NDIS yard maintenance is funded under the Core Supports budget as House and/or Yard Maintenance, support item 01_019_0120_1_1. If your plan includes funding under Assistance with Daily Life and yard maintenance qualifies as reasonable and necessary for your disability-related needs, you can use that funding to engage a registered provider for lawn mowing, garden bed maintenance, green waste removal, and other yard tasks. This guide covers exactly what NDIS yard maintenance covers, the 2026 price limits, how plan management affects your options, and what to look for in a registered provider in Melbourne.
Key Takeaways
- NDIS yard maintenance is funded under Core Supports as House and/or Yard Maintenance.
- The 2026-27 price limit for yard maintenance is $59.01/hr on weekdays, $82.61/hr on Saturdays, and $88.52/hr on Sundays and public holidays.
- Yard maintenance must qualify as reasonable and necessary in your plan before the NDIS will fund it.
- NDIA-managed and plan-managed participants must use a registered NDIS provider. Self-managed participants can use any provider.
- Covered tasks include lawn mowing, edging, garden bed weeding, mulching, green waste removal, and path clearance.
- Your support coordinator or plan manager can add yard maintenance to your plan at your next review if it is not already included.
- Must Have Maintenance’s NDIS gardening services come from a registered NDIS provider across Melbourne’s eastern and south-eastern suburbs, with direct billing to NDIA and plan managers.
What NDIS Yard Maintenance Covers
NDIS yard maintenance covers the tasks that keep your outdoor space safe, functional, and accessible. The NDIS funds yard maintenance on the basis that an overgrown or neglected yard creates a barrier to independence and safe movement for participants with disability.
Tasks covered under NDIS yard maintenance
In general, the following tasks are covered under this support when your plan identifies them as reasonable and necessary:
- Lawn mowing and edge trimming
- Garden bed weeding and pruning
- Mulching of garden beds
- Green waste removal and disposal
- Path and driveway clearance
- Removal of trip hazards in outdoor areas
Tasks generally not covered
NDIS yard maintenance does not fund landscaping, major tree removal, fencing, or structural garden construction. The NDIS classifies these as home modifications or capital works, outside the scope of Core Supports. Additionally, the NDIS is unlikely to approve general garden beautification unrelated to disability needs as reasonable and necessary.
The NDIS Code and 2026 Price Limits for Yard Maintenance
The NDIS support item for yard maintenance is 01_019_0120_1_1: House and/or Yard Maintenance. It sits within Support Category 1: Assistance with Daily Life, under the Core Supports budget.
According to the NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27, the recommended maximum prices for this support item from 1 July 2026 are:
| Day | Weekday | Saturday | Sunday / PH |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekday standard | $59.01/hr | — | — |
| Saturday | — | $82.61/hr | — |
| Sunday / Public Holiday | — | — | $88.52/hr |
Importantly, these are recommended maximum prices, not fixed rates. Providers may charge less. Additionally, Must Have Maintenance provides fixed, transparent pricing for all NDIS yard maintenance services, which your plan manager or support coordinator can confirm before any work begins.
For self-managed participants, these price limits do not apply, though they remain useful benchmarks when comparing providers.
READY TO USE YOUR NDIS FUNDING FOR YARD MAINTENANCE?
- Must Have Maintenance is a registered NDIS provider delivering NDIS gardening services across Melbourne. We work directly with participants, support coordinators and plan managers to arrange yard maintenance under your Core Supports budget. Call 1300 687 846 to discuss your plan.
How to Use Your NDIS Funding for Yard Maintenance
How you access NDIS yard maintenance funding depends on how your plan is managed. In practice, the three management types have different requirements for provider registration.
NDIA-managed (agency-managed)
If the NDIA manages your funding directly, you must use a registered NDIS provider for yard maintenance. Your provider claims directly from the NDIS portal using the support item code. As a result, you do not pay out of pocket. Must Have Maintenance is a registered NDIS provider and can bill the NDIA directly on your behalf.
Plan-managed
Similarly, plan-managed participants must use a registered NDIS provider. Your plan manager handles the invoicing and payment between the provider and the NDIA. In particular, contact your plan manager to confirm your available Core Supports budget before booking. They can also assist in adding yard maintenance to your plan at your next review if it is not currently included.
Self-managed
In contrast, self-managed participants can use any provider they choose, registered or unregistered. You pay the provider directly and submit a payment request to the NDIS for reimbursement. For self-managed participants, the NDIS price limits are not strictly enforceable, but you must still ensure the support is reasonable and necessary under your plan goals.
Adding yard maintenance to your plan
If yard maintenance is not currently in your plan, raise it at your next plan review. Bring evidence that an overgrown or unmanaged yard creates a risk to your safety, mobility, or independence. This might include a letter from your occupational therapist, your GP, or your support coordinator explaining the disability-related need. The NDIS guide to support budgets provides further detail on how Core Supports funding works and how to request changes.
Do Gardeners Need to Be NDIS Registered?
Whether a gardener needs to be NDIS registered depends on how your plan is managed, and the rules differ significantly by plan type. For NDIA-managed and plan-managed participants, yes: your provider must hold registration with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. For self-managed participants, registration is not mandatory, though working with a registered provider offers stronger quality and accountability protections.
What NDIS registration means for participants
Specifically, a registered NDIS provider has undergone an audit process and agreed to comply with the NDIS Practice Standards. This includes requirements around worker screening, incident management, complaints handling, and quality of service delivery. When you engage a registered provider, you have a clear avenue for complaint and accountability if the service does not meet standard.
How to verify a provider is registered
You can check whether a provider is registered using the NDIS provider finder. Simply search by service type and location. A registered provider will have a registration number you can verify. Must Have Maintenance is registered to deliver House and/or Yard Maintenance under Support Category 1: Assistance with Daily Life.
Worker screening requirements
All workers delivering NDIS support must hold a valid NDIS Worker Screening Check. This is different from a standard police check and is specific to the NDIS. When engaging a provider for yard maintenance, ask whether their staff hold current screening clearances. Registered providers must verify this before deploying any worker to deliver support.
Must Have Maintenance delivers NDIS gardening services in Melbourne through screened workers under a registered provider framework. Call 1300 687 846 to confirm registration details before booking.
Choosing an NDIS Yard Maintenance Provider in Melbourne
The right NDIS yard maintenance provider makes the process simple for both the participant and the plan manager. These factors matter most.
NDIS registration. Verify the provider holds registration with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission before signing any agreement. This is a non-negotiable requirement for NDIA-managed and plan-managed participants.
Direct billing to plan managers and NDIA. A good provider invoices your plan manager or the NDIA directly, so you do not need to handle payments. Confirm this before your first booking to avoid any out-of-pocket complications.
Fixed, transparent pricing. NDIS budgets require predictability. A provider who charges a fixed hourly rate within the NDIS price limits, with no hidden fees, makes it easier for your plan manager to track spend and plan ahead.
Worker screening. All workers must hold a valid NDIS Worker Screening Check. In particular, ask for confirmation before your first service delivery, not after.
Experience with NDIS participants. In addition, working in an NDIS context requires an understanding of plan goals, disability-related needs, and the importance of consistency. A provider experienced with NDIS participants delivers the service differently from a standard residential gardening company.
Service agreement. Finally, a formal service agreement protects both the participant and the provider. It should specify the services, frequency, price, and process for cancellation or changes. Importantly, participants must agree to any changes to existing service agreements before they take effect.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does NDIS pay for yard maintenance?
Under the 2026-27 NDIS Pricing Schedule, the recommended maximum rate for House and/or Yard Maintenance is $59.01 per hour on weekdays, $82.61 per hour on Saturdays, and $88.52 per hour on Sundays and public holidays. These are maximum rates set by the NDIS. Providers may charge less. Self-managed participants are not bound by these price limits but should ensure the rate they pay represents value for money under their plan goals. For current rates, refer to the NDIS pricing page on the NDIS website.
What is the NDIS code for yard maintenance?
Specifically, the NDIS support item code for yard maintenance is 01_019_0120_1_1, titled House and/or Yard Maintenance. It sits under Support Category 01: Assistance with Daily Life, within the Core Supports budget. This is the code your provider uses when submitting a payment claim to the NDIA or to your plan manager. For self-managed participants, you use this code when submitting your own reimbursement request through the myplace participant portal.
Do gardeners need to be NDIS registered?
For NDIA-managed and plan-managed participants, yes. The provider must hold registration with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. For self-managed participants, registration is not mandatory. However, working with a registered provider means the provider has met audit and practice standard requirements, and you have a formal complaints and accountability process available to you if the service falls short.
Does NDIS pay for gardening?
Yes. The NDIS funds gardening and yard maintenance under House and/or Yard Maintenance in the Core Supports budget. The key requirement is that your plan identifies the support as reasonable and necessary, meaning your disability affects your capacity to manage your yard safely and independently. General garden beautification or landscaping that is not linked to a disability-related need is not funded.
What are the NDIS price guidelines for 2026?
The NDIS released its 2026-27 Pricing Schedule on 1 July 2026, following the annual pricing review. For yard maintenance, the recommended maximum rates are $59.01 per hour on weekdays, $82.61 on Saturdays, and $88.52 on Sundays and public holidays. Additionally, the NDIS introduced a National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment Bill in May 2026, which proposes to give the Minister for the NDIS formal power to make binding pricing determinations. Participants and providers should monitor updates to the NDIS pricing arrangements as this legislation progresses.
The Bottom Line on NDIS Yard Maintenance
NDIS yard maintenance is a funded support under Core Supports, available to participants whose disability affects their capacity to maintain a safe and functional outdoor space. The 2026-27 weekday rate is $59.01 per hour, and NDIA-managed and plan-managed participants must use a registered provider. Must Have Maintenance is a registered NDIS provider delivering professional gardening services across Melbourne. We work directly with participants, support coordinators, and plan managers. Call 1300 687 846 or submit an enquiry to arrange a yard maintenance service under your NDIS plan.
