How much does landscaping cost in Geelong?
Geelong is a city of standalone houses: 86.7% of its dwellings are separate homes and only 2.4% are flats (ABS 2021 Census), so a typical landscaping job here covers a front yard as well as the back garden. A landscaper's labour costs $51–$100 an hour. Freshening an existing backyard with turf, beds and some hard surfaces is $4,650–$13,950, typically $9,300, and fitting out a newly built home from bare soil comes to $13,950–$55,800. Where your project lands depends on how much paving, walling and decking it carries, since those are priced per square metre. All prices include GST.
Comparing cities, or after the Australia-wide picture? See the national guide: Landscaping cost in Australia.
Detailed Pricing — Landscaping Cost in Geelong 2026
| Service | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaper (hourly rate) | $51/hr | $74 | $100 |
| Garden design / plan | $745per plan | $1,850 | $4,650 |
| Natural turf — supply & lay | $14/sqm | $26 | $37 |
| Synthetic turf — supply & install | $46/sqm | $70 | $110 |
| Retaining wall (timber sleeper) | $140/sqm | $280 | $465 |
| Retaining wall (concrete sleeper) | $230/sqm | $420 | $650 |
| Garden bed, new (soil prep, edging, plants + mulch) | $46/sqm | $93 | $165 |
| Irrigation system (automatic, multi-zone, front & back) | $2,325total | $3,725 | $5,600 |
| Paving / pavers | $56/sqm | $93 | $150 |
| Decking (hardwood) | $280/sqm | $465 | $560 |
| Basic backyard makeover | $4,650total | $9,300 | $13,950 |
| Full landscape (new home) | $13,950total | $37,200 | $55,800 |
| Irrigation — drip system, single zone for garden beds (incl. tap timer) | $745total | $1,300 | $2,050 |
| Bobcat or mini excavator with operator (per hour) | $84/hr | $100 | $150 |
| Green waste removal (one trailer or ute load) | $110total | $175 | $300 |
| Mulch, supplied and spread (per sqm, about 75 mm) | $7/sqm | $13 | $22 |
| Garden soil / topsoil, supplied and delivered (per cubic metre) | $65per cubic metre | $93 | $140 |
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Get Geelong quotes →Prices include GST. Based on Geelong metro area, October 2026. Outer suburbs may vary.
What Affects Landscaping Costs in Geelong
A dry city for lawns
The Breakwater gauge collects just 510.3 mm of rain in an average year, with March the driest month at 24.2 mm (BOM averages). New turf, supplied and laid for $14–$37 per square metre, needs steady watering for its first weeks, which is hard going through a dry late summer. Synthetic grass costs more to put down, $46–$110, but needs no water once it is in.
Barwon Water's garden rules
Victoria's Permanent Water Saving Rules apply in Geelong every day of the year through Barwon Water. An automatic watering system may run only between 6pm and 10am, a hand-held hose, watering can or bucket can be used at any hour, and hoses need a trigger nozzle and no leaks. One drip zone for beds costs $745–$2,050, and a full front-and-back system $2,325–$5,600.
Walls under a metre
Victoria exempts a retaining wall from a building permit only when it stands less than 1 m high and is not tied to other building work or to holding up a neighbour's land. Expect $140–$465 per square metre of wall for timber sleepers and $230–$650 for concrete ones. For a taller wall, or one on a boundary, allow for engineering and a building permit in the budget.
Front yards and hard surfaces
Square metre for square metre, hard surfaces cost more than lawn: pavers run $56–$150 and hardwood decking $280–$560, against $14–$37 for turf. Once a path or driveway is finished, Barwon Water's rules bar washing it with water except to deal with a hazard, staining or construction work, and then a high-pressure cleaner must be used if one is available.
Canopy trees and permits
In Geelong's residential zones a planning permit is needed to remove, destroy or lop a canopy tree, meaning one at least 5 metres tall with a canopy averaging at least 4 metres across. That permit does not apply on a site that already has a dwelling, unless the tree is a boundary canopy tree, and some properties carry their own planning-scheme tree controls, so check with the City of Greater Geelong before clearing.
Registration on bigger jobs
Consumer Affairs Victoria lists landscaping among the home projects where you should check credentials and use tradespeople who give written quotes. A builder or tradesperson doing work worth more than $10,000 must be registered with the Building and Plumbing Commission, and a new-home package at $37,200 is well past that line, so ask whose registration covers the walls, decks and paving.
Mulch, soil and a plan
In a city this dry, mulch earns its place: spread about 75 mm deep it costs $7–$22 a square metre and slows evaporation from the beds. Topsoil delivered is $65–$140 a cubic metre. On a bare new-estate block, a drawn plan at $745–$4,650 settles levels and drainage before any soil is ordered.
How to Save Money on Landscaping Cost in Geelong
Frequently Asked Questions — Landscaping Cost in Geelong
Our Methodology
These are independent estimates from public cost guides, marketplaces and industry rate data, and no tradesperson can influence them, so always get a few quotes. Last reviewed October 2026. Read our full methodology →