Landscaping a new home in Gawler: what to do first, and in what order

Short answer: landscape a new home in the order that avoids doing work twice. Sort out drainage, levels and retaining walls first, then the hard landscaping such as the driveway, paths and patio, then garden beds and soil, and lay turf last. Before any of it, check your land contract for estate design rules and find out where the underground services run.

A lot of the new homes around Gawler, in areas like Gawler East, Evanston, Hewett, Roseworthy and Angle Vale, are handed over with bare dirt front and back. We are a family business based in Gawler, and this is the order that saves doing work twice.

Before you start: check three things

1. Your land contract and estate guidelines

Some estates have design guidelines or encumbrances that cover front yard landscaping, fencing, driveways and letterboxes, sometimes with a deadline after handover. Have a read of your contract or ask the developer before you choose materials for the front.

2. Where the services run

Stormwater pipes, sewer connections, water, gas and NBN all run somewhere under your yard. Your builder's plans usually show where, and Before You Dig Australia is a free service for checking underground assets before digging.

3. The verge and driveway crossover

The strip between your front boundary and the kerb is council land, and so is the driveway crossover over it. If you want to change it, check with the Town of Gawler (or your own council) first.

The order to do it in

1. Drainage and levels. Work out where water goes when it rains, and set the finished levels for paving and garden beds so they fall away from the house. Our guide to paving fall and drainage next to your house covers the rules on fall and how high the slab must sit above the paving.
2. Retaining walls. Newer blocks are often cut and filled, which leaves a step at the side or back fence. Walls go in before paving so the paving can finish against them. Higher walls can need approval, which we explain in do you need council approval for a retaining wall in SA?
3. Pipes and conduits under the paving. Irrigation lines, garden lighting cable conduits and any pipe that will cross a paved area should go in now. Lifting new paving later to run a pipe costs far more.
4. Driveway, paths and patio. The hard landscaping goes in next, while machines and pallets can still get across bare ground without wrecking a lawn.
5. Garden beds, edging and soil. Shape the beds, put in edging so the lawn and mulch stay where they belong, and bring in good garden soil.
6. Turf last. Turf goes down once the heavy work is finished, so it is not driven over or dug up.

Ground conditions around Gawler

Much of the Adelaide Plains, including a lot of the Gawler district, sits on reactive clay that swells when wet and shrinks when dry. Adelaide University research published in September 2026 (Adelaide University news) looked at how that movement affects home foundations. For landscaping it means a properly compacted base under paving, keeping water away from the slab, and not flooding garden beds right against the house. Fill on a new block that has not been compacted is the other thing to watch: paving laid straight onto it tends to settle.

Front yard or backyard first?

If your estate has a deadline for the front, start there. Otherwise most people start with the backyard, because that is where they live: a patio or alfresco area, a path to the clothesline and shed, and somewhere for the kids and dog that is not dirt. A common first stage is the backyard paving and a few garden beds, with the front, the driveway and the turf done once the budget allows.

What affects the cost of landscaping a new home

• Area. Paving and turf are priced by the square metre, so the size of each area is the starting point.
• Levels and retaining. A flat block is cheaper to landscape than one that needs walls and steps.
• Base preparation. Fill that needs digging out or compacting adds labour.
• Materials. Concrete pavers, clay pavers and natural stone all cost different amounts.
• Access. A narrow side path means more barrowing by hand.

Our guide to paving cost per square metre covers the paving side in more detail, with published price ranges.

Getting it done

We do paving, retaining walls, garden beds, edging and turf, so the whole yard can be done by one team in the right order. See our landscaping in Gawler and paving in Gawler pages, or send us photos for a free quote.