Palmerston North

Properties with significant slopes often need a combination of wall types, and we regularly mix terraced garden walls with a main engineered structure. Materials across those jobs include concrete sleeper, link block, timber, stone and boulder. The mix is tailored to the land and your budget.

The short answer is that it varies. Councils and states each set their own triggers, and factors like wall height, proximity to boundaries or driveways and any easements all come into play. We check the requirements for your site and handle the paperwork if approval is needed.

During the site visit we measure the proposed height and length, assess the soil, check machinery access and work out what excavation, drainage, engineering or approvals will be involved. Those factors together determine the price. Once we have seen the site you receive a free written quote with no strings attached.

The honest answer is that it varies with the site, but few residential walls take longer than about a week of on-site work. Delays usually come from weather or approval lead times rather than the construction itself. We communicate early if anything threatens the schedule we agreed on.

Water pressure behind the wall is often the real villain here. If we can relieve that pressure with proper drainage before the structure itself gives way, a repair may be all that is needed, though a wall that has already rotated or cracked through usually needs to be rebuilt. We will tell you honestly which situation you are in.

Doing things properly is the foundation of our reputation, and that starts with being licensed and insured for retaining wall construction. Australian standards guide every design and build decision we make. Where engineer certification is required, we organise it and hand you the certificate at completion.

Soil and site conditions in this part of the world are something we know intimately, which translates into retaining walls designed for the ground they sit on. Our focus stays on the local area and surrounding suburbs for exactly that reason. A short call confirms whether we reach you.

The whole engagement is designed to be low stress for the property owner. It starts with a site visit to measure up and check soil, levels, access and drainage, followed by a written quote and, once approved, any engineering or council approvals the project needs. Excavation, footings, the wall, drainage and backfill then proceed in order, and we wrap up by leaving the site clean and walking you through the finished work.

Engineers design retaining walls around the assumption that water can escape from behind them. Remove the drainage and the saturated backfill places loads on the wall far beyond its design, which is why undrained walls so often lean and crack. We include an ag pipe, free-draining gravel and weep holes where appropriate in every wall we build.

Certified engineering on the walls that require it gives our guarantee real teeth. Our workmanship is backed on every project, and if a wall ever underperforms we come back and correct it.