Concrete, composite and pine sleeper walls set into galvanised steel H-beam posts, by a QBCC-licensed team who know a wall is only as good as its footings and drainage — the parts you never see.
A good retaining wall holds back tonnes of soil and water, levels a sloping block, and sets up everything built above it — a fence, a driveway, a patio. Get it right and you never think about it again. Get it wrong and it bulges, cracks and leans, and fixing it costs far more than building it properly the first time.
The durable favourite — concrete sleepers set into galvanised steel H-beam posts. Strong, clean-lined and built to last.
Modern composite sleepers that won’t rot, warp or split — a clean, low-maintenance finish that holds up for years.
Treated pine for budget garden and terrace walls, or denser hardwood sleepers for a longer-lasting, more premium timber look.
Core-filled and reinforced masonry for higher loads and a rendered, built-in finish.
In Brisbane, a retaining wall generally does not need building approval when all of these are true: the total height of the wall and the ground it retains is no more than one metre above natural ground level; it’s at least 1.5 metres from a building or another retaining wall; and there’s no surcharge loading (like a driveway, pool or another wall) in the zone behind it. It also can’t form part of a pool-safety barrier.
Once a wall is over a metre, close to a building or another wall, or carrying extra load above it, it typically needs engineering and building approval from a licensed certifier. Heights can also be combined where walls are stacked or terraced. We’ll tell you exactly where your job sits when we assess the site, and arrange engineering when it’s needed.
This is general information based on Brisbane City Council guidance and can change — it isn’t formal advice for your specific site. Requirements differ between councils (Brisbane, Logan, Gold Coast and others) and always depend on the actual conditions on your block. We’ll confirm what applies to your job.
Nearly every failed wall we’re called out to comes down to the same two things: drainage and footings. Water builds up behind a wall with nowhere to go, the pressure doubles, and the wall gives. Or the footings were too shallow for the load. Both are invisible once the job’s done — which is exactly why cheap walls look fine on day one and lean by year three.
That unseen groundwork is the whole point of how we work. We’re built for what’s behind the line.
Retaining walls are priced per lineal metre, not per square metre. As a broad guide, they commonly run from around $200 to $2,000+ per lineal metre, depending heavily on height, wall type, drainage, engineering, site access and how much excavation is involved. A low garden sleeper wall sits at the lower end; a tall engineered concrete wall at the upper. The only real number is a measured quote — and ours is free.
Figures are general market ranges for guidance only, not a quote.
Often yes — but only if the wall was designed for it. The extra height and wind load a fence adds has to be planned into the wall and its footings from the start. If you’re considering both, tell us early and we’ll design them to work together — a Colorbond or timber fence set properly on a wall built to carry it.
Generally not if the retained height is under one metre, it’s at least 1.5 m from a building or another wall, and there’s no extra load behind it. Over that, or near structures, it usually needs engineering and certifier approval. We confirm what applies to your site.
Walls over about a metre, walls carrying load above them, and stacked/terraced walls typically need engineering. We arrange certified engineering whenever a job calls for it.
Pine and hardwood sleepers suit lower garden walls — pine for budget, hardwood for longevity; composite won’t rot, warp or split; concrete sleepers are the strongest and longest-lasting, especially for taller walls. Whichever you choose, we set them into galvanised steel H-beam posts — not timber — so the structure lasts. We’ll recommend based on your height and soil.
Almost always poor drainage or undersized footings — water pressure building behind the wall, or footings too shallow for the load. Both are hidden, which is why doing them right matters most.
A properly built, well-drained concrete sleeper or block wall can last decades. Longevity is decided by the drainage and footings far more than by the sleepers you can see.
Tell us about your slope and we’ll assess the site and have a preliminary quote back to you within 24 hours. Servicing Brisbane & the Gold Coast.
