FAQs
Garden design and landscaping FAQs

We work across Melbourne, with many projects in the inner north and eastern suburbs (Balwyn, Camberwell, Hawthorn, Ivanhoe, Kew, Northcote, Preston, Richmond, and Surrey Hills). If you’re unsure, send your suburb and a brief description of your project. We’ll let you know if we’re a good fit.

We don’t provide fixed quotes, only detailed written estimates after I’ve completed an initial site visit. Here’s our process:

1. Initial site visit: We’ll come to your property to measure up and assess access, soil conditions, drainage, and anything else that could affect the job. If required, we'll suggest a service location plan to confirm the location of underground services (gas, sewer, and stormwater) before work starts.

2. Transparent estimate: You’ll get a detailed breakdown of labour (hourly rate, no padding) and materials (at our cost, with trade discounts passed to you). We’ll also note any assumptions or site variables that may affect cost.

3. No surprises: If we find extra work or you want changes, we’ll talk to you before doing anything. If the job takes less time or costs less, you save.

No, and here’s why: 90% of the time, what clients think is a simple job (e.g., ‘just a new path’) involves unseen complexities (e.g. poor drainage, unstable base or council restrictions). We’d rather be upfront than give a misleading ‘ballpark’ that changes later.

Yes, but we need to know your budget upfront. This helps Nick prioritise essentials and recommend staging if needed, so the result still feels cohesive.

Yes, it’s a big part of our work. Retrofitting might include reworking levels, replacing failing retaining walls, updating paving, improving drainage, refreshing planting, or adding lighting and irrigation where appropriate.

We’ll flag likely requirements (e.g., retaining wall heights, drainage, easements) and guide you on what to check. Final approvals are your responsibility, but Nick will make sure the process is as smooth as possible.

1. Initial chat (phone or email) to discuss your goals.

2. Free Site Visit to measure up and assess your site. If a formal design is needed, he’ll recommend it at this point.

3. Concept + scope developed into a clear, build-ready plan.

4. Estimate and scheduling, you’ll know exactly what’s included before we start.

5. Construction and finishing, managed end-to-end by Nick.

Often, yes. We plan carefully to protect mature trees and retain what’s worth keeping, and we’ll be upfront if constraints limit what’s possible.

Yes, though most clients choose Landscape Design + Build for a consistent finish. If you’re unsure, we’ll advise on the best approach for your project.

We complete all core landscaping work in-house: paving, retaining walls, planting, irrigation, lighting, and small-scale concreting, such as shed bases and footings.

For specialist elements like decking, fencing, exposed aggregate, or large-scale concreting, we ask that you engage your own subcontractors. Nick can recommend trusted specialists, and we'll coordinate with them throughout the project to keep everything running smoothly.

Smaller upgrades may take 1–2 weeks. Larger retrofits can take several weeks depending on weather, access and material lead times. Once the scope is set, we’ll provide a realistic schedule before we begin.

We build year-round. Planting and lawn outcomes are often best when timed to seasonal conditions, so we’ll advise if staging (construction first, planting later) will improve results.