Retaining walls can be a great investment for the long run as what they do can make a massive difference to your property, especially if they are for structural reasons. Having said that, they can cost a bit. But the end result can be justified and the time frame they will last for.
Whether it’s for a feature garden wall, structural purposes, creating extra land via levelling out an area, a boundary or any other reason.
It’s important to understand when done right a retaining wall can cost a bit. I say done right as there’s a lot of people out there quoting what seems to be a good price but unfortunately, the retaining wall is of poor standards.
I have to say retaining walls look amazing when finished. Especially as a feature within a landscaped area. Whether it’s sandstone, bluestone, a rock retaining wall or even a sleeper retaining wall. They, to me, look great.
Anyway, you’re here as your looking into the cost of building a retaining wall. Having a wide range of materials to choose from to build your wall, give you the opportunity to create a wall that is not only cost effective but also a real feature within your property.
Unless your after a wall where the sole purpose is to retain a section of the earth to build a house or a boundary where you only need the wall to do its job and the look is irrelevant. If this is the case, your best options usually come down to standard sleepers.
Ok. How much will my retaining wall cost?
So let’s go into a few things here to give you a better idea as to what you retaining wall may cost. Remembering there are many variations when it comes to cost so you need to take that into consideration. As I’ve said above it does first come down to what you need the wall for. Let’s have a look at a few variations.
- The different materials that can be used to build a retaining wall. Not all materials cost the same.
- The size of the wall. Will affect the time to build it
- The area will be built on. The access of the area
- Who can build your retaining wall
- The style of the retaining wall. Different walls take different times to build
Types of retaining walls You Can Build In South Australia
There’s plenty of types of retaining walls you can build for your property. Usually, you’ll have a fair idea as to what type of wall your after. We have other articles on this site that can help with the selection process if you need some ideas.
Hiring a retaining wall builder.
I’ll give you some tips to look into when you’re hiring a retaining wall builder.
Professionalism and approachability are two big things in our eyes. Something we pride ourselves on. You want to make sure you can communicate with your landscaper. This might sound like common sense but you’d be surprised.
Where they are located can be something to mention. In this game, we go where we need to, and Cairns is relatively small compared to other cities. So this is not really an issue. But it can depend on the work involved.
How much does a retaining wall cost?
As we know there are a number of factors that will influence the cost of your retaining wall, specifically.
- The size of the wall
- How high the wall will be
- The materials that are used
- The design, This will include excavation and drainage requirements
This is a very hard question to answer without seeing the site in question, as there are so many variations. If you look at what a small retaining wall could cost. It could be under or around the $1000 mark. And that’s very small.
If you go for a low-cost material like untreated pine there’s a good chance the lifespan of the wall will be limited, especially in this area For a quality retaining wall. Material like concrete stone would be the better option. As expected this would cost a little more.
The bigger the wall the bigger the coast. Pretty self-explanatory.
Other costs that will be involved again depending on the size of the wall will be excavation and drainage
When it comes to quotes on materials and labour again it depends but let’s look at some ballpark figures per square metre basis.
- $300 to $450 per square metre for treated timber sleepers (hardwood)
- $300 to $550 per square metre for sandstone blocks
- $400 to $680 per square metre for reinforced concrete blocks
- $550 to $700 per square metre for concrete besser blocks
Just remember these prices are just to be used as a general guide. Prices may vary.
Now hopefully you have a little better idea as to the processes involved and how it can vary in price. The same wall on one property might cost more or less on another property. I hope you see what I’m getting at.
Retaining walls Cairns and the outer areas, that’s what we do. We also offer other landscaping services and are the go-to Cairns concreting team If you would like an on-site quote for a retaining wall. Please get in touch and we’ll be happy to help you out.