How Long Does a Landscape Build Take in Sydney?

The single most common question we get after 'how much?' is 'how long?'. The honest answer separates the design phase, the approval phase and the build phase - because each has its own timeline and only the build is fully in our control.

Design phase - 4 to 12 weeks

A courtyard design package is usually 4-6 weeks: site measure, concept, review, refinement, documentation. A larger project with pool, structural work and council approvals is usually 8-12 weeks of design before drawings are ready to lodge. Client review time is part of that number - a week of indecision on paving is a week on the program.

Approvals - 4 to 24 weeks

Complying Development (most pools and alfresco projects on standard blocks) typically takes 2-4 weeks. A full Development Application varies wildly by council - Woollahra and Mosman commonly run 4-6 months; Inner West and City of Sydney usually 3-5 months; Hills Shire and Northern Beaches usually 2-4 months for straightforward proposals. Heritage overlays, tree removal and neighbour submissions all extend it.

Build phase - 6 to 26 weeks

A courtyard renovation is usually 6-10 weeks on site. A mid-size backyard with deck, planting and lighting is 10-16 weeks. A full rebuild with a pool, outdoor kitchen and structural retaining runs 18-26 weeks. Rain, access and structural surprises are the three things that most commonly extend a schedule.

What a typical build week looks like

• Weeks 1-2: site set-up, protection, demolition and excavation
• Weeks 3-5: drainage, footings, retaining and structural works
• Weeks 5-9: pool shell, slabs, sub-base and services rough-in
• Weeks 8-14: paving, decking, stonework and joinery
• Weeks 13-18: fencing, screening, lighting and electrical fit-off
• Final 2-3 weeks: soil, planting, turf, irrigation, clean and handover

The things that most often add time

Rock and unexpected ground conditions. Rain - Sydney averages enough wet days that a 16-week program realistically carries 2-3 weeks of weather. Long-lead materials, particularly imported stone and custom metalwork. Late client decisions on finishes. And service relocations, which almost always involve a third party's timetable rather than ours.

The projects that finish on time are almost always the ones that finished design and approvals before they started digging.

How we plan a realistic date

We give clients three dates up front: design complete, approvals lodged, and estimated site completion. Each has a contingency built in, and we update them at the end of every phase - so the finish date is never a surprise.

Can you compress the timeline?

Design and approvals can rarely be rushed without cutting corners we would not stand behind. But long-lead items (custom stone, imported tile, pool equipment) can be ordered during the approval phase so they are on site the week construction starts - that alone often saves 3-4 weeks. Deciding all finishes before the first day on site is the other genuine accelerator.

After handover

Plan for an establishment period. Turf needs 6-8 weeks before heavy use, new planting needs a full season, and pool water chemistry settles over the first few weeks. We schedule a return visit at three months to adjust irrigation and lighting once the garden has moved in.