Canford Cliffs, Poole
Retaining Wall Rebuild, Canford Cliffs
A failing 2.1m retaining wall taken down and rebuilt properly, with the drainage that was missing first time.
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Service
Garden Walls & Retaining Walls in Dorset
Boundary walls, raised beds, terracing and engineered retaining that will still be standing in fifty years.
We build garden walls and retaining walls throughout Dorset – from a low brick boundary wall with piers and a bullnose capping, through to engineered reinforced retaining structures holding back a terraced garden on a sloping Purbeck or Bournemouth chine plot.
A retaining wall is a structural element, not landscaping. Anything holding back more than about a metre of ground needs designing for the load, and it needs drainage behind it. Most collapsed garden walls we get called to fix failed for one of those two reasons.
What's included
- Brick boundary and screen walls with piers and coping
- Reinforced concrete and blockwork retaining walls
- Sleeper, gabion and dry-stone retaining
- Raised beds, planters and terracing
- Proper drainage – land drain, free-draining backfill and weep holes
- Movement joints on long runs
- Gate posts, gate hanging and railings
- Repair and rebuild of failed or leaning walls
Why garden walls fail
Four causes account for nearly all of it. No foundation, or one far too shallow for the height. No drainage behind a retaining wall, so water pressure builds up and pushes it over. No movement joints on a long run, so thermal movement cracks it. And the wrong mortar or the wrong brick, so frost gets into it and the face blows.
None of these are expensive to get right at build time. All of them are expensive to fix afterwards.
Do I need permission for a garden wall?
Generally a wall up to 2 metres high is permitted development, dropping to 1 metre where it fronts a highway. Conservation areas, listed properties and some estates have tighter rules. If your wall sits on the boundary, the Party Wall Act may apply – we will tell you if we think it does.
Case studies
Garden & Retaining Walls we have done
Straight answers
Garden & Retaining Walls: your questions
How much does a garden wall cost?
A straightforward brick boundary wall in the Poole area typically costs around £250 to £400 per linear metre for a wall about a metre high, including foundation, facing brick, piers and capping. Retaining walls cost considerably more because of the foundation, reinforcement and drainage – expect £450 to £900 per linear metre depending on retained height.
How high can a retaining wall be before it needs engineering?
As a working rule, anything retaining more than 1 metre of ground should be designed by a structural engineer, and anything over 1.5 metres certainly should. We will tell you at the quote stage if your job needs a design, and we work with local engineers who can produce one quickly.
Can you rebuild a wall that has started to lean?
Usually, yes – and often it is cheaper to take it down and rebuild it properly than to prop and patch. We will look at the foundation and the drainage first, because rebuilding on the same failed base just buys you a few years.
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Free, no-obligation quote
Thinking about a project?
Tell us what you have in mind. We will come out, take a proper look, and send you a written quote with no obligation and no sales call afterwards.