Hedge Trimming Cost in Melbourne (2026 Pricing Guide)

Hedge trimming in Melbourne costs between $80 and $1,500 in 2026, depending on the height of the hedge, how long since the last trim, and how much fence-line you’ve got. A neat 5-metre Buxus border at 1.5m sits at the lower end. A neglected 4m Photinia hedge that hasn’t been touched in two years sits at the upper end. This guide breaks the price down by hedge size, pricing model, and what makes one quote come in higher than another — so you know what you’re paying for before the quote lands.

Average Hedge Trimming Cost in Melbourne

Hedge prices vary mostly with height and how overgrown the hedge has become. Here’s the range you’ll see across Melbourne in 2026:

• Small hedge (under 2m, ~5m run) — $80 to $180 (Buxus, Murraya, low Lilly Pilly borders)
• Medium hedge (2-3m, ~10m run) — $200 to $450 (typical front-yard Photinia or mid-height conifer screens)
• Large hedge (3-5m, ~20m run) — $500 to $900 (mature side-fence Photinia, tall Murraya, Conifer screens needing ladder work)
• Overgrown or 5m+ hedges — $900 to $1,500+ (multi-year neglect, pole or EWP work, large waste volume)

These figures cover trimming all sides, shaping the top, removing the clippings, and leaving the site clean. Major reductions back to a manageable height after years of neglect are usually quoted separately because they take 2-3x the time of a maintenance trim.

Hedge Trimming Pricing Models — Per Metre, Per Hour, Per Day

Melbourne arborists price hedges four ways. Most quotes are a blend of two of them — per-metre for the body of the work and per-hour for the awkward bits. The Council of Garden Industry Australia tracks per-metre as the dominant model for residential hedge work [5].

1. Per metre — $8 to $15 per linear metre

The most common pricing for routine maintenance trims on hedges up to 3m tall. A 10m Photinia hedge at 2.5m tall, trimmed in spring, sits at $80-$150. Per-metre pricing breaks down when the hedge is overgrown, very tall, or near powerlines — those jobs shift to hourly.

2. Per hour — $90 to $130 per hour

Used for tall hedges, restoration trims after years of neglect, or work next to powerlines where Energy Safe Victoria’s clearance rules slow the job down [3]. Most residential hourly jobs are 2-4 hours total including clean-up.

3. Half-day — $400 to $600

Typical for a 15-20m run of medium-height hedge, or a smaller hedge that needs a reduction trim and shape. Half-day rates usually include a chipper on site, so you get clean removal of all green waste rather than a pile to deal with.

4. Full-day — $750 to $1,100

Reserved for big jobs — an entire boundary of overgrown Photinia, a multi-sided Conifer screen needing tower work, or a hedge that’s grown into powerlines and needs Energy Safe-compliant clearance work [3]. Full-day jobs are almost always quoted on inspection because the unknowns matter.

What Makes a Hedge Trimming Quote Higher Than Expected?

Three things push the price up more than anything else.

1. Height above 3m

Anything above 3m needs a platform, a ladder, or a pole trimmer — sometimes all three. WorkSafe Victoria’s working-at-heights regulations [2] require fall-arrest gear and a spotter from that height, which slows everything down. A hedge that would cost $200 at 2m can cost $500 at 4m for the same run length.

2. Two-plus years of neglect

A maintenance trim takes off 10-20cm of soft new growth. A reduction trim on a hedge that hasn’t been touched in two years is taking off 50cm+ of hard, woody growth — slower cutting, more wear on blades, and 3-5x the green waste volume to remove. Restoration is also stressful for the plant; Australian Native Plants Society notes that species like Lilly Pilly and Murraya recover well but need follow-up trims on a shorter cycle for the next 12 months [4].

3. Powerline clearance

Energy Safe Victoria mandates specific clearance distances between vegetation and overhead lines [3]. If your hedge has grown into or under powerlines, the work either needs an accredited line-clearance arborist or coordination with the local energy distributor — both push the price up. Council of Melbourne’s vegetation rules for private property reinforce this [1].

Related service

Tree Pruning in Melbourne

If your hedge has grown into a tree-sized canopy — or there are trees around the hedge that need shape work too — we can package the hedge trim and tree pruning in one visit. Same crew, same day, one quote, less travel cost.

See tree pruning service →

What’s Included vs What’s Extra

Most Melbourne quotes include the obvious work but leave the optional extras for a separate line. Knowing the split keeps quotes comparable.

When Is It Cheaper to Just Remove the Hedge?

If a hedge is over 5m tall, hollowing out in the middle, or has gaps you can see through, the cost of restoring it usually exceeds the cost of removing and replanting. A reduction trim on a 5m Photinia run might cost $1,200; full removal of the same hedge and replanting with younger Photinia at 1m tall costs $1,500-$2,500 — and the new hedge looks intentional rather than apologetic within 18 months.

For boundary hedges where you share the work with a neighbour, Consumer Affairs Victoria’s boundary-plant rules [6] cover who pays for what. The general principle: each owner can lawfully trim back any growth that crosses onto their side, and shared boundary plantings are usually a shared cost.

How to Get an Accurate Hedge Trimming Quote

For a quote, send us:

• A few photos from a couple of angles — one wide, one close-up
• Rough length of the hedge in metres
• Approximate height (eye-level is ~1.7m, single-storey eaves are ~2.5m)
• When it was last trimmed, if you know
• Whether there are powerlines, paths, or pavers nearby

For anything over 3m tall or 15m long, we’ll come out and measure on site. Same crew that does the trim does the quote, so the number you get is the number we’ll do it for. The site visit is free.

Written by

Rob Tufuga

Founder & Lead Arborist, Precision Arbor Care

Rob has been climbing, cutting and shaping trees across Melbourne for more than 15 years. He started Precision Arbor Care to do tree work the way he always wished he could when he worked for bigger crews — one job at a time, no upselling, and an honest number on the quote. He still personally inspects every job over $1,000 and answers the phone himself whenever he’s not up a tree.

Need a hedge trimmed, a tree pruned, or a stump out? Call Rob on 0413 606 544 or request a quote online.

Frequently Asked Questions