Landscapers in Australian cities

A designer plans the yard: layout, levels, planting, materials and often a drawn plan you can take to the council or a builder. A landscaper builds it: paving, retaining walls, decking, turf, irrigation and planting. If you only need to build, start with a landscaper. If the layout is the problem, start with a designer. Some companies do both, so ask whether you can take their design elsewhere to be priced.

Often they do. Taller retaining walls, raised decks and pergolas can need council approval or a building permit, and the rules differ by state and council. In some states these structures also fall under a builder or specialist licence once the job passes a set value. Ask the landscaper which licence covers yours and check it with your state regulator.

With care. Garden beds, planters, retaining walls, trees and furniture near a pool barrier can give a child a way to climb over, and can make the barrier fail an inspection. Tell the landscaper where the pool fence is and ask them to check the layout against your state’s barrier rules first. An inspector or certifier decides whether the barrier still complies.

The first questions are whether the surface is slippery when wet and whether it gets painfully hot in summer, then whether the falls drain water away from the pool and the house. Lighter-coloured pavers stay cooler than dark ones. Ask to see a similar finished surround and whether the paving needs sealing.