Landscaping works agreement — smaller jobs (Victoria)

Property & tenancy · VIC

A plain-English written agreement for a smaller Victorian landscaping job: scope, price, payments, timing and how changes get recorded.

Who it is for

You are a homeowner or landscaper putting a smaller job in writing — the kind that does not require a major domestic building contract. Getting scope and payments written down is what prevents most disputes.

When to see a lawyer instead

Do not use this document where the job requires a major domestic building contract — that is, broadly, where the work is domestic building work involving more than one trade and the price is over $10,000 (Consumer Affairs Victoria). Those contracts have contents required by law and a cooling-off regime, and a home-made version can be legally defective. Also stop and get advice if the work includes a retaining wall of 1m or more, a deck with a structural subfloor, a pool or spa barrier, or anything needing a building permit. If work has already gone wrong, talk to a lawyer rather than papering over it.

What you will fill in

• Client full name
• Address where the work will be done
• Landscaper full name
• Business name and ABN
• Building practitioner registration number (write "not applicable" if none)
• Describe the work in detail
• What is NOT included
• Total price in A$ (including GST)
• Deposit in A$
• When the remaining payments are due
• Expected start date
• Expected completion date
• Who obtains any permits needed?

Source: BIXSO staff-drafted plain-English agreement. Deposit and progress-payment notes reflect Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995 (Vic) ss 11 and 40; the major-contract boundary reflects Consumer Affairs Victoria guidance. Not a major domestic building contract.

This is legal information, not legal advice.