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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Rolleston, Canterbury
Retaining Walls in Rolleston
Top Retaining Walls Christchurch builds retaining walls in Rolleston, about 22km southwest of central Christchurch. Rolleston is one of the fastest growing towns in New Zealand, and where new housing goes in at that pace, retaining walls follow.
- Timber, block, gabion, stone and engineered walls
- Full drainage behind every wall we build
- Consents lodged through Selwyn District 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.
Consents here go through Selwyn District Council
Rolleston sits in the Selwyn District, not Christchurch City, so a retaining wall consent goes to Selwyn District Council. The national rules are identical, because they come from the Building Act rather than the council. Selwyn lists retaining walls higher than 1.5 metres as needing consent, with a 3 metre threshold in rural areas where a chartered professional engineer has done the design.
What differs is the process, the fees and the people you deal with. We handle applications through Selwyn, Waimakariri and Christchurch City, so it makes no difference to you which side of the boundary your section sits on.
| Council for consents | Selwyn District Council |
|---|---|
| Typical ground | Flat Canterbury Plains gravel |
| 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 |
Plains gravel makes for straightforward walls
Rolleston sits on the Canterbury Plains, which are built from gravels deposited by rivers running east out of the Southern Alps. Bearing is good, the ground drains freely, and footings behave predictably.
Most walls here exist because a subdivision created level differences between platforms, not because there was a natural slope to hold.
New builds, tidy sites and what suits them
Sections here are typically new, flat and easy to get a machine onto, which keeps the price at the good end of the range. Keystone block is popular because it looks finished on day one and steps around curves. Timber pole costs less on a long boundary run.
Rolleston also has serious industrial development at Izone, which was New Zealand's biggest industrial subdivision by 2010. Commercial yard walls there carry vehicle loads, so they are engineered and consented every time.
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 Rolleston: common questions
Do you work in Rolleston and Selwyn?
Yes, regularly. It is a short run from the city and we handle consent applications through Selwyn District Council.
Are the retaining wall rules different in Selwyn?
The core rules come from the Building Act, so they are the same. Selwyn processes the consent and sets the fees, and rural sites have a different threshold where an engineer has designed the wall.
Wall types
Retaining walls we build in Rolleston
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 Rolleston?
Answer three quick questions or call [PHONE] and we will book a free site visit.