Hardscape and softscape kept as separate packages, with retaining walls, decking, paving, soil volumes, turf, planting and irrigation each measured and rated on their own terms.
A landscape package can contain excavation, retaining walls, concrete, paving, carpentry, planting and irrigation. Priced as one lump sum it is almost impossible to check, and it is where the largest variations on a residential job tend to come from.
We break the package into its component scopes and measure each on its own terms — walls by face area and height, decking by area and joist centres, soil by volume, planting by count and pot size. Then you can see which part of the job is carrying the risk.
Hardscape first: retaining walls by face area with the height bands separated, because block type, footing and any engineering requirement all change above certain heights. Paving, concrete and edging by area and by metre, decking by area with the joist and bearer layout counted, and screens or fencing by the metre and by height.
Earthworks next: cut and fill volumes from the existing and finished levels, excavation for walls and footings, spoil disposal by volume, and imported fill or road base by compacted volume with a compaction allowance.
Softscape last: topsoil and mulch by volume at the specified depths, turf by area with the roll or pallet count, plants counted individually by species and pot size, staking and tree pits by count, and irrigation by zone with the dripline, spray heads, valves and controller quantified.
Nothing here is an allowance. Each line is measured off your drawings in its own unit, so you can check it against the plan yourself.
| Item | How it is measured | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Retaining walls | Face area by height band, with footings and drainage | Above certain heights engineering and footings change entirely |
| Excavation and fill | Cut and fill volumes from existing and finished levels | Level changes are the biggest cost driver on a sloping site |
| Spoil disposal | Volume with cartage and tip fees | Cartage is charged by load and is frequently underestimated |
| Paving and concrete | Area by type, with base and bedding volumes | Base volume is the item most often left short |
| Decking | Area with joist and bearer layout, plus fixings | Joist centres and board width change the framing quantity |
| Topsoil and mulch | Volume at specified depths by bed area | A 25mm depth error across large beds is many cubic metres |
| Turf | Area converted to rolls or pallets, plus underlay | Turf is bought by the roll or pallet, and it is perishable |
| Planting | Counted by species and pot size, plus staking | Pot size changes the unit price by an order of magnitude |
| Irrigation | By zone — dripline, spray, valves, controller | Zoning follows plant type and pressure, not just area |
| Wall height | What changes | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Under 500mm | Garden edging or single course | Often no footing beyond compacted base |
| 500mm – 1m | Block wall with footing and drainage | Drainage and backfill become essential |
| 1m – 1.5m | Engineered footing, reinforcement | Engineering commonly required |
| Over 1.5m | Full engineering design, possible surcharge | Approvals and certification likely |
| Any height with surcharge | Design for the load above | A driveway or structure above changes the design |
| Tiered walls | Each wall designed for its own condition | Spacing between tiers governs |
On a sloping site the level changes decide the cost, not the planting. Every step, wall and terrace comes out of the difference between the existing surface and the finished design, and that difference is only visible if the plan carries both sets of levels.
Where levels are missing from the landscape plan we say so and state the level assumptions we worked to. It is the single most valuable thing to nail down before pricing, because a 300mm level change across a back yard can be a whole extra retaining wall.
The same five steps on every job, whether it is a single slab or a full tender package.
Email the architectural and structural drawings, the specification and the scope of works in whatever format you have — PDF, DWG, or photos of a marked-up set. If something is missing we will tell you before we start, not after.
Hardscape first: retaining walls by face area with the height bands separated, because block type, footing and any engineering requirement all change above certain heights. Paving, concrete and edging by area and by metre, decking by area with the joist and bearer layout counted, and screens or fencing by the metre and by height.
Every measured item gets its own colour and legend entry on the drawing. When the takeoff comes back you can see exactly what was counted and what was not, so you are never asked to trust a number you cannot trace. This is the part clients tell us they did not know they needed until they had it.
The takeoff is delivered as a working spreadsheet, not a locked PDF. Your rates sit in their own column, so you can change a supply price or a labour rate and watch the total move. Plug in your own numbers and the sheet is yours to reuse on the next job.
Quantities are re-measured independently and cross-checked against the drawing before anything leaves here. You get the marked-up plans, the priced spreadsheet and a plain-English note on anything we flagged as unclear or excluded.
The takeoff arrives as a live Excel spreadsheet with the colour-coded marked-up plans beside it. Your rates go in your own column, so you can plug in your own supply and labour numbers and reuse the sheet on the next job. Nothing is locked.
First estimate free. After that the fee is confirmed in writing as a fixed amount before any work starts. No retainer, no subscription, no lock-in contract. Full pricing detail here →
Turf variety, plant species and irrigation design all change with the climate, and so do the prices. A plant schedule written for Brisbane priced against Melbourne supply rates will not hold.
We price against the plant schedule you are given and note where a species or turf variety may not be readily available in the job's region, so you can substitute before you commit rather than after you have won the job.
Quantities are measured against the standards and the specification for your job. Where a drawing and a standard disagree, we flag it rather than quietly picking one.
| Standard | Covers | Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| AS 4419 | Soils for landscaping and garden use | Topsoil and growing media specification |
| AS 2870 | Residential slabs and footings | Site classification and footing design |
| AS 4373 | Pruning of amenity trees | Existing tree works and protection |
None of these are unusual. They are the things that get missed when a quote is put together at 9pm after a full day on the tools.
If your question is not here, email it through and you will get a straight answer, not a sales call.
Yes, always. Retaining walls, paving, decking and concrete are quantified as separate hardscape packages, and soil, turf, planting and irrigation as separate softscape packages, so you can see which part of the job carries the risk.
By face area with the height bands separated, plus footings, drainage and backfill. Above about a metre the wall usually needs engineering and a deeper footing, so keeping the bands apart keeps the pricing honest.
Yes, by bed area at the specified depth, in cubic metres. Depth is where soil estimates go wrong — a 25 millimetre error across large beds is several cubic metres you either paid for or ran short of.
Yes, by species and pot size straight off the plant schedule, plus staking and tree pit works. Pot size changes the unit price dramatically, so a plant count without pot sizes is not much use.
Yes, quantified by zone — dripline and spray by the metre and by head count, plus valves, solenoids and the controller. The zoning is what determines the component count, so it is measured rather than allowed for.
The landscape plan with existing and finished levels, the plant schedule, and any structural details for retaining walls. The levels matter most, since level changes drive most of the cost.
Most residential landscape packages come back within 24 hours of the plans arriving. Large commercial and streetscape packages take longer, and we confirm the timing before starting.
Most jobs cross more than one trade. We can price the whole package in one spreadsheet.
Your first estimate is free. Email the drawings and the scope, and you will have a marked-up takeoff and a priced spreadsheet back within 24 hours on most residential jobs. Prefer to talk first? Reply with "KEEN" and your number.