Gardeners have become a necessity for nearly every homeowner with a garden, not just to keep the lawns and plants looking good, but to keep the whole garden safe and healthy. It’s part of their gardening job. There are many different kinds of garden service that a gardener might enter into with a homeowner, from casual work where they might be called upon as and when required to long-term arrangements that last for years.
What’s the Average Gardener Cost per hour in Australia?
In general, full-time gardening work from a gardener with high standards and excellent references will cost around $50 per hour. This can go up to as much as $90 or more depending on the level of standard you would expect for your own home garden. In this article, we’ll cover how much does a gardener cost in Australia, some factors that influence this price and the average maintenance cost for the job.
How Much do I Need to Budget for a New Garden Design?
There are two common types of garden job cost structure. There is almost never a flat rate for garden cleaning. A lower hourly rate plus an additional percentage of what is saved by using their services compared to if the homeowner did it themselves. These cost savings could be on equipment costs, fuel cost, time saved, etc. The higher hourly rate cost plus a smaller percentage is also common with the idea here being that the garden work done will be of greater quality than if you did it yourself, so less work will need to be redone.
When should I Look to Hire a Gardener?
Different regions in Australia will have different rates for their gardening services, with New South Wales having the highest cost per hour rate for a typical garden. These are typically set by supply and demand. If there are plenty of good gardeners available then they should be able to charge more for their services or provide better service as there is no shortage of potential customers. However, your local area may have an over-supply of gardeners who aren’t up to scratch, either because not enough homeowners know about them or because homeowners are actively choosing to go with cheaper, lower quality options and reduce the cost of gardening services.
How Much does a Garden Clean up and Maintenance Cost?
This varies significantly based on the size of your garden and whether or not they do it by hand or with power tools. The more of the work that needs to be done manually, the higher the cost will be. A gardener who is proficient in working with their hands can keep costs low whereas someone who uses a lot of mechanical equipment might charge more. It depends on what you are looking for in a service, so consider the cost of getting your garden back to how it looked after being laid out or designed initially.
What does a Gardener Do?
For this, we’ll assume that you are looking for a high-quality gardener, with an average cost for the job who can not only look after your plants but also keep the garden safe and healthy. This would include the following duties:
– Removing weeds
– Planting flowers/seeds/shrubs in appropriate seasons
– Cutting grass
– Keeping the lawn fertilised and healthy
– Maintaining other forms of greenery, such as hedges or trees- Pruning plants
– Removing dying foliage or plants
– Aerating soil to improve its drainage
These are some of the main things that a gardener might do for you, other duties will depend on the type of garden that you have.
What Can I Expect to Pay for Gardening Maintenance?
If you are considering hiring a gardener make sure you check their references first or ideally speak to one or two of their previous customers. Ask them how long they have used the gardener and what sort of job they do (e.g. lawn mowing, pruning trees, flowering plants or other garden maintenance). You might also inquire about their charges, gardening services tend not to work on hourly rates alone, usually charging by what is done rather than the hours spent doing it. For example, you may get your luscious green lawn mowed once every few weeks at $20 per visit but take the same number of hours every time, but a lawn mowing service may charge $100 for just one visit that takes several hours. So the cost of hiring the gardener will depend on what you need doing and how much/often you need them.
Average Gardening Services Price List in Australia.
- $40-$90 per hour for someone with all the necessary tools and equipment to do a difficult job (e.g. an experienced gardener who can design and implement landscaping).
- $60-$90 per hour for someone who has proven experience, references and is either highly qualified or works in partnership with others that are (e.g., a landscape gardener who is part of a team with skilled tradespeople).
- $40-$70 per hour for someone who has good references, is duly qualified and will provide an honest service to you (e.g., an experienced gardener without much in the way of qualifications but can cut grass, plant flowers, etc.).
- Typically $100-$180 per visit, paid as a lump sum for one or two visits a month or spread throughout the month/year with weekly or fortnightly visits.
How do I Find a Good Gardener?
To start with, ask around among your friends and family, as well as other people in your local area. Gardeners who have done a good job sometimes offer their services or can provide references for other contractors. You could also try posting an ad or checking out websites to contact gardeners in your area. If you’re looking for someone to maintain your lawns it’s best to get several quotes from different companies or independent contractors. You may be surprised by what different gardening businesses can charge. Finally, you can always go back to your local nursery and garden supply store where the staff should have a wealth of knowledge about who’s good in your area, or you could ask local real estate agents.
What Factors Influence How Much does a Gardener Cost?
The type of gardening service required is one factor that influences how much does a gardener cost. A gardening business will charge more for more complex tasks such as planting trees or laying down paving, than just lawn mowing or garden clean ups. Better quality services, e.g. using more environmentally friendly fertilisers, may cost more, while poorly done work could incur additional charges for redoing it again. The time of year might also influence some extra charges because some gardeners may charge more for the same gardening jobs during the peak gardening seasons (spring and summer).
How to Save Money on Garden Maintenance?
There are a number of ways to save money on gardening services:
1. Shop around for quotes and include all the services you need to be done in your request, so there are no additional costs added by hidden extras.
2. Keep your garden tidy and reduce the amount of garden maintenance required so they don’t have too much work to do.
3. Get quotes from several different companies or gardeners to compare the prices offered by each, then choose the best deal for your needs.
4. When you get a quote ask whether there are any discounts available if you pay in cash, or inquire about any loyalty discounts given to customers who have used their services for a certain period of time.
5. Consult with your chosen gardening company about the best time of year for having their services done and the total cost of gardening for a particular job, to see if they can give you a discount by timing it with minor planting seasons, minor lawn-mowing seasons, etc.
What are the Extra Gardening Costs?
When hiring a professional gardener, you can expect to pay a premium for their gardening service. Hiring professional gardeners or any other type of service usually means that people have to pay additional costs for materials, equipment hire and transport for the gardening job. However, it’s a good idea to get a quote from the gardening company about any extra costs that may apply just in case you’re not prepared for them.
What are the Tax Implications of Hiring a Gardener?
Gardeners should be registered or have an Australian Business Number (ABN) so that they can charge GST on their services if they provide goods and services to other companies or individuals. Also, because gardeners usually work through their own incorporated business, you should check with your accountant if there are any fringe benefits tax implications relating to using independent contractors instead of employees.
Gardening Prices in Australia
The average price of a gardener in Australia is around $40-50 per hour, although exact rates will vary depending on the type of job, the garden and local market forces. However, do not be afraid to negotiate with your potential gardener. They may even offer you garden discounts if you are paying in cash or want additional services such as lawn mowing, weeding included when their visit or additional garden maintenance services.
You could also try looking for discounted services during the winter months, e.g., just before spring starts again since the gardening jobs average cost will be lower then. Finally, it’s always worth asking friends and family for recommendations as well as checking online reviews by previous customers, don’t just accept one quote but check out several that suit your budget and requirements.
