Choose a landscaper for the whole job
In short
Find an Adelaide landscaper by separating garden care, planting and construction in your brief. For building work, check the contracting business's SA licence and who will supervise it. Confirm retaining wall, heritage and protected-tree requirements with the council for your address before excavation begins. Ask each company to quote the same preparation, materials and planting, with a watering plan you can follow after handover.
Step 1
Separate planting from built structures
List what needs doing and what must stay. Ask each business which tasks it handles and whether it brings in other trades. A garden maintenance service and a landscape construction contractor may offer quite different work.
Match the service to your garden
| Your job | Who to approach and what to ask |
|---|---|
| Weeding, mulching, pruning or regular lawn care | A gardener or maintenance service. Specify the tasks and whether you want one visit or ongoing care. |
| New beds, plants and an irrigation layout | A landscaper offering planting and irrigation design. Ask for species, supplied sizes and an establishment watering plan. |
| Retaining walls, paving or other garden construction | A contractor experienced in the proposed structures. Confirm which building licence conditions and approvals apply. |
Step 2
Check the contractor and the building supervisor
In South Australia, businesses that carry out or organise building work for others must hold a building work contractor's licence. All building work must be supervised by a registered building work supervisor. For garden construction, ask the business to explain how its licence covers your particular scope; the word landscaper alone does not establish that.
Use the Consumer and Business Services licence register linked from the SA Government page to check the business named on the quote. Ask who will supervise the work and check the relevant licence or registration conditions. If you are unsure whether a task is building work, confirm with Consumer and Business Services before accepting.
Ask for evidence of relevant insurance and completed projects similar to yours. Speak to a previous customer about how the business handled access, changes and problems after completion.
Step 3
Resolve wall and tree permissions before digging
Contact the council for your address about retaining walls and any heritage or historic-area controls. For example, West Torrens lists a retaining wall holding back more than one metre of ground, a combined wall and fence above 2.1 metres, and heritage, historic-area or designated flood locations as approval triggers. Confirm the requirements for your own site rather than treating wall height as the only test.
PlanSA's regulated and significant tree controls apply where the relevant Planning and Design Code overlay applies. Removal and substantial damage, including damage to roots, require development approval unless an exemption applies. Ask the council about trees affected by excavation or paving, as well as trees you want removed. Mark trees to retain on the plans and ask how their roots will be protected.
Record who will obtain approvals and any engineering needed, and whether those costs are included. Give the contractor copies of approval conditions before work starts.
Step 4
Describe access and the watering you can manage
SA Water recommends native plants, mulch and efficient watering to reduce garden water waste. Ask the landscaper how its plant selection, soil preparation and watering method suit your site. Explain how often you can tend the garden so the design and aftercare instructions fit your routine.
Include photos of the garden and the route for materials and machinery. Measure the narrowest opening and show steps, existing walls and areas where water pools after rain. Ask for a site visit if those details could affect the method or price.
Step 5
Compare the work beneath the finished garden
Compare quotes against the same brief. Look for excavation, soil preparation, paving base, wall drainage, waste removal and named materials. Planting offers should state species, quantities and supplied sizes. Ask what is allowed for and how unexpected ground conditions or extra work will be priced and approved.
Agree payment stages, completion criteria and responsibility for final clean-up in writing. At handover, get the irrigation settings and a plant care plan, including who waters new plants and any written replacement terms. Walk through the finished work with the contractor and record anything still to be completed.
Sources and useful links
Sources checked 7 October 2026
- SA Government: building work contractor's licence
Building contractor licensing, registered supervision and access to the CBS licence register; updated 14 September 2026.
- West Torrens: fences and retaining walls
Wall, combined fence, heritage, historic-area and flood approval triggers. Council example, not an approval decision for every Adelaide address.
- PlanSA: significant and regulated trees
Where tree controls apply, tree-damaging activities including root damage, and the need to check exemptions with council.
- SA Water: water-wise garden tips
Native planting, mulching and efficient watering advice published 23 December 2024; not a forecast or a watering restriction notice.
