Answered, service by service.

In SA, a retaining wall generally needs development approval if it retains more than 1 metre of fill or cut, is within 600 mm of a boundary and over certain heights, or supports a structure or driveway. Walls under 1 metre that don't affect neighbouring land can often be built without approval, but every council interprets site conditions differently. We assess this during quoting and prepare the documentation when approval is required.

Concrete sleepers cost more up front but are termite-proof, rot-proof and far longer-lived than timber, which is why they dominate new Adelaide builds. Treated pine is cheaper and suits low garden walls where the retained height and consequences of movement are small. We'll recommend the right system for the height, soil and budget rather than defaulting to one product.

The cost depends on wall type, height, access, soil and engineering requirements. We quote fixed prices after a site inspection — no rate-per-metre surprises. Request a quote and we'll book the inspection.

Most boundary walls carry a fence. We remove it, build the new wall with extended posts or fence brackets, and reinstate or replace the fence as part of the same job — one contractor, one clean handover.

Our published rate is per standard trailer load removed from site, including the operator, machine time, cartage and tip fees. You book and pay for a set number of loads online — that number is the scope of the job. If more spoil is uncovered on site than you booked, the extra loads are quoted at the same published rate and only proceed once you approve them.

Our smallest excavator, a Kubota U10-5, needs 720 mm of clear width — narrower than a standard single gate opening. For anything tighter we can often remove a fence panel and reinstate it after. Overhead clearance (carports, verandahs, low branches) matters too; the booking form asks for access details so we arrive with the right machine.

Asbestos and contaminated soil are excluded from standard bookings and require a licensed removalist — if we identify suspect material we stop and advise before disturbing it. Clean fill, green waste, concrete, brick and general demolition waste are all fine, though mixed loads attract the general-waste tip rate.

We require a current Before You Dig Australia (BYDA) report for any excavation deeper than 300 mm, and we pothole to confirm services where plans are unreliable. Private services (garden lighting, irrigation, unmarked stormwater) remain the owner's responsibility to declare — the booking form covers this.

The cost depends on the paver (standard clay or concrete pavers, through to large-format porcelain or natural stone) and the preparation underneath. Driveways cost more than paths because the base depth and compaction requirements roughly double. We quote fixed after measuring the site.

A pedestrian path carries a person; a driveway carries a two-tonne vehicle turning on the same spot daily. On Adelaide's reactive clays we excavate driveways to at least 250 mm, use 150 mm of compacted road base minimum, and often add geofabric separation so the base can't pump into wet clay. Skipping this is why cheap driveways dip at the wheel tracks.

Usually, yes. Most major Australian paver ranges remain in production for years, and where a line has been discontinued we can source close matches or lift-and-relay a border so the transition reads as intentional rather than patched.

On sites with stormwater constraints or council WSUD requirements, permeable paving lets rain soak through the joints into a drainage layer instead of running off. It costs 15–25% more than standard paving but can remove the need for extra stormwater infrastructure. We'll tell you if your site is a genuine candidate.

Both, but we're at our best doing the whole job. Design-and-construct means the person pricing the build shapes the design, so the plan you approve is a plan that gets built as drawn — not value-engineered beyond recognition after tender.

Our planting palettes are built around proven performers for hot, dry sites: westringia, correa and eremophila among natives; rosemary, teucrium and olive among Mediterranean species; with feature structure from crepe myrtles, ornamental pears and advanced eucalypts where scale allows. Anything thirsty is confined to small, high-impact hydrozones near the house.

Autumn, without question — March to May. Soil is still warm, rains are coming, and plants get two mild seasons to establish roots before their first serious summer. Spring planting works with irrigation but goes into summer with less established roots. We build construction schedules around this where we can.

Yes. We regularly build landscape architects' documentation, and we're comfortable being handed a drawing set and delivering it faithfully. If we can see a buildability or cost problem in the documentation, we'll flag it before we price rather than variation you later.

Exposed aggregate costs more than plain grey concrete. Either way we price a driveway-grade 125 mm slab with SL72 mesh over compacted base. Small pours cost more per metre because establishment costs don't shrink with the job.

All concrete shrinks as it cures — roughly 0.6 mm per metre. Uncontrolled, that shows up as random cracking; controlled, it happens invisibly at saw-cut joints. Correct steel, joint spacing at 24–36 times slab thickness, and proper curing is how we keep cracking where it belongs: in the joints.

Most domestic shed slabs in SA are 100 mm with SL72 mesh on compacted base; carports and workshops with vehicle loads step up to 125 mm, with thickened edges and footings sized to the frame manufacturer's engineering. We pour to the shed engineer's spec and provide the compliance documentation.

Exposed aggregate costs more but hides tyre marks and staining, adds slip resistance, and reads as a designed surface rather than infrastructure. Plain grey is the budget workhorse and suits utility areas. Honed finishes sit at the premium end for alfresco and pool surrounds.

Often, yes. In South Australia a deck over 500 mm high, or a roofed structure attached to the house, generally needs development approval; freestanding unroofed pergolas under 2.5 m with modest floor area can be exempt. Rules changed under the PDI Act and vary by zone, so we confirm requirements for your address during quoting and prepare the application if needed.

Hardwood (spotted gum, blackbutt, Merbau) is cooler underfoot, repairable, and ages into its character with annual oiling. Quality composite costs about the same as premium hardwood installed, never needs oiling and keeps uniform colour, but gets hotter in full sun and can't be sanded back. Shaded family decks favour composite for zero maintenance; feature decks favour timber.

A straightforward deck runs 1–2 weeks on site; a roofed pergola or verandah 2–3 weeks; combined outdoor rooms with lighting and privacy screens 3–5 weeks. Council approval, where required, adds 4–8 weeks before we start — we lodge early so the approval lands as the build slot opens.

Under the Fences Act 1975 (SA), neighbours generally share the cost of a sufficient dividing fence equally. The process starts with a Form 1 notice describing the proposed work and cost; if your neighbour wants a more expensive fence than 'sufficient', they pay the difference. We provide itemised quotes formatted so they can be attached directly to the notice.

Colorbond is termite-proof, warranty-backed and even on both sides, at a mid-range price. Timber paling remains the cheapest boundary option and takes screening plants well; capped and stained timber or slat systems sit at the premium end for street-facing runs. On sloped ground, Colorbond steps cleanly while timber can be raked to follow the grade.

Our standard is one third of fence height in the ground, minimum 600 mm, in concrete — deeper on exposed or reactive sites. Most leaning fences in Adelaide failed because posts were set shallow in soil or dry-mix; it's the one part of a fence you can't fix later without rebuilding.

Professionally installed premium turf in Adelaide is quoted including strip-out, base preparation and infill — request a quote for your area. DIY-grade supply-only turf is far cheaper but the installed price difference is almost entirely in the base work, which is what determines how the lawn looks in year five.

On a 38-degree day, standard artificial turf surfaces can reach 60–70°C in full sun — hotter than bare feet want. Lighter pile colours, cooling infills (like TCool-treated sand) and a quick hose-down all reduce surface temperature meaningfully. For west-facing yards we'll talk honestly about shade before you commit.

Yes — it's one of the most common reasons Adelaide households switch. We use permeable backing turf, a free-draining base, and an antimicrobial infill option for pet areas. Solids pick up as on grass; urine rinses through with an occasional hose.

Quality Australian-standard turf carries a manufacturer's UV warranty — we give you the specific product's warranty document with your quote. The base, if built properly, outlasts multiple turf cycles — replacement decades later is a re-carpet, not a rebuild.

Usually three factors compounding: reactive clay that seals when wet, a block graded flat or towards the house rather than away, and downpipes or neighbouring runoff discharging onto ground with nowhere to go. The permanent fix is regrading surface falls plus subsurface ag-drains to a legal discharge point — not spike aeration, sand slitting or hoping.

Stormwater pipes are sealed and move collected water (from downpipes, pits, channels) to discharge. Ag-drains are slotted pipes in gravel that collect water out of the soil itself — they lower the water table along their run. Wet sites usually need both: ag-drains to gather, stormwater to carry away.

Often. Trenching is surgical — we lift and reinstate lawn, cut cleanly through paving where crossings are unavoidable, and route drains along maintenance edges rather than through beds. Where the garden itself is the problem (levels falling at the house), some rebuild is unavoidable and we'll say so plainly.

Most do. In South Australia, a shed or carport generally needs development approval unless it qualifies as exempt development — broadly under 15 m², under 2.5 m high and behind the building line, with tighter rules in heritage and character zones. Almost every double garage, large workshop or street-facing carport requires approval, and we prepare and lodge it as part of the contract.

Cost depends on size, span and height — a single garage-size shed (6×3 m), a double garage (6×6 m) or a larger workshop — supplied, slabbed and installed. Kit-only prices you see advertised typically exclude the slab, installation and approval — usually half the real cost. Request a quote for your site.

The slab is the shed's foundation and its anchor against wind uplift. Bolts must be cast in at the manufacturer's exact template positions, edge thickenings sized to the columns' loads, and the slab poured square and level — frames stood on out-of-position drilled anchors are the single most common kit-shed defect we're asked to rescue.