From a yard idea to a clear landscaping agreement
In short
Find a Brisbane landscaper by describing the work and the site together. Planting a garden, paving a path and rebuilding a retaining wall need different experience and checks. For construction, confirm that the contracting business's QBCC licence covers the proposed work. Check retaining-wall and protected-tree requirements for your address before settling the design, then compare written offers that explain preparation, drainage, access and aftercare.
Step 1
Choose the kind of landscaping help you need
Explain what you want to use the yard for and list the tasks involved. For example, making room for an outdoor table might involve paving, garden-bed changes and a new level area. Ask each company which parts it handles and whether design, construction and ongoing maintenance are separate services.
Match the company to the work
| Your project | What to ask the company |
|---|---|
| Refresh beds, plant shrubs, lay turf or maintain the garden | Does it offer the planting or maintenance tasks you need, and can it explain soil preparation and care after the job? |
| Build paving, steps, decking or retaining structures | Has it completed comparable construction, and does its licence cover each part of the proposed work? |
| Redesign a sloping yard or work around established trees | Who prepares the plans and assesses levels, drainage, tree protection and any engineering needed? |
Step 2
Check the licence against the actual structures
The Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) defines the work each licence class allows. Its structural landscaping trade class includes landscape drainage and paving or concrete that is not intended for vehicles. Its retaining-wall scope is limited to walls that do not require engineering certification under a local law. A structural landscaping licence therefore needs a closer check for an engineered wall or driveway.
Ask for the business name and licence number and check the QBCC licensee register. Match the holder to the business quoting and ask QBCC if the scope is unclear. Identify who will contract for any work outside that scope. Ask for current insurance evidence and examples of projects with similar levels and access, with a reference you can contact.
Step 3
Resolve wall approvals before committing to the design
For a property in Brisbane City Council's area, check its City Plan zones and overlays. Council says planning approval is generally unnecessary where a wall supports filling or excavation of less than one metre, but overlays, neighbourhood plans and other site circumstances can change this. Properties in neighbouring council areas need their own council's advice.
Building approval has a separate test. Brisbane's listed exemption conditions require no surcharge loading in the wall's zone of influence, a total wall and retained fill or cut height no more than one metre above natural ground, at least 1.5 metres from a building or another retaining wall, and no role as pool fencing. Surcharge loading means extra load affecting the wall, which needs assessment for the site. Height alone does not settle the question.
Have a licensed building certifier confirm the building approval requirements where needed. Record who will arrange plans, engineering and approvals, and whether their fees are included in the offer.
Step 4
Check tree protection before clearing or excavating
Brisbane protects some vegetation under its Natural Assets Local Law. Being on your own property does not automatically allow you to prune or remove a protected tree. Confirm whether protection and a permit apply before including tree work in the job.
Construction can also affect a tree you intend to keep. Council's listed exemptions do not cover building within the root zone of a significant landscape tree or construction next to or beneath protected vegetation's canopy. Ask whether an arborist assessment is needed for proposed excavation, paving or walls near those trees. Mark trees to retain and any approved protection measures on the site plan.
Step 5
Give companies a brief they can assess on site
Photograph the whole yard, the route from the street and the areas you want changed. Include where water collects after rain and where it appears to flow. Describe what you have observed so the contractor can assess the cause and propose drainage work.
On a sloping Brisbane block, show steps, level changes and the route for machinery and materials. Measure the narrowest gate or passage and explain parking, unloading and storage space. A site visit may be needed to confirm quantities and the method of work before a firm quote.
Step 6
Compare the full job and agree how changes will work
Give each company the same brief. Compare excavation and spoil removal, soil and paving preparation, drainage, named materials, plant sizes and quantities, and clean-up. Ask which items are allowances, meaning amounts set aside for costs that are not yet fixed. Have exclusions explained before choosing an offer.
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 when verbal. Domestic building contracts over $3,300 must be written, dated and signed by all parties. Confirm the contract requirements for your construction scope before accepting.
Agree how unexpected ground conditions or design changes will be priced and approved. QBCC requires written variation details before variation work starts; these should explain the changed work, costs and delays. At handover, walk through the finished job and obtain 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
Permitted work, including non-vehicular paving and the limitation on retaining walls requiring engineering certification under a local law.
- Brisbane City Council: retaining-wall approvals
Separate planning and building approval conditions, site overlays and the role of licensed building certifiers in Brisbane's council area.
- Brisbane City Council: protected vegetation permits
Permissions for protected vegetation and limits on exemptions for construction near canopies and significant landscape tree root zones.
- QBCC: quotes, contracts and variations
Quote acceptance, disclosed costs, written domestic building contracts over $3,300 and documenting variations; published 23 September 2025.
