 DIY HOME IMPROVEMENT TV SHOWS
These have been both good and bad for our industry. The good being people take an interest & appreciate what can be done. The bad is that people have unrealistic views of landscaping.
Landscaping is an industry that a lot of homeowners have little understanding of. They see “DIY Home improvement” shows on television that “show” how “easy” it is to landscape. How, with minimal training, anybody can be an expert on highly dangerous equipment such as brick saws, demolition hammers, chainsaws and power tools. In England studies have shown the Hospital emergency intake of DIY accidents has risen rapidly with the onset of the myriad of DIY Home improvement shows. Don’t be fooled. Landscaping is heavy, hard work and, without the proper training knowledge and experience, it can be dangerous.
Then programs where they do the work & tell you what it costs don’t include labour costs, superannuation, provision of equipment, insurance premiums, rubbish tipping etc etc etc etc. Also they often work during hours councils won’t let business trade in. Also the sites are usually simple, you don’t see many retaining walls or coverage of the boring subsurface drainage installations.
 INSURANCES
The “dangerous” factor is reflected in the insurance premiums that the landscape trade pays. Ensure that the landscaper you select is fully insured for Workers Compensation, Public Liability (ideally $10million cover) and Home Owner’s warranty, where applicable. Sight the paperwork. At Landscapes for Living we include copies of our certificates of currency for all these policies with our written quotes.
 LICENCES
Only licensed landscapers should work on your home. Ensure that the licence is properly endorsed, by the department of fair-trading, for “Structural Landscaping”. There are two levels of licensing, a trade licence and a builder’s licence. For work involving two or more functions over $200 in value only a full builders licence or a licence endorsed for “Structural Landscaping” should be accepted. In other words it’s not legal for anyone without a “Structural Landscaping” or full builders licence to do your landscape project.
With the exception of a “Clerk of Works” builder a Licensed Landscaper is the only other contractor that can legally sub-contract other trades.
 LOCAL COUNCIL
There are many issues that I have come across in the relationship between a property owner and their local council. One which is not all that well known is the hard to soft ratio. This is where the council determines what percentage of your land can be hard surfaces, as against lawn & gardens. One reason for this is if too much of the land is hard surfaced, there is less water absorption, thus putting stress on the stormwater system, which may result in localised flooding.
You may have plans approved with a driveway, 4.5 metres wide at the boundary. However this does not necessarily mean that you will be allowed a council crossover (the part of your driveway between your property and the street) of the same width. Why is it so? Your building plans are approved by one department while the footpath is controlled by another department. If your builder has not made application to both departments a conflict may arise.
NEW HOMES & YOUR DA APPROVAL
If you are developing a property with a new dwelling, your development consent from the council will specify, amongst the general conditions, items that will relate to the landscaping. Items such as existing tree protection, shade studies, drainage issues, specific planting requirements, hard to soft ratios, retaining walls etc. All these items will have to be taken into account when devising the landscape concept plan.
RENOVATIONS
If you are extending your house in a manner that will increase the house “Footprint” on the block you will probably also require a landscape plan drawn by a professional designer.
 REALITIES OF LANDSCAPE CONTRUCTION
Landscaping, by the very nature of the work - being outdoors and working with the ground - means that progress can be affected by the weather. Rain can slow up production and if it hits at the wrong time can bring it to a halt, or in bad situations even go backwards. Here at Landscapes for Living we run one site at a time and we don’t leave until it's finished (subject to materials availability). I don’t use sub-contractors unless it was stated so at the consultation.
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