Complete Landscaping for Christchurch and Selwyn Sections
From bare dirt to a finished garden, our complete landscaping service handles design, retaining, paving, planting and lawn as one coordinated build.
10+ years
A decade of landscaping and groundwork across Christchurch and Canterbury.
Fully insured
Every job is covered, so there are no surprises on your section.
Site Wise Green
Site Wise Green rated for health, safety and site management.
Free quotes
Brett walks your site, talks it through and quotes it — at no cost.
New-build sections across Christchurch and Selwyn are often handed over as flat, bare dirt with a driveway and not much else. Turning that into a finished garden usually means coordinating several trades: excavation, retaining, drainage, paving, decking, planting and lawn. Our complete landscaping service brings all of that under one roof, so you're dealing with one crew and one point of contact from start to finish.
Because we run this as a full build rather than a series of separate jobs, we can sequence the work properly. Drainage and retaining go in before paving, soil is prepared properly before planting, and levels are checked at every stage rather than assumed. That coordination is what usually separates a garden that holds up over years from one that needs constant patching.
We work with your budget and priorities to decide what gets built now and what can be staged for later, which is a common and sensible approach on a new build where the driveway and section fencing might come first.
Why homeowners choose us for this
One crew, start to finish
No juggling separate contractors for excavation, paving and planting. We manage the whole build so nothing falls through the gaps between trades.
Correct sequencing
Drainage, retaining and levels are sorted before paving or lawn goes down, which avoids the common problem of redoing work because the groundwork was rushed.
Backed by drainage expertise
Through our sister company Pipe Dreams Drainage & Excavation, we bring genuine drainage and earthworks knowledge to every complete landscaping project.
Staged to suit your budget
We can plan a full landscape now or stage it over a year or two, prioritising what matters most first without compromising the overall design.
Why sequencing matters on Canterbury sections
Christchurch and Selwyn soils vary from compacted clay fill to loose gravels, and a lot of new-build sections have been disturbed by construction traffic before landscaping even starts. Getting the groundwork right first, including subsoil drainage and correct falls, matters more here than in many other parts of the country.
We've seen plenty of gardens where paving or lawn was laid before drainage was properly considered, leading to ponding after Canterbury's heavier rain events or a slow, soggy lawn all winter. Complete landscaping done properly avoids this by treating drainage as a structural part of the build, not a finishing touch.
What's typically included
A complete landscaping project can bring together several elements depending on your section and brief. We scope each job individually rather than offering a one-size-fits-all package, because a compact Selwyn townhouse section needs a very different approach to a larger Christchurch hill suburb property.
- Excavation, grading and site preparation
- Retaining walls and drainage
- Paving, paths and driveway edging
- Decking and outdoor living areas
- Planting, garden beds and lawn or turf
Talking about cost honestly
Complete landscaping costs vary enormously depending on section size, slope, soil and the finish level you want, so we'd rather scope your job properly than throw out a number that means nothing. What we can say is that our basic site grading service starts from $1,100 including GST, and a full quote for the complete job will break down each stage clearly so you can see where the budget is going.
If money is tight, staging the project is often the smart move. We'll help you sequence the build so the essentials, like drainage and access, are sorted first, with paving, decking or planting following in later stages as budget allows.
How the job runs
- Step 01
Site assessment
We look at existing levels, soil, drainage and access before anything is quoted, since new-build sections vary a lot even in the same street.
- Step 02
Design and quote
We put together a plan and a clear scope of works, so you know what's included and what order things will happen in.
- Step 03
Groundwork and structure
Excavation, drainage, retaining walls and any hard landscaping structures go in first, forming the skeleton of the finished garden.
- Step 04
Surfaces and planting
Paving, decking, lawn and planting are completed once the groundwork is proven, finishing the space to the agreed design.
- Step 05
Final walkthrough
We walk the finished section with you, checking drainage, tidy edges and plant establishment before calling the job complete.
Questions
Complete Landscaping FAQs
- Do you handle everything from bare dirt to a finished garden?
- Yes, that's exactly what complete landscaping means for us. We coordinate excavation, drainage, retaining, paving, decking, planting and lawn as one project, rather than leaving you to manage separate trades.
- Can I stage the work over a few years?
- Definitely. Many clients start with grading, drainage and a driveway, then add paving, decking or planting later. We plan the whole layout up front so later stages fit in properly.
- How long does a complete landscaping project take?
- It depends heavily on section size and scope. Smaller sections might take a few weeks, while larger complete builds with retaining and decking can take considerably longer. We'll give you a realistic timeframe once we've scoped the job.
- Do you work on established gardens too, or only new builds?
- Both. Complete landscaping suits new-build sections particularly well, but we also take on full garden overhauls for established Christchurch properties that need a fresh start.
- What if my section has drainage problems already?
- That's a good reason to get us involved early. With Pipe Dreams Drainage & Excavation as our sister company, we can properly diagnose and fix drainage issues as part of the wider landscaping build.
Free quote
Tell us about your project
Send a few details and Brett will be in touch to arrange a site visit anywhere in Christchurch, Selwyn or wider Canterbury.