Choose a landscaper with a clear scope for your property
In short
Find a Gold Coast landscaper by listing the garden work and structures you want, then looking for comparable completed projects. Check the contracting business's Queensland licence scope for construction. Before choosing a design, resolve City of Gold Coast retaining-wall requirements and any tree removal or pruning approval. Give shortlisted companies the same site brief and compare quotes for ground preparation, drainage, materials, access and handover care.
Step 1
Turn the yard idea into a list of tasks
Describe how you want to use the space and what currently gets in the way. A usable seating area might need planting, a paved surface or changes to ground levels. Ask companies which tasks they deliver and whether you need a separate designer or construction contractor.
Ask for experience that matches the job
| What you need | What to ask for |
|---|---|
| New turf, planting beds or garden maintenance | Examples of similar garden work, a soil preparation plan and clear aftercare instructions. |
| Paving, decking, steps or retaining walls | Comparable construction projects and a licence that covers the proposed structures. |
| A redesign involving tree removal or altered levels | Who checks permissions, prepares plans and arranges any engineering or certification. |
Step 2
Check the business's licence for the construction
The Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) sets the work each licence class permits. Its structural landscaping trade scope includes landscape drainage and paving or concrete that is not intended for vehicles. Its retaining-wall scope is limited to walls of a height that do not require engineering certification under a local law. Ask QBCC about the appropriate licence for an engineered wall or driveway.
Request the quoting business's licence number and match its name and scope in the QBCC licensee register. Clarify who will contract for any work outside that scope. Ask for current insurance evidence, photos of completed work and a reference from a comparable project you can contact.
Step 3
Check retaining-wall permissions and the drainage route
City of Gold Coast says retaining walls need building approval unless every exemption condition is met. These include a height below one metre, more than 1.5 metres from a building or another retaining wall, and supporting only the soil behind the wall. The criteria also cover pool fencing, combined wall and fence height, services, structural requirements, easements, covenants, earlier development conditions and waterfront or oceanfront setbacks. Have a private building certifier assess the proposal if you are unsure.
The City also says stormwater must be captured and piped to the kerb or stormwater system, and the work must not concentrate it onto a neighbour's property. Ask the landscaper to explain the proposed drainage route and speak with an affected neighbour before work starts. Record who arranges any plans, engineering and approvals in the quote.
Step 4
Confirm what can be removed or pruned
Tree work on private land may need City approval. Its protected vegetation categories include trees over four metres tall, trees with a trunk circumference over 40 centimetres measured 1.3 metres above ground, and vegetation identified on its Vegetation Management Overlay Map. Check the City's self-assessment checklist for your property before including clearance in the job.
Exemptions depend on circumstances such as lot size and proximity to approved buildings. The City's general removal guidelines do not apply to land managed by a body corporate or within a community management scheme. Ask the City if the checklist leaves the answer unclear, and provide the contractor with any approval and its conditions.
Step 5
Show the access and existing site conditions
Photograph the route from the street to the yard as well as the work area. Measure narrow gates and passages, and show steps or level changes. Explain where deliveries can unload and where materials and removed soil can be stored. A site visit can help the company confirm quantities and equipment access before giving a firm price.
Tell the landscaper where you have seen water collect and mark existing drains, trees and structures to keep. Ask for a planting proposal that explains the choices for your yard's sun, shade and maintenance needs, with plant sizes and quantities you can compare.
Step 6
Compare the inclusions before accepting an offer
Compare excavation, spoil removal, ground preparation, drainage, named materials, plant quantities and clean-up. Have each company identify exclusions and allowances, which are amounts set aside for costs that are not yet fixed. Ask how unexpected ground conditions would affect the price and schedule.
QBCC advises checking terms and all costs, including certification, soil tests and dumping fees, before accepting a quote. Acceptance can create a binding contract even verbally. Domestic building contracts over $3,300 must be written, dated and signed by all parties. Confirm the requirements for your construction scope before accepting.
For changes, QBCC requires written variation details before that work begins, including the changed work, costs and delays. Agree how you will approve changes. At handover, walk through the finished area and request watering instructions, irrigation settings, product care information and any written plant replacement terms.
Sources and useful links
Sources checked 7 October 2026
- QBCC: structural landscaping trade licence scope
Scope includes landscape drainage and non-vehicular paving, with a limitation for retaining walls requiring engineering certification under a local law.
- City of Gold Coast: retaining-wall requirements
All building-approval exemption conditions, including waterfront and oceanfront setbacks, plus stormwater and neighbour guidance.
- City of Gold Coast: trees and vegetation on private land
Protected vegetation categories, property-specific exemptions, the self-assessment checklist and limits for body corporate land.
- QBCC: quotes, contracts and variations
Quote acceptance, full costs, written domestic building contracts over $3,300 and variation documentation; published 23 September 2025.
