Timber Retaining Walls
Timber is what most Christchurch sections end up with, and for good reason. A pole and rail wall goes up in a few days, costs less than block, and holds a 1.2m.
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Halswell, Canterbury
Retaining Walls in Halswell
Top Retaining Walls Christchurch builds retaining walls all through Halswell, which is one of the busiest suburbs in Christchurch for this work. Halswell has grown fast, and new subdivisions produce retaining walls the way older suburbs produce fences.
- Timber, block, gabion, stone and engineered walls
- Full drainage behind every wall we build
- Consents lodged through Christchurch City Council
- Drainage on every wall300mm of metal, a drain coil and geotextile. Never an optional extra.
- H5 poles as standardThe right treatment for timber that lives in wet ground.
- Consents handledChristchurch City, Selwyn and Waimakariri, start to finish.
- Itemised quotesYou see what the drainage and the spoil actually cost.
Halswell sits where the plains meet the hills
Most of Halswell is flat plains ground with good bearing. Head south and west toward Kennedys Bush and Halswell Quarry Park and the land starts to rise, and the geology changes with it. The quarry itself is a basalt outcrop, formed as a side vent of the old Charteris Bay volcano.
That means one part of Halswell behaves like Hornby and another part behaves like the bottom of the Port Hills. We check which one your section is on before we quote.
| Council for consents | Christchurch City Council |
|---|---|
| Typical ground | Flat plains, rising toward Kennedys Bush |
| Walls we build most here | Keystone block and timber pole |
| Consent threshold | 1.5m of retained ground, or any surcharge above the wall |
| Drainage | 300mm metal, perforated coil, geotextile, on every wall |
| Site visit | Free, with a written quote to follow |
New builds create the walls
When a subdivision cuts and fills a site to make level building platforms, the difference between platforms has to be held. Those walls are usually 600mm to 1.5m, they run along boundaries, and they often go in after the house is finished and the landscaping budget is what is left.
Keystone block is popular here because the blocks step around curves, which suits the way new developments lay out beds and terraces. Firth rates a standard Compac III wall to 1m with the built in setback, and anything taller needs an engineered design with geogrid.
Fill above a wall is the thing to check
On a subdivided site the ground above a wall is often engineered fill placed to make a platform. Fill that slopes up behind a wall is a surcharge, and a surcharge takes the job outside the consent exemption whatever the height.
We look at what the developer did before we price the wall, because finding out at inspection stage is expensive.
Not sure whether your wall needs a consent? Send us a photo and a rough height. Under 1.5m of retained ground with nothing loading it from above is exempt. A driveway, a building, a pool or fill sloping up behind it is a surcharge, and that changes the answer.
Common questions
Retaining walls in Halswell: common questions
Is Halswell ground good for retaining walls?
The flat plains part of Halswell has firm bearing and drains well. Sections rising toward Kennedys Bush behave more like the Port Hills, so we assess them differently.
Can you build a curved retaining wall?
Yes, using segmental block like Keystone, or stone. Straight timber rails cannot curve, though we can build a curve as a series of short straight facets.
Wall types
Retaining walls we build in Halswell
Concrete and Block Retaining Walls
Concrete lasts longer than timber and carries far more load, which is why it goes in wherever a driveway, a shed or a neighbour's lawn sits above the wall. We build.
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Engineered Retaining Walls
Once a wall passes 1.5m, or once a driveway or building sits above it, the job changes. You need a chartered engineer, a building consent and inspections. We manage.
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Stone and Gabion Retaining Walls
Stone is the choice when the wall has to look like it belongs. Canterbury gives us plenty to work with, including Halswell basalt, Port Hills volcanic stone, Timaru.
See moreNeed a retaining wall in Halswell?
Answer three quick questions or call [PHONE] and we will book a free site visit.