Best Landscapers in Nelson
We assessed 29 landscapers in Nelson and ranked the top 5 on public rating quality, review volume and how recent the reviews are. The businesses listed below hold 257 Google reviews between them. No business can pay for a place in these rankings. Last updated 22 September 2026. How we rank →
Before you hire
Whether you need landscape design, hard landscaping or ongoing garden and lawn maintenance, a good landscaper will consider drainage, soil quality and upkeep, not just how a garden looks on day one. Ask for a planting plan with maintenance notes, check whether they handle consenting for any structures, and get a breakdown of materials versus labour in the quote.
Top 5 Landscapers in Nelson
The top 5 landscapers in Nelson are #1 Tim's Garden, #2 Paramount Contracting, #3 Handy Property Care, #4 Your Garden Guy, and #5 Garden Buds, ranked by Top5 score. Scroll for our take on each, plus what to ask before you hire.
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1
Tim's Garden
★ 4.9 70 reviews Top5 Score 1535★ 66 4★ 3 1★ 1Tim's Garden takes on complete section landscaping, new build garden setups, and retaining wall builds, drawing up detailed concept plans before a spade goes in the ground. Their team spots practical issues beyond the brief, such as garden beds sitting too high against house walls, and sources plants suited to specific soil conditions and wind exposure.
location_on 20 Neudorf Road, Upper Moutere
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2
Paramount Contracting
★ 5.0 31 reviews Top5 Score 1455★ 31Paramount Contracting gets tree felling, stump grinding, pruning, and hedge trimming done quickly, often turning around from quote to completion within days. Tainui works around client schedules including builders and school hours, and regularly grinds extra stumps or stacks wood without being asked.
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3
Handy Property Care
★ 5.0 26 reviews Top5 Score 1425★ 26Handy Property Care covers tree trimming, lawn levelling, garden maintenance, and decking repairs, often combining several jobs in a single visit. Dan advises on what work is actually needed rather than doing everything requested, and shows clients photos of completed work before leaving the site.
location_on Moutere Highway, Upper Moutere
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4
Your Garden Guy
★ 5.0 25 reviews Top5 Score 1425★ 25Your Garden Guy suits properties needing regular lawn mowing, hedge and tree trimming, and hands-on garden preparation like digging, manuring, and mulching. Kaleb steps in on short notice when regular gardeners fall through, prices competitively against established companies, and leaves sites clean with waste removed.
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5
Garden Buds Ltd
★ 5.0 24 reviews Top5 Score 1415★ 24Garden Buds transforms neglected gardens, new build sections, and patio installations, with Shadi and Ria working through design ideas with clients before a single plant goes in. They absorb mid-job changes without friction, keep clients updated throughout, and complete work on the day and within the quoted price, including full site cleanup on finishing.
Before you hire a landscaper in Nelson
Drawn from 232 customer reviews collected for this page. The first answer is what it costs.
What does landscaping typically cost in New Zealand? expand_more
Basic garden tidy-ups and planting start from around $500 to $1,500 for smaller jobs. Full garden design and installation projects range from $5,000 to $50,000 or more for larger residential sections.
Paving, concrete, and decking work runs between $80 and $250 per square metre, depending on materials and site conditions. Soil complexity, site access, and the volume of hard landscaping versus planting are the biggest drivers of cost variation.
What should a landscaping quote include to protect me if the scope changes? expand_more
A solid quote should itemise specific plants by species and size, named materials by grade, and a clear payment schedule tied to project milestones rather than a single upfront sum. Reviews highlight that the best experiences came when landscapers drew up detailed plans with budgets before work started, so ask for this in writing before you sign anything.
The quote should also spell out a formal variation process covering how changes are priced and approved, so neither party is surprised mid-project. Confirm that site reinstatement, rubbish removal, and cleanup are included, as several reviewers specifically praised contractors who left sites tidy without being asked.
Do any landscaping works require council consent? expand_more
Retaining walls over 1.5 metres tall require building consent under the Building Act 2004, as do walls over 0.5 metres if they sit within one metre of a boundary or public space. Decks more than 1.5 metres above ground at any point also require consent, and structural retaining walls and certain decks must be built by or under the supervision of a Licensed Building Practitioner (LBP). Earthworks rules vary by council, but moving around 50 cubic metres or more, or working on steep or erosion-prone land, will often trigger a resource consent requirement under your local district plan, so check with Nelson City Council or Tasman District Council before breaking ground.
What are the warning signs of a landscaper you shouldn't hire? expand_more
- –A quote with no itemised plant list, no materials specification, and no written scope is a red flag regardless of how reasonable the price sounds.
- –Inconsistent communication after an initial site visit, particularly going quiet after receiving a deposit, has been linked directly to poor project outcomes in local reviews.
- –Any contractor who cannot explain whether your retaining wall, deck, or earthworks requires council consent is likely not across their legal obligations.
- –Overlooking client decisions or requests during the job, rather than raising concerns and seeking agreement before proceeding, points to poor project management.
- –No clear variation process means scope creep and unexpected invoices become your problem rather than a shared conversation.
What should you ask before hiring a landscaper? expand_more
- –Ask for a written quote that lists every plant by species and size, all materials by grade, and the full payment schedule before you commit to anything.
- –Ask what happens if specified plants are unavailable or die within the first season, and get the answer in writing as part of your contract.
- –Ask who is responsible for obtaining any required building or resource consents, and confirm this is reflected in the quote.
- –Ask how waste, soil, and green material will be disposed of, since reviewers who were happy almost always mentioned clean and tidy site management.
- –Ask what ongoing maintenance the completed garden will need, including watering schedules, seasonal pruning, and fertilising, so you know what you are committing to.
- –Ask whether the contractor holds any professional memberships such as Horticulture New Zealand or the New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects (NZILA), as membership signals a commitment to recognised standards.
Also recommended landscapers in Nelson
Ranked 6 to 10 on the same public review record.
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6
Lawn Rite Nelson
★ 5.0 15 reviews Top5 Score 1355★ 15Lawn Rite Nelson coordinates lawn renovation, hydroseeding, raised garden makeovers, and hedge trimming for clients who want one team to handle the full picture. For owners managing properties from overseas or dealing with health issues that prevent hands-on work, Hamish sends visit notifications and follow-up photos so clients stay across every stage without being on site.
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7
Lawn In Order Landscaping
★ 5.0 14 reviews Top5 Score 1355★ 14Lawn In Order clears ivy, trims oversized trees, tidies backyard gardens, and works through steep or awkward sites that straightforward properties rarely throw up. Mark discusses the scope beforehand, then follows through with a thorough cleanup so the finished site looks deliberate rather than just cut back.
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8
Palm Landscapes
★ 5.0 13 reviews Top5 Score 1345★ 13Palm Landscapes takes on difficult urban sections, building stone-lined paths, boardwalks, sleeper stair replacements, paving, and drainage while selecting plants suited to each specific site and the owner's ability to maintain them. Chris consults clients at each stage, flags issues as they arise, and holds to the agreed budget, only going beyond it with the client's explicit sign-off.
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9
Kiwi Excavations
★ 4.6 28 reviews Top5 Score 1325★ 24 4★ 2 1★ 2Kiwi Excavations combines earthworks muscle with landscaping scope, taking on section clearing and levelling, grass establishment, retaining wall construction, and garden enhancement alongside concrete work. Matt visits sites personally to scope jobs, gives frank advice on what a limited budget can realistically achieve, and follows up after completion to confirm the client is satisfied.
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10
Grounded NZ
★ 5.0 11 reviews Top5 Score 1325★ 11Grounded NZ covers garden bed preparation, lawn setup, and ongoing property maintenance for both residential and commercial clients. Clients report that Matt and the team come up with practical solutions on site, communicate well throughout, and price their work fairly without cutting corners on the finish.
About this ranking
What the 10 landscapers listed above hold, at the 22 September 2026 check.
Across the 14 locations we assess landscapers in, the 140 businesses listed have a median rating of 5.0, and one-star reviews are 1.5% of their total.
How are the top landscapers in Nelson chosen? expand_more
We build this page from Google Maps results for landscapers in Nelson. Each one is scored on its public rating and review record. Businesses outside the area, or whose reviews describe a different line of work, are left out. Every category and city is rechecked on a rolling cycle, about every two to three months. A location with a subscribing business is rechecked every month, and the whole page updates with it. See how we rank for the full method.
What does a business subscription offer? expand_more
No business can pay for a place in these rankings. Claiming and verifying a listing is free. It adds a phone number to the card and a small trust bonus (+3 points) to its score, for confirming a real operator stands behind the listing. The owner also gets a dashboard showing how their score is made up. A paid subscription provides an enhanced card with more ways to reach the business, including a website link and a detailed profile page. It also refreshes this page monthly and adds ranking history and competitor analysis to the owner's dashboard. The subscription adds nothing to the score. Claim your listing or see what a subscription includes.
Why isn't my business listed? expand_more
We build this page from Google Maps results for landscapers in Nelson. The usual reasons for missing out are a Google Business category that does not match, too few reviews to score near the top, or an address outside the area we cover. Sometimes we miss a business that should be here. Check where you rank first. If you are not there and think you should be, get in touch.