Design is where mistakes are still cheap to fix.
A landscape design engagement exists because the cost of changing your mind is not constant through a project. Moving a seating area three metres on a concept plan takes a pencil and five minutes. Moving it three metres after the paving is laid means breaking out finished work, re-cutting levels, and possibly rethinking drainage that was designed around the original position. Design is the phase where the layout, the zoning, the circulation between spaces and the relationship between the house and garden all get argued out and resolved while the only cost of changing your mind is time.
That is different from picking materials or a planting palette, which is where most people assume design starts. A designer working properly begins by reading the site itself — levels, aspect, soil, existing vegetation, services, sightlines — and then works out how the household actually wants to use the space before a single material sample gets discussed. The output of that process, whether it's a single concept sketch or a full set of construction drawings, is what a contractor eventually prices and builds against.
This page walks through that process in the order it actually happens, what typically drives a design fee up or down, and the practical differences between engaging a designer for a concept only, for full documentation, or as part of a combined design-and-build team.
01 · The design process
Four stages, in order.
Site assessment
Levels, aspect, soil, existing vegetation, services and views are recorded before any concept is sketched. This stage is worth doing properly even on a modest project, because a concept built on an inaccurate site read tends to unravel once it meets real levels and services on the ground.
Brief & priorities
A written brief ranks what matters most — entertaining space, privacy, low maintenance — so trade-offs have a reference point later. Without a ranked brief, every design decision becomes a fresh negotiation instead of a quick check against an agreed priority list.
Concept development
Zones and circulation are resolved first; materials and planting palettes follow once the layout is agreed. Getting the zoning wrong and fixing it with materials later rarely works — a poorly placed entertaining area doesn't become more usable because of the paving chosen for it.
Drawings & documentation
Concept plans become drawings a contractor can price and build from, including levels, materials and setout. The depth of documentation here should match how the project will be procured — a design-and-build team needs less detail than a competitive tender process.
02 · What design fees depend on
Design cost is driven by complexity, not section size alone.
Planning noteA clear written brief is the single biggest lever on design cost — it reduces revision cycles more than any other factor.
03 · Design pathway
Concept-only vs. full documentation vs. design-and-build.
Concept only
OutputLayout sketch and material direction
Best fitEarly-stage budgeting
Trade-offContractor still fills in construction detail
Full drawings
OutputLevels, setout, materials, planting plan
Best fitCompetitive tendering, consent applications
Trade-offHigher fee, longer lead time
Design-and-build
OutputConcept plus construction under one team
Best fitSimpler projects wanting one point of contact
Trade-offLess independent price comparison
04 · Worked scenarios
Two different design engagements.
New-build section, blank canvas
Design starts from levels supplied by the builder, resolves zones (entry, entertaining, utility, planting) and produces drawings that align with the build programme. Because nothing exists yet, the design has to anticipate services, fencing and driveway positions that other trades are also deciding around the same time.
Established garden, partial redesign
Existing trees and levels are surveyed and retained where possible, and the brief focuses on reworking circulation and one underused zone rather than a full-site concept. Documentation here is usually lighter than a new-build brief, because most of the site's fixed points are already known and don't need resolving from scratch.
05 · Choosing a designer
What to check before engaging.
- Ask to see drawings from a comparable project, not just finished photographs — drawings show how they actually solve levels, setout and detail.
- Clarify what is included in the fee: concept only, full documentation, or construction support during the build.
- Confirm how site-specific facts (levels, soil, services) will be gathered or verified, and whether a survey is included or needs to be commissioned separately.
- Understand the handoff: will the designer brief your chosen contractor directly, or is that left to you to coordinate?
Landscape design: common questions
How long does a typical landscape design process take?
A concept for a moderately complex residential site is often a few weeks; full construction drawings can extend to several months depending on revision cycles, survey requirements and how quickly decisions get made along the way.
Do I need full construction drawings, or is a concept enough?
If you're tendering the build to multiple contractors or applying for consent, full drawings give everyone the same information to price against. If you're working with one trusted contractor who'll fill in construction detail, a concept alone may be sufficient.
Can I take a concept from one designer to a different contractor to build?
Generally yes — that's the point of a documented concept — but confirm ownership and usage rights for the drawings as part of the engagement, since this varies between designers.
What's the difference between a landscape designer and a landscape architect?
The terms are sometimes used loosely, but landscape architect is typically a more formally regulated title tied to specific qualifications, and larger or more complex projects may specifically require that level of registration.
Landscape Design Across New Zealand
Explore landscape design planning, cost considerations and local site factors for major New Zealand regions.
- Landscape design in Auckland
- Landscape design in Hamilton
- Landscape design in Tauranga
- Landscape design in Rotorua
- Landscape design in Whangārei
- Landscape design in Wellington
- Landscape design in Lower Hutt
- Landscape design in Palmerston North
- Landscape design in Napier–Hastings
- Landscape design in New Plymouth
- Landscape design in Nelson
- Landscape design in Christchurch
- Landscape design in Dunedin
- Landscape design in Queenstown
- Landscape design in Invercargill
Sources & methodology
Designed to show its working.
Design scope and fee structures vary between practices. Site-specific levels, boundary positions and consent requirements should be verified with a licensed surveyor and the relevant council before drawings are finalised.