard Townsville (Aitkenvale, Cranbrook, Mundingburra, Annandale) gardens A$83 to A$220/sqm installed; Castle Hill, Pallarenda, North Ward designer gardens A$155 to A$425/sqm. Design fees typically 12 to 20% of project cost. Estate maintenance contracts A$2,420 to A$13,750/month.
Tropical natives and adapted species: native frangipani (Hymenosporum flavum), kapok (Cochlospermum fraseri), Carpentaria palm, golden cane palm, bougainvillea, hibiscus, heliconia, ginger, mango, lychee, jackfruit. Salt-tolerant for coastal Pallarenda: coconut palm, pandanus, beach almond, sea hibiscus, beach morning glory, Carpentaria palm. Wulgurukaba and Bindal traditional ecological knowledge differentiates at premier tier.
Yes, on every Pallarenda (4810) coastal job and Strand-facing North Ward apartment. Townsville 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. Pallarenda HNW clients pay for specific knowledge.
Wet season (Nov to Apr) heavy monsoon rain limits planting and soil work to weather windows; 2019 Monsoon Trough flood-scale events wash out new beds. Quote major planting jobs for May to Oct dry season; design, irrigation, structural hardscape continue year-round. Cyclone watch suspends outdoor work 2 to 5 days at notice.
Yes, on every coastal and hillside estate project. Cyclone code C1-C2 wind loads can fell mature trees. Quote tree-anchoring (deep root pruning, soil aeration, structural cabling at A$605 to A$3,520 per tree) and species selection. Avoid high-failure species (African mahogany, raintree) near structures; favour cyclone-resistant natives (Carpentaria 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.
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