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.
See more
Riccarton, Canterbury
Retaining Walls in Riccarton
Top Retaining Walls Christchurch builds retaining walls throughout Riccarton. The ground here is about as easy as Christchurch gets. Riccarton sits on the deep alluvial gravels that spread east from the Waimakariri, and the aquifer under most of the city is actually named after this suburb.
- 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.
What the Riccarton Gravels mean for your wall
The Riccarton Gravel is the uppermost aquifer under Christchurch, and it takes its name from here. For a retaining wall that translates into firm bearing for footings and digging that behaves predictably. Post holes hold their shape, and free draining gravel behind the wall helps the drainage system rather than fighting it.
It is not all easy. Gravel is hard work for hand digging, so on a job where a machine cannot reach, the labour cost climbs faster here than it would in softer eastern ground.
| Council for consents | Christchurch City Council |
|---|---|
| Typical ground | Deep Canterbury gravels, good bearing, flat |
| Walls we build most here | Timber pole and Keystone block |
| 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 |
Riccarton sections are the reason access matters so much
Riccarton has been subdivided and infilled for decades. There are rear sections behind rear sections, long shared driveways off Riccarton Road and Blenheim Road, and back yards you reach through a single gate. That geometry decides the price of the wall more than the wall type does.
We run a machine that fits through a standard side gate, which keeps most Riccarton back yard jobs off the wheelbarrow. When we quote we look at gate widths and overhead branches first, before we look at the bank.
The walls we build most around Riccarton
Low garden and boundary walls between neighbouring properties, usually 600mm to 1.2m, where infill development has left one section sitting higher than the next. Timber pole walls suit these and price well over a long boundary run.
Around Deans Avenue and the streets near Riccarton Bush there are older properties with established gardens where a schist or basalt wall suits the setting better than fresh treated pine.
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 Riccarton: common questions
Do I need consent for a retaining wall in Riccarton?
Not if it retains 1.5m of ground or less and nothing loads it from above. A shared driveway sitting above the wall counts as a surcharge, and Riccarton has plenty of those, so it is worth checking.
Can you get machinery into a Riccarton rear section?
Usually. Our small machine fits a standard side gate. Send photos of the access with your enquiry and we will tell you before we visit.
Wall types
Retaining walls we build in Riccarton
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.
See more
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.
See more
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 Riccarton?
Answer three quick questions or call [PHONE] and we will book a free site visit.