Start planning the landscape while the house is still under construction. Finished floor levels, drainage points, driveway crossovers and machinery access are all far cheaper to coordinate before the builder finishes than to work around afterwards.
Decisions that are hard to reverse later
- Finished floor and threshold levels, which set the height of terraces and steps
- Stormwater and legal points of discharge
- Driveway and crossover position, width and material
- Boundary fencing, gates and side access width
- Service locations: taps, power, gas and lighting circuits
- Whether machinery can still reach the rear of the block after fencing
New build sites have difficult soil
Construction traffic compacts the ground and leaves builder's fill, rubble and lime-affected soil behind. Turf and planting laid straight onto that will struggle no matter how good the plants are.
Proper decompaction, removal of unsuitable fill and imported soil of a known quality is not an optional extra. It is the difference between a garden that establishes and one that limps.
What to ask your builder for
- A copy of the site plan showing levels and drainage
- Confirmation of where stormwater can be connected
- Agreement on what site fill will be removed rather than spread
- Timing for fencing so landscape access is preserved
Common questions
Can landscaping start before the house is finished?
Some elements can, particularly earthworks, retaining and drainage. Final surfaces and planting are best kept until construction traffic has stopped.
Do developers' landscaping requirements affect the design?
In some estates, yes. Requirements for street trees, driveway materials or completion timeframes should be checked early.