The new house garden is probably the underestimated topic that ends up in litigation one time out of three in the turnkey contracts I expertise. The reason is simple: agency salespeople always present nice 3D perspectives with flowering hedges and wooden terraces, while the contract — reread line by line — generally excludes 80% of what is shown in the image. Here is what you need to check before signing the preliminary agreement, and at the time of the provisional reception.
What is almost always included in the turnkey contract
The “outdoor shell” within the meaning of the CCQ standard contract generally includes:
- The rough earthworks (levelling the land to plus or minus 10 cm)
- Removal of excess earth — beware, some contracts limit to 30 m³ and bill the excess
- The drainage chambers visible and accessible, connected to the municipal network
- Outdoor connections water, electricity, gas up to the property boundary
- The telecom drawing chamber and the ORES ducts
- A minimum clearance around the house (machine circulation zone)
That is all. And this represents about 60% of the total outdoor development cost. The rest is at your expense — and that is where the surprises begin.
What is almost never included
Across the 612 provisional receptions in my history, here are the items I see missing in 90% of contracts:
- Lawn seeding and plantings (from 2,500 to 6,000 € for 300 m²)
- Fine earthworks and final levelling (1,200 to 3,500 €)
- Driveable path in draining concrete, clinkers or paving stones (3,800 to 9,500 €)
- Fencing, gate, garden shed (4,500 to 12,000 € depending on linear metres)
- Outdoor terrace in wood, blue stone or composite (4,000 to 14,000 €)
- Rainwater downpipes with collector or buried tank connection
- Outdoor lighting and garden power sockets
In total, these items represent on average 8,000 to 22,000 € incl. VAT of additional expense for you — an amount rarely announced clearly by agency salespeople. A client from Wavre discovered, at reception, that he had to pay 17,800 € for arrangements he thought were included, having failed to read the special specifications document (CSC).
The grey area: the access route and the terrace
This is the most frequent trap. The contractual mention “passable access” is often vague: it can describe either compacted dolomite (300 €) or finished draining concrete (5,500 €). Similarly, “outdoor leisure area provided” can mean a simple screed (800 €) or a finished terrace in blue stone (12,000 €). To be clarified in writing before signing the preliminary agreement, never after.
Belgian case law
When a contract is ambiguous, Belgian courts generally apply the following practice: a “simple driveable lane” corresponds to a surface allowing the passage of a light vehicle without getting stuck, i.e. at least 15 cm of compacted aggregate. This therefore excludes mere lawn (often sold as “green access”). For the terrace, the practice is to retain the surface mentioned in the plan, but without fine finishing unless expressly stated.
Also check your building permit. Some municipalities impose planting rules (native hedges, minimum permeable surface) that are not covered by the standard turnkey package. In parallel, consult statbel.fgov.be — construction and housing for the 2026 statistics on average outdoor development costs in Wallonia and Brussels.
Pitfalls to avoid
- Never sign based on a commercial 3D perspective: demand the execution drawings
- Do not believe the salesperson’s verbal promises — only the CSC is binding before a judge
- Beware of contracts mentioning “outdoor completion per plans” without a detailed annex
- Photograph the land before works: this is your only proof of initial state
What to do next?
If you are at the signing stage, have your contract reviewed by an independent expert before any commitment. My firm offers Breyne Law support which includes a line-by-line review of the CSC and the securing of outdoor clauses. If you are already committed and reception is approaching, request a free quote to validate that your outdoor arrangements indeed match the signed contract.