Common questions about our work.
Plain answers to the questions we hear most — about garden services, pool service, vegetable gardens, home management and gutter cleaning across Cape Town's Atlantic Seaboard and Southern Suburbs. If yours isn't here, just ask.
How much does garden service cost on the Atlantic Seaboard?
Garden maintenance is priced per visit, based on garden size, terrain and frequency. Most clients are on weekly or fortnightly schedules, and pool service can be bundled into the same visit. We provide a written quote after a free on-site assessment — before any work starts.
What is a fair monthly rate for garden maintenance in Cape Town?
Monthly cost depends on garden size and how often we visit — a weekly schedule on a larger estate costs more than fortnightly on a compact garden. The rate always reflects a complete visit: pruning, edging and chemistry checks are part of the standard scope. We quote a fixed monthly figure after a free on-site assessment.
How often should my garden be serviced?
Most established gardens on the Atlantic Seaboard and Southern Suburbs need a weekly visit during summer (October to April) and a fortnightly visit through winter. Newer gardens with young plantings or active landscaping projects benefit from weekly visits year-round. Rock House Gardens recommends a schedule based on your garden's size and planting density.
Do you manage vegetable gardens?
Yes. Vegetable garden management is a separate Rock House Gardens service — seasonal planting plans, succession sowing, organic-first pest management and harvesting. Visits are priced individually, weekly in summer and fortnightly through winter. New beds (construction + irrigation + first planting) are quoted as a once-off setup.
Do you use loud petrol blowers?
All Rock House Gardens blowers are battery-powered. Of all garden equipment, the blower is the noise that travels furthest and the tool that generates the most neighbour complaints in heritage streets — so that is the one we changed across the fleet. Other equipment (mowers, trimmers, brush cutters) runs on petrol.
What is included in a standard garden service?
A standard Rock House Gardens visit includes mowing, edging, weeding of beds and paths, pruning (including ladder-height work), leaf and debris clearance, hedge trimming where needed, and removal of all green waste. Larger jobs (heavy pruning, mulch top-ups, planting) are quoted separately and scheduled in advance.
Do you clean gutters?
Yes. Rock House Gardens offers gutter cleaning — clearing leaves and debris from gutters and downpipes and checking for blockages and overflow points. It's best done seasonally, especially before the winter rains, and is quoted by property or added to a regular garden visit.
How do I find a reliable garden service while I am overseas?
Look for a registered company (Pty Ltd, UIF and COIDA compliant), insurance, written schedules, monthly photo reports, and a single named contact who answers WhatsApp during your timezone. Rock House Gardens offers all of these as part of its home management service for international property owners.
What does home management for absentee owners cost?
Home management is priced monthly, after we assess the property. It includes weekly site checks, vendor coordination, monthly photo reports and emergency response. Properties with pools or larger grounds are quoted higher. All invoicing is in ZAR with monthly statements.
What does home management include?
Rock House Gardens home management includes weekly walk-through inspections, garden and pool oversight, pest management for the garden and grounds, vendor coordination (electricians, plumbers, Wi-Fi), security-company management (we liaise with your provider and act on their reports), monthly photographic reports, maintenance call-out and triage, key holding, mail and parcel collection (to our premises or on a service visit), and prepaid electricity top-up if you run low.
How do you handle pool service in winter?
Pool service continues year-round. In winter (May to August in Cape Town) visits move to fortnightly for most pools, focusing on chemistry, leaf clearance and equipment checks. Pumps stay running on reduced cycles unless you instruct otherwise. Salt and chlorine pools are both supported.
What chemicals do you use in pools?
Rock House Gardens uses standard, regulated pool chemicals — granular chlorine or salt-cell systems, pH adjusters and stabiliser as needed. We do not over-dose or experiment with off-label products. Chemistry readings are logged on every visit and shared with home-management clients in monthly reports.
Do you offer once-off garden cleanups?
Yes. Once-off cleanups are quoted by site visit, based on the garden’s size and condition. Once-off work is a good way to start a relationship with Rock House Gardens before signing on for ongoing maintenance.
How quickly can you start?
For garden maintenance, Rock House Gardens can usually start within one to two weeks of accepting a quote, subject to route capacity. For home management, we onboard within seven days. Once-off cleanups can sometimes happen the same week if a slot opens.
What areas do you cover?
Rock House Gardens covers Cape Town's Atlantic Seaboard and Southern Suburbs — Hout Bay (the home base), Llandudno, Camps Bay, Constantia and adjacent areas such as Bakoven, Clifton, Tokai and Bishopscourt, taken on as the route allows. If your property is further afield, ask — routes grow with demand.
Are you registered for UIF and COIDA?
Yes. Rock House Gardens is the garden services division of Rock House (Pty) Ltd, a registered South African private company. Rock House (Pty) Ltd is registered for UIF (Unemployment Insurance Fund) and COIDA (Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases). Registration certificates are available on request.
Are your workers insured?
Yes. Rock House Gardens carries public liability insurance covering property damage on client sites, and COIDA cover for worker injury. Cover details are available on request before any work begins.
How do you handle keys and access for international owners?
Keys for home-management clients are stored in a labelled, locked safe. Access is logged — we record date, time and which staff member entered the property. Smart-lock codes are accepted. We require a written access agreement signed before any keys are handed over.
Do you offer monthly invoices?
Yes. All clients are invoiced monthly in ZAR with a clear summary of visits, hours and any once-off work. Home-management invoices include the monthly photo report. Payment terms are seven days from invoice date for residents, 14 days for international owners.
Can I pay in foreign currency?
All invoicing is in ZAR. International owners can pay by SWIFT or by ZAR-denominated transfer from a foreign account; bank fees are split unless agreed otherwise. A small handful of clients pay via Wise — we accept that too.