Anyone can show you a nice picture.
What sets a build apart is everything underneath it.
The base
Compacted course under every paver and slab, so the surface stays flat long after the first winter.
The water
Stormwater and subsoil drainage, built in before it matters. Water is what wrecks a wall, a lawn or a patio a year later.
The structure
Retaining walls built to hold the hill, on the steep, tight sites other crews pass on.
The paper
A fixed written quote off a real site visit. What's included is spelled out, and any variation is agreed in writing first.
The crew
The same people from first dig to final walk-through, with the owner across every job. Nearly 1 in 3 clients come back.
The ground you don't see is where the money goes. It is also why the work is still standing ten years on.
Design, build, maintain.
One crew from first dig to final walk-through. You coordinate nothing.
Every job is priced from a site visit. The quote spells out what's included and what's extra, like removal and cart-away, before you sign.
See all servicesBuilt across the region.
Real sections with names and stories, on the same kind of ground as yours.
Paremata Road, before and after.
Drag the slider to see the build.
The same people on every job, for close to two decades.
Distinctive has built outdoor spaces across the Wellington region for close to two decades. Thousands of contracts in that time, and nearly one in three clients come back for the next one. People do not come back to a crew that cut corners.
The same people work on every job, from the first dig to the final walk-through. You are not handed off to a stranger halfway through, and you are not left chasing subbies you have never met. We stand behind what we build, and we are still here to look after it.
More about usWe thoroughly enjoyed working with Distinctive Landscapes to design our BBQ patio area, including a raised planter box, seating, paving, drainage, and fencing. Their expertise and cost-effective suggestions brought everything together perfectly. We would happily work with them again.
Four steps, no surprises.
Site visit
We walk the real site, not a photo. You meet the people who will do the work.
Fixed written quote
Scoped from that visit and itemised, so you can see where the money goes. The quote is the price.
The build
One crew, start to finish. We deal with the trades, the deliveries and the site. You coordinate nothing.
Walk-through & aftercare
We walk the finished job with you and write down anything that needs putting right. We fix it before the final invoice. Then we look after what we built.
We run one crew and take on a set number of builds at a time, so there is usually a wait for a start date. We will always tell you where you sit in the queue.
Current lead time is 4-6 weeks, sometimes longer for larger builds.No surprises.
The owner prices every job
Charl walks the site before any number goes on paper, and stays across the build from there.
The quote is the price
Fixed, in writing, GST included. We scope it from the real ground, not a photo.
Variations in writing, first
If the scope changes, we price it, put it in writing, and get your yes before the crew does the work. It never turns up as a surprise line on your invoice.
What's in, what's not
Removal, cart-away and dump fees are named on the quote. You know before you sign, not when the skip arrives.
Signed off before the final invoice
Every project ends with a completion walk-through and a written snag list. We fix anything on it before the final invoice goes out. The Consumer Guarantees Act applies to all our work.
What clients ask us first.
What will it cost?
We don't price a build off photos. Every job is different, so we come to your section, walk the real ground, and send back a fixed written quote, itemised, with GST included. That price is the price. A small repair and a big build cost very different amounts, and the site visit tells us which one yours is. Send a photo and a rough measurement first and we can give you an early steer, so nobody wastes a trip.
How do payments work?
A 30% deposit secures your start date. Larger projects are billed in stages tied to milestones, spelled out on the quote before you sign. The final invoice comes after the completion walk-through, once we have fixed anything on the snag list.
Do you remove the old deck, fence or concrete first?
Usually yes, but we price it as its own line, not hidden in the job. Pulling out an old wall or fence means breakers, a truck and dump fees, and those add up even on a small job. The quote spells out what removal and cart-away is included and what isn't. You know before you sign, not when the skip arrives.
What happens if something changes mid-build?
That is called a variation. You ask for more, or the ground throws up something we couldn't see. When it happens, we price it, put it in writing, and get your yes before the crew does the work. It never turns up as a surprise line on your final invoice.
How long until you can start?
We run one crew and take on a set number of builds at a time, so there is usually a wait. The sooner we walk your section, the sooner you are on the calendar. We book summer work months ahead, and we will always tell you where you sit in the queue. Current lead time is 4-6 weeks, sometimes longer for larger builds.
Can we stage the work to fit a budget?
Yes, and clients do it all the time. Deck now, planting later. We would rather change the scope than cut the standard. Tell us the budget and we will show you what to do first, what can wait, and where a different material saves money.
Do you design, or only build from someone else's plan?
Both. We can take you from a bare section through concept and planting to a finished build. We also build from architects' and designers' plans, including a 10-year build partnership with landscape designer Ben Hoyle. If you already have a designer, we work alongside them.
Got a question that isn't here? Ask us and you'll get a straight answer.
Ask usBook your site visit.
Tell us about the section and what you want from it. We come to you, walk the real ground, and send back a fixed written quote.
Planning for later in the year? Tell us the timeframe. We book builds months ahead.