Buying guide
The 10 best landscapers in Auckland (according to online reviews)
The people you need to get the garden looking lush
Got some landscaping in Auckland to do? We’ve ranked the best landscapers in the city based on Google reviews - and shared a few tips to help you find the best person for the job.
How to hire a great landscaper
First - make sure they have the right skills and experience
The most important bit when hiring a landscaper is to make sure they’ve got the right skills for the job. But the problem is, every landscaper has a different area of expertise - some may do all of the below services, while others may only be able to provide one or two:
Lawn and garden maintenance: mowing lawns, pruning trees, hedge trimming, pulling weeds, general tidy ups etc.
Lawn care: hydroseeding, turf installation, lawn rehabilitation etc.
Landscape design: creating a plan for your outdoor space, including the design of hardscaping and landscaping elements, plant selection and placement.
Landscape gardening: planting, irrigation, prepping for hardscaping.
Hardscaping: building of outdoor structures like patios, decks, paths, and retaining walls.
The trick to choosing the right person is ensuring they specialise in the type of work they’re going to be doing at your place, and that they’ve done plenty of it in the past.
Ask for references
Don’t be afraid to ask for references and for examples of their work before hiring a landscaper. More established businesses will have images of their work on their website and plenty of online reviews, which is a great start, but it can also be handy to have a quick chat with a couple of people they’ve worked for in the past (and maybe even see their work in person).
Check insurance
Landscapers should have public liability insurance to cover costs if they damage property, or accidentally injure someone while working. Ask your landscaper about this, and avoid them if they don’t have it.
A good landscaper can turn unused space into something wonderful.
How much should landscaping cost?
This is a bit of a 'how long is a piece of string' situation. The cost of your landscaping will depend on your property’s location, the size of your garden, the work you want done, the plants and materials you use, and if you need any site preparation done (such as leveling or excavating). It will also depend on who you hire and what they charge.
To give you an idea, here are some indications:
For general garden maintenance and tidy ups expect to pay $40 to $60+ an hour.
Landscape designers charge by the hour, by the project, or as a percentage of total project cost. Prices usually start at or around $100 to $150 an hour, $1,500+ for basic designs for a small garden, and $5,000+ for large complex spaces.
Landscape gardeners charge around $50 to $100 an hour. Those who are able to offer hardscaping or specialist services may charge near the top of that range, or higher.
Building a deck* costs around $300-$400 a sqm for the most basic pine deck, and up to $1,000+ for something more elaborate with premium hardwood.
Paving costs* around $150 to $400 a sqm for materials, plus extra for labour.
Fencing can cost* anywhere from $50 to $300+ per linear metre, depending on the type you install.
Timber retaining walls* typically cost somewhere around $250 to $400 per linear metre for a one metre high, basic wall.
Ready lawn* costs up to $40 per sqm for material and installation.
Total cost: there’s a rule of thumb that says it’s sensible to spend 10% of your house value on your landscaping, but when houses regularly cost over $1 million that number can start to seem a little excessive.
The best way to get a handle on costs is to figure out what you want done, get 2-3 quotes back, then decide what’s possible with your budget.
*Project costs are sourced from Garden Scape’s excellent NZ landscaping cost guide.
Sometimes the simplest gardens are the best ones.
Tips to save on landscaping
Get quotes not an estimate
Quotes and estimates sound like the same thing, but they’re not. Quotes are fixed - they’re an agreement to provide specified services, materials and/or end results, for a certain price. Estimates are educated guesses - they’re saying we think it’s going to cost this much, but that could change when we’re on the job.
Estimates can be risky and often the real cost ends up higher, so it’s always best to get a fixed price quote - and to make sure everything you need done is included in one price.
Shop around
Don’t just get one quote - get at least three - especially if it’s a big job. This will help weed out landscapers who overcharge, and give you a chance to meet a few providers and choose your favourite.
DIY
If you want to save a little money and don’t mind hard work, doing it yourself could be a good idea. The trick to getting DIY right is knowing the limits of your ability and not biting off more than you can chew time wise.
For example, if you’re not sure if you can build a deck and you’ve never done it before it may be best left to the pros. Something more simple like a schist path set into pebbles, or doing site levelling for someone else to build a deck may be more realistic.
Three hot tips before you hire
1. Hire based on experience, and reviews - not price
Don’t go for the cheapest quote by default; price matters but within reason experience and good reviews matter more. Sometimes paying a little more for the landscaper with more experience means the job gets done once and right, without the need for costly fixes.
2. Write everything down and ask your contractor to confirm
Write everything that you agree on down in a text or email and get your contractor to agree in writing. If it’s a big job, it’s a good idea to get a lawyer to help you prepare a detailed contract and get the landscaper to sign it. Doing this ensures you’re both on the same page before work starts, and helps avoid disputes if something goes wrong.
3. Look for someone who’s passionate
When you chat to a few landscapers you’ll get a feel for how they feel about what they do. The landscapers who you really want to hire are the ones who seem to care - they might get excited about the potential of your space, maybe they’ll come up with ideas on the spot. These guys are the ones who’ll go above and beyond to deliver.
Landscapers can help set your garden up to be as productive as possible.
The best landscapers in Auckland - ranked
1.Mabey Mows Landscaping 5.0 / 64 reviews
Mabey Mows is a full service landscaping company that provides everything from turf installation, and mowing, to planting plans, garden design, paths and pavers, and maintenance. They have 64 perfect reviews, with customers praising their fast service, great design ideas, and fair pricing.
2. Visionary Outdoor Solutions 5.0 / 63 reviews
Visionary Outdoor Solutions can do just about anything in your garden and if their reviews are anything to go by, they’re pretty handy. Their services include landscape design, hardscaping, irrigation, planting, maintenance, decking, fences, irrigation, pool installation, custom pergolas and more.
3. Busy Lizzy Gardens 5.0 / 50 reviews
Busy Lizzy are another Auckland landscaping company that can do just about anything, including building, arborism, concept designs, and more. Reviews say the eponymous Liz is a pleasure to work with, that end results are incredible, and the team are passionate about what they do.
4. Landscaping North Shore 5.0 / 36 reviews
The Landscaping North Shore website was down at the time of writing, but their reviews speak for themselves. 36 perfect 5s from customers praising their personable approach, passion for their work, excellent communication and attention to detail.
5. Rothsays Garden Landscaping - 5.0 / 32 reviews
Rothsays are another business that do just about everything, including landscaping, hardscaping, design, and even commercial grounds maintenance. They’re also family owned and have several perfect reviews, including one from a retired landscaper who said the quality on the job was amazing.
6. Pristine Gardens 5.0 / 30 reviews
Pristine are a full service landscaping, maintenance and landscape design company, who service most of Auckland. Their focus is mainly on maintenance, but their 30 5 star reviews are proof that they’re just as good at soft and hard landscaping work.
7. Parrot Landscaping - 4.9 / 78 reviews
Parrot Landscaping offers an end-to-end landscaping service that covers almost anything outdoors - from pools, decks, design, and retaining walls, to driveways, lighting, spas, and excavation. Their reviews are near perfect - with only two that aren’t five stars, from two people they apparently didn’t work with.
8. Garden Solutions Landscaping 4.9 / 51 reviews
Garden Solutions operate Auckland wide and do just about everything, including planting, and hardscaping. They also offer a few services that many don’t including stump grinding, and waterblasting.
City Botanics 4.9 / 48 reviews
City Botanics are a little different from most of the companies on this list, as their focus is on small green spaces for urban dwellers. They offer a fully online, quick, and easy consultation service with plans starting from as low as $495 - then coordinate all works to deliver a big garden in your small space.
Feature Landscapes 4.9 / 44 reviews
Feature specialise in high end homes and public spaces, and they do a bit of everything - design, pools, landscaping, gardens, and project management. Their reviews are great, but where they really stand out is their project galleries - check these beauties out.
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