Paving
Plan the base and water movement before choosing colour and pattern.
Start with the service that fits the project
Landscape Design & Construction
Turn priorities, levels and maintenance capacity into one buildable scope.
Gardens & Turf
Match plants and lawn to light, water, soil and maintenance conditions.
Landscape Drainage & Earthworks
Understand where water comes from and where it may lawfully go.
Landscaping Cost Guide
Break a landscape into measurable work packages.
Flood-Aware Landscaping
Ask the overlay and water-movement questions before reshaping a site.
Built for the local decision
Bundaberg Region details that can change the work
Bundaberg’s current planning scheme includes flood and other hazard overlays. Filling, retaining, earthworks and drainage changes can affect water movement, so property overlays and lawful discharge need checking before levels are altered.
How the referral works
- Describe the job. Include location, approximate size, existing condition and intended outcome.
- Your request is reviewed. It may be referred to a relevant provider servicing the area.
- The provider handles the quote. They confirm inspection, credentials, scope, timing, price and contract.
This website does not claim to be the trade contractor and does not guarantee provider availability.
Information checked 12 October 2026. Rules and published guides can change. Confirm the proposed work with the responsible provider and the relevant authority before starting.
Plan a Bundaberg landscape around how you use the yard
Begin with the yard’s job rather than a shopping list of plants and pavers. An entertaining area needs usable space and access from the house. A lawn and garden renewal needs a plan for maintenance and establishment. An access or drainage problem needs the existing levels understood before surface finishes are selected. These are planning examples, not promises about what any provider will build.
Mark the parts of the yard you want to keep, the routes people use and the areas that stay wet after rain. Record shade, sun exposure, children or pets, delivery access and the time you want to spend maintaining the result. Compare priorities before committing the whole budget to a single feature.
The landscape design and construction scope is the place for the overall layout. The garden and turf decisions cover planting and lawn choices. Council’s native-plant information is a useful local starting point, but plant suitability still depends on the site. Check relevant vegetation protections before assuming existing plants can be cleared.
Levels and water movement come before the finish
A photograph of the yard does not establish where water may go. Record downpipes, pits, low points, easements and the routes water takes through the property. Ask how the proposed paving, garden edging, retaining structures or filling will affect those routes. A low area may need investigation rather than simply being filled.
Bundaberg Council’s stormwater guidance distinguishes natural overland flow from flow that property changes increase or concentrate. Ask the provider how the design manages runoff and identifies an appropriate discharge route. Surface levels, drainage and the work on neighbouring boundaries should be considered together.
Council provides declared flood-hazard mapping and interactive maps through its planning scheme and policies. Check the actual lot and relevant controls before changing ground levels. Mapping is a property check, not a statement that all Bundaberg yards flood. Use the Bundaberg flood-mapping and landscaping checklist for the detailed questions, and the landscape drainage and earthworks guide when water or levels lead the project.
Check the provider’s licence for structural work
Describe structures and their intended use clearly. Retaining work, pedestrian paving and vehicle access are not interchangeable descriptions of landscaping. QBCC’s structural landscaping trade scope includes specified landscaping structures and paving or concrete not intended to carry vehicular traffic. Do not assume that licence class authorises a vehicle driveway.
QBCC says building work valued over $3,300 generally requires the relevant contractor licence, with exemptions and additional rules for some occupational work. That is not a blanket licensing rule for routine garden maintenance. Ask the contracting provider to explain the licence class and responsibilities that apply to your particular scope. The referral website does not hold itself out as the licensed contractor.
Compare landscaping quotes by work package
Use the same measured areas and priority list for each quote. Ask which items are fixed, which are allowances, and which depend on further design or site investigation. If the project will be staged, agree the overall levels and drainage plan before treating each stage as a separate decorative improvement.
| Work package | What to compare | Provider answer to request |
|---|---|---|
| Design and set-out | Plan, measured areas, priorities and finished levels | Who prepares the layout and confirms it before work? |
| Site preparation | Access, clearing, excavation and spoil | What is included and what findings change the quote? |
| Water and earthworks | Existing flow paths, proposed drainage and retaining | Who checks the outlet, overlays and approval needs? |
| Paving | Area, base, edges, finish and interfaces | What preparation and drainage does the paving include? |
| Gardens | Soil preparation, plant schedule, mulch and maintenance | How do selections match the actual light and site conditions? |
| Turf | Ground preparation, lawn choice and establishment | Who explains watering and care after laying? |
| Irrigation | Proposed system and service connections | Who confirms regulated work and commissioning? |
| Completion | Disposal, protection, handover and exclusions | What is left for the owner or another contractor? |
For a hard-surface project, compare paving base and finish choices before comparing colours. Use the landscaping cost breakdown to organise the quote. A lower total is useful only when it covers the work you actually need, including establishment and completion.
Landscaping quote questions
What can I include in a landscaping quote request?
Describe the yard, desired use, paving or garden areas, levels, water movement, access and maintenance priorities. The responding provider confirms what can be included.
Can paving or filling change my drainage responsibilities?
Yes, property changes can increase or concentrate runoff. Bundaberg Council’s guidance distinguishes natural flow from nuisance caused by changes; ask how the proposed work maintains an appropriate drainage route.
Should I check the flood map before landscaping?
Check the actual property and relevant overlays before changing levels. The council provides declared flood-hazard and interactive mapping; this does not mean every lot is flood affected.
Can any landscaper build a vehicle driveway?
Do not assume that. QBCC’s structural landscaping trade scope covers paving and concrete not intended for vehicles. The contractor should confirm the licence appropriate to the proposed work.
How should I compare two landscaping quotes?
Compare the same measured areas, base preparation, drainage, products, disposal, establishment work and exclusions rather than only the total price.
Does this website employ the landscaping crew?
No. It is a referral service. A responding independent provider confirms availability, credentials, scope, quotation and contract.