Planning a new garden or backyard, and not sure where to start? At Dapple Landscape Design, our landscape designers specialise in residential landscape design across Sydney and the Blue Mountains. With over a decade of hands-on experience, we're trusted by homeowners for practical, creative and council-ready designs.
Whether you're building a new home, renovating an existing property, or refreshing your outdoor space, our team provides expert guidance every step of the way, from concept to council approval and through to a coordinated build.
Ready to talk through your project? Call us today on 1300 DAPPLE (1300 327 753) or send us a message below.
Quick answer
Residential landscape design covers everything from a simple concept sketch through to a fully documented, council-ready plan. Most new dwellings and larger renovations in NSW also need to satisfy BASIX water targets, and your landscaping plays a direct role in that, low water use planting is measured and assessed as part of your BASIX certificate, not treated separately. Dapple Landscape Design prepares DA, CDC and BASIX-aligned landscape documentation for Sydney homes, then coordinates the build with trusted trades. Costs vary significantly by project scope, so we provide a tailored quote once we understand your specific project.
Your Garden Is Part of Your BASIX Compliance, Not Separate From It
Most Sydney homeowners planning a new build, knockdown-rebuild, or a renovation over $50,000 know they need a BASIX certificate. Fewer realise how directly their landscaping choices factor into that requirement, and it's a detail worth understanding before a concept plan is drawn, not after.
BASIX sets a water reduction target against a benchmark of 90,340 litres per person per year, the average consumption of a pre-BASIX Sydney home. For roughly 90% of new residential development, that target is a 40% reduction. Your garden and lawn area is measured directly from your development application plans, and if you nominate low water use or indigenous species toward meeting that target, a landscape plan listing the specific plant species must be submitted with the DA, it isn't enough to describe the garden generally.
A garden that looks water-wise and a garden that satisfies BASIX are not automatically the same thing.
BASIX requires specific species to be listed and measured against defined water target zones. A planting plan built with this in mind from the outset avoids a mismatch between what's approved and what's actually installed.
We design planting palettes that genuinely meet BASIX's low water use criteria, often drawing on species rated under Sydney Water's Plant Selector scheme, while still delivering a garden that looks considered rather than like a compliance checklist. For the DA side of this in more depth, see our guide on whether you need a DA landscape plan.
Deep Soil and Canopy: The Other Requirement Most Homeowners Miss
Alongside BASIX, Sydney councils are increasingly applying deep soil requirements aimed at protecting urban tree canopy, ground that isn't built over or covered by structure below it. This isn't just a City of Sydney concern; equivalent controls sit within DCPs across many Sydney LGAs, and they directly shape how much of a site can realistically be built on versus landscaped. Getting a sense of your site's deep soil obligations early, before a floor plan is locked in, avoids the far more expensive scenario of redesigning after council flags a shortfall.
Our Residential Landscaping Services
Dapple Landscape Design offers a complete suite of services tailored for Sydney homeowners:
- Garden Plans Online
- Pool Landscaping
- DA, CDC and BASIX-aligned landscape documentation
- 3D Visualisations and Concept Modelling
- Plant Selection & Horticultural Advice
- Bushfire-Resistant Landscaping
Each service is delivered by our design team, led by Julian Saw, and built around local council and BASIX requirements across Sydney and the Blue Mountains.
Why Homeowners Choose Dapple Landscape Design
95% DA Approval Rate
Documentation built to answer what NSW councils, and BASIX, are actually assessing, on first submission.
Since 2013
Over a decade of residential design experience across Sydney's varied microclimates.
Horticultural Grounding
Julian's experience includes time at the Royal Botanic Gardens and the University of Sydney.
We're a member of the Landscape Design Institute, with specialist knowledge of Sydney's local conditions and BASIX water target zones, sustainable and water-efficient design tailored to your home's orientation and soil type, and end-to-end project involvement from design concept through to a coordinated build.
Our Design Process
1
Initial Consultation — We discuss your vision, lifestyle and budget, onsite across Sydney and the Blue Mountains, or online for clients anywhere in Australia.
2
Concept Design — Layout ideas, plant palettes and material options, developed around your site, brief and any BASIX or deep soil obligations.
3
Detailed Drawings — Construction-ready plans, sections and documentation, including specific plant listings where BASIX low water use commitments apply.
4
Council/DA Submission — We prepare and lodge compliant documentation with your local council.
5
Construction Coordination — We liaise with trusted trades and contractors to ensure your design, and its compliance commitments, are implemented as planned.
From concept to completion, we stay involved with care and attention at every stage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my landscaping actually affect my BASIX certificate?
Yes. Your garden and lawn area must be shown on your DA plans and measured for BASIX water assessment. If you nominate low water use or indigenous species to help meet your water reduction target, a landscape plan listing the specific species must be submitted alongside your DA, general descriptions aren't sufficient.
How much does residential landscape design cost in Sydney?
Cost depends heavily on site size, complexity and the level of documentation required, a simple concept plan is a very different scope to a full DA-ready package with BASIX-aligned planting and 3D visualisation. We provide a tailored quote once we understand your project. See our landscape design packages for the different levels available.
Can you design for new home builds or knockdown-rebuilds?
Yes. We frequently work alongside builders and architects to integrate landscaping, including BASIX and deep soil requirements, into new home designs from an early stage.
Do you manage council submissions?
Yes. Our team prepares and lodges DA or CDC documentation, and follows up on council feedback to keep the approval process moving.
Do you handle construction too, or only design?
We lead with design, then coordinate the construction phase with trusted trades on your behalf, so you're not left to manage that handoff yourself. See our Landscaping Companies Sydney page for more on how that works.
Areas We Service
We deliver residential landscape design services across Sydney and the Blue Mountains, including the Inner West, North Shore, Sutherland Shire, Western Sydney, Hills District and Northern Beaches. Each area benefits from our local knowledge of plant selection, soil types, BASIX water target zones and council guidelines.
Ready to Elevate Your Home's Outdoor Space?
Talk through your project, including your BASIX and council obligations, with our principal landscape designer today.
Discuss Your Garden Call 1300 DAPPLE
1300 327 753