Retaining Walls
Retaining built to hold ground, tied into the excavation and drainage we are already doing on site.
What this covers
- Structural and landscape retaining walls
- Excavation and footings
- Drainage behind the wall, done properly
- Batter and slope stabilisation
The work in detail
Timber sleeper retaining walls
Hardwood and treated timber sleeper walls for garden terracing, driveways and yard levels. Honest, cost-effective retaining done with proper posts, footings and drainage, so the wall is still straight in ten years.
Concrete sleeper retaining walls
Concrete sleepers on galvanised steel posts for walls that need to last: higher loads, wet ground and walls you never want to think about again. A step up in cost from timber and often worth it.
Excavation and footings
The wall is only as good as what is behind and beneath it. We cut the bank, excavate footings and manage the earthworks with our own machines, one crew for the dirt and the wall.
Drainage behind the wall
Most failed retaining walls die from water, not load. Aggregate, drainage pipe and outlets behind every wall we build, done properly the first time.
Engineering and approvals
Bigger walls need engineering and consent. We build to engineered designs where the height or ground demands it, and tell you upfront when your wall falls into that territory.
Built for coast and hill blocks
Half the residential blocks on the Mid North Coast have a slope on them, and the new estates cut into hillsides from Port Macquarie to Coffs Harbour need retaining from day one. On rural blocks it is dams, driveways and shed cuts that call for walls. We build retaining as part of a bigger earthworks job or as a standalone project.
Retaining Walls across our patch
Straight answers
Do I need council approval for a retaining wall in NSW?
As a general rule, low garden walls can be exempt development, but walls above roughly 600 mm, walls supporting driveways or structures, and walls near boundaries usually need approval and engineering. The exact rules depend on your council and your site. We flag it during quoting rather than leaving you to find out later.
Timber or concrete sleepers?
Timber is cheaper and looks natural, and a well-built timber wall lasts a long time. Concrete sleepers cost more upfront but shrug off moisture and termites, which matters for higher walls and wet ground. We will give you a straight recommendation for your site, not just the dearer option.
Why do retaining walls fail?
Almost always water and shortcuts: no drainage behind the wall, undersized posts, footings too shallow. Retained earth gets extremely heavy when wet. Every wall we build has drainage designed in, because rebuilding a failed wall costs far more than building it right.
What does a retaining wall cost?
It scales with height, length, material, access for machinery and how much excavation the bank needs. Engineered walls carry design costs on top. We measure up on site and give a firm, itemised quote for free.
Often on the same job
One of the reasons to keep it under one banner. These crews already work alongside retaining walls.
Need retaining walls?
Send through what you need and where it is. We will tell you straight whether it is one we can do well.