Landscaper pricing in Wellington
What landscapers charge in Wellington (typically $50-$105/hr), the local factors that move the rate, and a sample quote you can use as a starting point.
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Wellington landscaper pricing
What landscapers should charge in Wellington
Wellington landscape work is dominated by Kelburn/Karori/Khandallah/Thorndon hillside terraced gardens, harbour-view retaining structures (Roseneath, Oriental Bay, Wadestown), wind-tolerant native plantings, heritage villa cottage gardens (Mount Victoria, Thorndon), and Town Belt / Wellington Botanic Gardens-adjacent estate work. No specific NZ landscaper licence; LBP required for Restricted Building Work (retaining over 1.5m, decks). Wellington's hilly terrain drives heavy retaining and terracing work.
Hourly rate
$50-$105
per hour, weekday daytime
Call-out fee
$35-$75
within standard radius
After-hours
1.5-2x
evening, weekend, holiday
Job pricing
What to charge for common landscaper jobs in Wellington
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 NZD.
Site visit and consultation
What's included
Most established landscapers consult free for jobs over $3,000. 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 $20-40/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.
Wellington quote factors
What to factor into your Wellington landscaper quote
Local context that should shape what you quote as a landscaper in Wellington. Temperate maritime, famously windy. Mild summers (Dec-Feb, 17-22°C, rarely above 25°C, coolest summer of major NZ cities), cool winters (June-Aug, 6-12°C, rarely below 2°C), persistent strong wind (gales 80+ km/h common, wind-driven rain), moderate-high rainfall (~1,250mm/year). Earthquake risk EXTREME (Wellington Fault + Hikurangi subduction).
Wind-tolerant native + coastal plant specification
Wellington's persistent strong wind (gales 80+km/h common) plus harbour-edge salt spray (Roseneath, Oriental Bay, Seatoun, Eastbourne, Island Bay, Lyall Bay) drives demand for wind-and-salt-tolerant native plantings (pohutukawa, kanuka, manuka, flax/harakeke, ngaio, kohuhu, hebe, coprosma, astelia, carex). Avoid wind-fragile imports. Quote native wind-tolerant gardens at NZ$140-NZ$385/sqm installed.
Kelburn, Karori, Khandallah, Thorndon hillside estate tier
Kelburn (6012), Karori (6012/6024), Khandallah (6035), Thorndon (6011), Roseneath (6021), Oriental Bay (6011), Wadestown (6012) customers expect designer terraced gardens with architect coordination on steeply sloping hillside sites. Quote design fee 12-20% of project cost (NZ$18,000-NZ$95,000+ for full hillside project). Estate maintenance contracts (NZ$1,500-NZ$8,500 per month) recurring.
Hillside retaining + terracing
Wellington's hill suburbs (Mount Victoria, Roseneath, Karori, Kelburn, Brooklyn, Khandallah, Wadestown) have steeply sloping sites driving heavy retaining and terracing work. Quote concrete-block retaining wall NZ$650-NZ$1,500/LM, timber-pole retaining NZ$385-NZ$850/LM, stone retaining NZ$850-NZ$2,200/LM. LBP required for retaining over 1.5m height. Structural engineer (NZ$3,500-NZ$12,000) on every significant retaining project.
Heritage villa cottage gardens (Mount Victoria, Thorndon)
Mount Victoria, Thorndon, Mount Cook heritage villa precincts include cottage gardens needing period-correct planting (English roses, lavender, foxgloves, hollyhocks, herbaceous borders). Quote heritage cottage garden at NZ$165-NZ$385/sqm with Wellington City Council Heritage approvals where listed. Clients pay premium for period-correct detail.
Wellington Town Belt + Botanic Gardens-adjacent
Wellington's Town Belt (1840 town reserve) and Botanic Gardens drive premium estate work in adjacent suburbs (Kelburn, Thorndon, Karori, Mount Victoria). Heritage tree-protection orders (Wellington City Council) require arboricultural consultation. Quote heritage-zone landscape work at premium NZ$185-NZ$485/sqm. Trees within Town Belt boundaries require WCC consent.
Government residence and embassy ornamental gardens
Government House (Newtown), Premier House (Tinakori Road, Thorndon), and small embassy precinct in Thorndon and Wadestown drive ornamental formal garden demand. Quote diplomatic ornamental gardens at premium NZ$185-NZ$485/sqm with annual maintenance contracts (NZ$2,500-NZ$12,000 per month). Build relationships with Department of Internal Affairs and Ministry of Foreign Affairs facilities.
Sample quote
A real Wellington 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
Wellington landscaper pricing questions, answered
Common questions about landscaper pricing in Wellington, with answers framed for tradies pricing their own work.
Design and consulting NZ$135-NZ$285/hour for premium designer work. Installation labour NZ$55-NZ$135/hour. Project pricing: standard Wellington gardens NZ$140-NZ$385/sqm installed (wind-tolerant native), Kelburn/Karori/Khandallah/Thorndon designer gardens NZ$185-NZ$485/sqm. Design fees typically 12-20% of project cost. Estate maintenance contracts NZ$1,500-NZ$8,500/month. GST 15% applies above NZ$60k turnover.
Wind-tolerant native + coastal: pohutukawa, kanuka, manuka, flax/harakeke, ngaio, kohuhu, hebe, coprosma, astelia, carex. Wellington's persistent strong wind plus harbour-edge salt spray drives demand for wind-and-salt-tolerant native plantings. Avoid wind-fragile imports. Heritage cottage gardens (Mount Victoria, Thorndon) use English period plants. Local nurseries (Wairarapa Nursery, Newlands Garden Centre) source.
Yes, Wellington's signature trade specialty. Wellington's hill suburbs (Mount Victoria, Roseneath, Karori, Kelburn, Brooklyn, Khandallah, Wadestown) have steeply sloping sites driving heavy retaining and terracing work. Quote concrete-block retaining wall NZ$650-NZ$1,500/LM, timber-pole retaining NZ$385-NZ$850/LM, stone retaining NZ$850-NZ$2,200/LM. LBP required for retaining over 1.5m height. Structural engineer (NZ$3,500-NZ$12,000) on every significant retaining project.
Yes, premium tier. Kelburn (6012), Karori (6012/6024), Khandallah (6035), Thorndon (6011), Roseneath (6021), Oriental Bay (6011), Wadestown (6012) customers expect designer terraced gardens with architect coordination on steeply sloping hillside sites. Quote design fee 12-20% of project cost (NZ$18,000-NZ$95,000+ for full hillside project). Estate maintenance contracts (NZ$1,500-NZ$8,500 per month) recurring.
Yes, niche premium work. Mount Victoria, Thorndon, Mount Cook heritage villa precincts include cottage gardens needing period-correct planting (English roses, lavender, foxgloves, hollyhocks, herbaceous borders). Quote heritage cottage garden at NZ$165-NZ$385/sqm with Wellington City Council Heritage approvals where listed. Clients pay premium for period-correct detail.
Hourly rates are $50 to $95 in the US, £28-65 in the UK, A$55-110 in Australia, R180-500 in South Africa, and C$45-95 in Canada. Most landscapers prefer fixed-price quotes for projects over $2,000 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 $3,000. A scaled drawing with plant schedule and hardscape detail takes 4-8 hours and many landscapers charge $300-1,500 for that. Worth it because the drawing becomes the contract.
For jobs over $5,000, 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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