How it works
A minute on the form. No account and no call centre.
Your request goes to a landscaper who works your part of the City of Melton.
The quote is free and you are under no obligation. You deal with the landscaper directly.
Two kinds of landscaping, and why the difference matters
Landscaping covers two jobs that the law treats differently. Soft landscaping is planting, turf, garden beds, mulch and maintenance. In Victoria none of that is registered building work. Structural landscaping is retaining walls, paving, decks, pergolas, steps, fences and outdoor structures. That is building work. Under a domestic building contract worth more than $10,000 it has to be carried out by a practitioner registered with the Building and Plumbing Commission, and some structures need a building permit as well.
So a quote for a whole yard is worth reading closely. Ask which parts are structural, who on the job is registered, and whether anything needs a permit. Victoria has no separate landscaping licence, so the question is about building registration, not a landscaping ticket.
Three parts of the City of Melton, three kinds of yard
- The western growth front. Cobblebank, Strathtulloh, Weir Views, Thornhill Park, Aintree, Fraser Rise, Rockbank and Harkness, plus newer estates filling in nearby at places such as Deanside and Plumpton. Mostly bare yards after handover: turf, garden beds, paths, a patio and often a low wall where the lot has been cut.
- The eastern suburbs. Caroline Springs, Taylors Hill, Hillside, Burnside and Burnside Heights, built from the late 1990s on. First-generation gardens that are now twenty-odd years old, timber walls and decks reaching the end of their life, and outdoor living upgrades.
- The Melton township and the acreage. Melton, Melton West, Melton South, Kurunjang and Brookfield grew from the late 1960s, so many yards are established, with old paving and mature trees. Out at Toolern Vale, Diggers Rest and Eynesbury the blocks are bigger and the jobs are bigger with them.
Ground in this part of Melbourne
The City of Melton sits on the basalt and alluvial plains of Melbourne's west, cut by the Toolern and other creeks running to the Werribee River. Engineers who have studied the basalt clays found north and west of Melbourne describe their seasonal shrinking and swelling as a cause of damage to light structures and buried services. Retaining walls, paving bases and deck footings are exactly that kind of structure, so drainage and footing design decide how long they last. Soil is assessed block by block, so be wary of any quote that assumes one soil type for a whole suburb.
Guide prices
Published 2026 national guides, converted to ex GST, put natural turf at about $14 to $36 per square metre laid, paving at about $55 to $145 per square metre and a basic backyard makeover at about $4,550 to $13,650. They are not quotes from City of Melton landscapers. The cost guide covers the rest and what moves the number.
Before anyone digs
Any job that involves digging should start with a free Before You Dig Australia (BYDA) enquiry to locate underground services. Check with your council before removing or heavily pruning a tree. If your property has a pool, ask for anything near the pool barrier to be checked against Victoria's barrier rules.
What this site is
Melton Landscaping is a referral service, not a landscaping business. You fill in one form, and a local landscaper who works your suburb contacts you to quote. Check their registration and insurance where the job needs it, and ask whether anything needs a building permit, before you sign.