Retaining Walls Gold Coast
Block, brick and sleeper retaining walls, built on proper footings with drainage behind them, by the same team that finishes the garden around them.
Bella Terra Group builds retaining walls across the Gold Coast, from low garden walls and raised planters to structural and engineered walls on sloping blocks. We build concrete retaining walls in core-filled block and concrete sleepers, as well as brick, rendered block and timber sleeper walls, each with the footing and drainage it needs to stay standing. Quotes are free and measured on site.
On a sloping block, the retaining wall is usually the first thing we build, because the lawn, pool or entertaining area above it depends on it. The same team digs the site, builds the walls and finishes the paving, turf and planting, so you have one company on site and one programme from start to finish.
Most of a wall’s strength sits where you’ll never see it, in the footing, the reinforcement and the drainage behind the face. Every wall we build goes up under our QBCC Builder - Low Rise licence, and our owner, Dion McGirr, manages each project personally. The aim, as Dion once put it to a client, is to “build something to last the test of time.”
The two halves
What Makes a Retaining Wall Last?
Every retaining wall that lasts gets two things right. The structure, meaning the footing, the reinforcement and the drainage behind the wall, decides whether it stays straight under the weight of wet soil. The face, meaning the block, render, sleepers or stone you see, decides how the wall sits with the house and the garden.
Each half fails in its own way. A neatly finished wall with no drainage behind it can lean, crack or bulge after a wet summer, and a sound wall left as bare block looks unfinished beside new paving.
We plan both together. The height, footing, drainage outlet and finish are set in the design, along with the steps, planters and paving that meet the wall.
The work
Our Retaining Wall Services
Our own team builds the walls below under our QBCC builder’s licence, to an engineer’s design wherever a wall needs one. Choosing the wall type is our job. Tell us what the space has to do and we’ll recommend one.
Block, brick and sleeper retaining walls
The right wall depends on its height, what it holds back and how it should look. A wall beside a driveway or under a pool terrace carries more load than a garden edge, so we choose the material and the footing for the load first and the finish second.
Here's what our retaining wall construction covers.
- Core-filled concrete block retaining walls, reinforced with steel
- Concrete sleeper retaining walls on steel posts
- Timber sleeper walls, garden edges and sleeper steps
- Brick and rendered block walls for boundaries and features
- Structural and engineered walls on steep or heavily loaded sites
- Sandstone, rock and gabion walls
- Excavation and the site cut before the wall is built
Drainage, finishes and the garden around the wall
Drainage is what keeps a retaining wall standing after heavy rain, and the finish is what you look at every day. Water that can't escape builds pressure behind a wall, so we lay a drainage pipe in free-draining gravel behind it and connect it to an outlet before the soil goes back.
Here's what our drainage and finishing work covers.
- Drainage pipe and gravel backfill behind the wall
- Levels and falls that carry water away from the wall and the house
- Render, paint and capping on block walls
- Steps, raised planters and seats built into the wall
- Concreting for the paths, slabs and steps beside it
- Raised terraces and walls for pool landscaping
Every wall we quote begins on site. Standing on the slope lets us see the soil and the access as they are, and hear what you want the space to do before anything is priced.
During the visit we walk the site with you and measure the levels. We talk through the wall types, how each one looks and wears, whether the wall will need approval or an engineer’s design, and what it costs, so you can choose what suits your budget.
The process
Our Process
Every wall starts with understanding the slope and what you want above and below it. From there, it runs in three stages.
- Consultation and site assessment. We check the bank’s height, the soil, the drainage, the boundaries, nearby buildings, underground pipes and cables, and machinery access.
- An itemised quote. Each part, from the excavation and footing to the drainage and finish, is priced separately.
- The work itself. Our team builds the wall in the order below, and Dion hands the finished project back to you.
In What Order Is a Retaining Wall Built?
Each stage of a wall rests on the one before it. Backfill before the drainage is in, and the only way to add it later is to dig the soil out again.
- Design, engineering and approval. The height, drainage and finish are set first, and any engineer's design or building approval is in place before digging starts.
- Excavation and the site cut. The bank is cut back far enough to fit the footing and the drainage behind the wall.
- The footing. A concrete footing is poured to suit the wall's height and load, because every course above it rests on it.
- Building the wall. Blocks are laid and core-filled, or posts are set and sleepers slotted in, course by course to a string line.
- Drainage and backfill. The drainage pipe and gravel go in behind the wall as it rises, connected to an outlet, before the soil is packed back.
- Render, paving and planting, last. The render, capping, paving, turf and planting go in once the wall is backfilled, so the heavy work can't damage them.
Recent work
Recent Retaining Wall Projects Around the Gold Coast
Recent wall projects include rendered retaining walls and steps in Hope Island, a walled courtyard with raised planters in Burleigh Heads, and core-filled block walls beside a new pool. We keep our clients’ names private, so each project is described by its work.
Hope Island: raised rendered planter walls along the pool fence, with steps beside them and a rendered boundary wall.
Core-filled block retaining walls and steps beside a new pool, mid-build.
Why Bella Terra Group
Choosing Bella Terra Group for Your Retaining Wall
Our owner, Dion McGirr, has been in the trade for over 14 years, and our wall projects range from raised planters and garden walls to structural walls on sloping blocks. Many are part of a full landscape design, so the walls, steps and garden are planned together.
Each wall is built by the same company, under QBCC licence 15452813, with Dion managing the work on site. After we built her new retaining wall, Diane wrote that it “is very high quality and is admired by everyone,” and described the team as “hard-working, punctual, polite & tidy.” Another client wrote that Dion “made some valuable suggestions on the design and layout, particularly in relation to the retaining walls which significantly improved the design and finish overall.”
Quotes are free, measured on site and itemised, with no obligation to go ahead.
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a retaining wall cost on the Gold Coast?
A retaining wall is priced on its height and length, the material, the footing and drainage behind it, any engineering or approval it needs, and the access for machinery. Those change too much from one block to the next for a set rate to be accurate, so we measure the site and provide an itemised quote at no charge.
Why do retaining walls fail?
Most retaining walls fail because water builds up behind them, or because the footing is too small for the wall's height and load. Wet soil pushes much harder than dry soil, so a wall with no drainage can lean, crack or bulge after heavy rain. We size each footing to its wall and lay drainage behind it before backfilling.
Are concrete sleeper or block retaining walls better on the Gold Coast?
Both last when the footing and drainage are right. Concrete sleeper walls go up quickly and suit long, straight runs, while core-filled block walls suit curves, steps and taller structural walls, and can be rendered to match the house. We recommend one once we've seen the slope.
How do I choose retaining wall builders on the Gold Coast?
Check the builder's licence on the QBCC register, and ask who designs the footing and drainage and whether the wall needs approval. A good builder’s answer explains the order of works and who manages the project day to day.
Do I need council approval for a retaining wall on the Gold Coast?
You need building approval unless the wall meets every one of the City of Gold Coast's exemptions. These include being less than 1 metre high, more than 1.5 metres from a building or another retaining wall, supporting only the soil behind it, and not built over a sewer or stormwater line. We check each wall against them at the site visit.
Source: the City of Gold Coast.
Areas We Serve Across the Gold Coast
We’re based in Nerang and build retaining walls right across the Gold Coast. We don’t have a showroom, so every consultation happens on your site.
If you’re looking for retaining wall builders anywhere on the Gold Coast, there’s a good chance we’ve already worked nearby. Our recent projects include Burleigh Heads, Burleigh Waters, Palm Beach, Currumbin, Currumbin Valley, Casuarina, Benowa, Hope Island, Oxenford, Robina, Carrara, Parkwood, Bundall.
Not on that list? Get in touch. We cover most of the Gold Coast and can confirm on the phone whether your suburb is one of them.
Written by Dion McGirr, who runs Bella Terra Group and has been in the trade for over 14 years. You can talk to Dion directly about your project.
Get a free quote
Share a few details about the slope and the wall you have in mind, and Dion will be in touch to arrange an on-site consultation. The quote is free, itemised and carries no obligation. Fields marked with an asterisk are required.
Let’s discuss your wall
Get a free, no-obligation quote from our team.
Get a free quoteEvery quote is free, prepared on site and carries no obligation. Or call 0423 188 691.