Kitchen & bathroom renovations · Auckland
Retaining walls planned around the ground, the drainage and what sits above them - new walls, failed walls and sloping sites, with the engineering and consent work that goes with them. Auckland clay and Auckland slopes are most of what we build on.
New & replacement walls
Timber, concrete crib and block systems, engineered to suit the ground and the load above.
Drainage-first design
Subsoil drainage and proper backfill, because most wall failures start with water.
Engineered where required
We work to the engineer's design and provide the records the inspection process needs.
Leaning, cracking, bulging and saturated ground behind the wall are usually what prompts the search, not a plan to build something new. If you are seeing any of these, the wall is telling you something and it is worth having it looked at before it moves further - delay tends to turn a repair into a rebuild.
The single biggest driver. It determines the wall system, the engineering and whether consent is required.
A lawn is one thing. A driveway, a building or a neighbour's structure adds surcharge and changes the design.
Soil type, fill, existing movement and how steep the ground is above and below.
Where water comes from and where it will go. Most failed walls are drainage failures first.
Whether the wall sits on a boundary, and who it retains for.
Whether a digger can reach the work and where excavated spoil is going.
In Auckland, retaining walls over a certain height generally require building consent, and so do lower walls that carry a surcharge from a driveway, building or slope above. Auckland Council's retaining wall guidance (practice note AC2231) sets out where the thresholds sit and when a specific engineering design is needed. We do not diagnose or price a site from this page - the site visit is what that is for.
At the site visit we will tell you which category we think your wall falls into, what an engineer would need to look at, and whether a geotechnical report is likely. We will also be straight with you about the cost of that work before you commit to it. Where consent is required, we work to the engineer's design and provide the construction records the inspection process needs.
Timber pole, concrete crib or block, and how deep the posts or footings have to go.
Design fees, geotechnical input and council processing time.
How much comes out, and what it costs to get off the property.
Subsoil drain, filter material and where the outlet discharges to.
Holding the ground safely while the old wall is out and the new one goes in.
Working next to a house, a driveway or a neighbour's fence slows things down.
Generally once it exceeds a set retained height, and at lower heights when there is a surcharge above it — a driveway, a building or sloping ground. Auckland Council publishes the thresholds, and we will tell you where we think your wall sits.
We work with engineers regularly and can point you to the right one. We will confirm who holds that contract before anything is commissioned.
Sometimes, if the structure is sound and the problem is drainage. If the posts have rotted or the wall has rotated, replacement is usually the honest answer.
Water pressure behind a wall is what pushes it over. Subsoil drainage, free-draining backfill and a proper outlet are not optional extras.
Yes, and it usually should be. The levels, drainage and finished surfaces all depend on each other.
The single biggest driver. It determines the wall system, the engineering and whether consent is required.
A lawn is one thing. A driveway, a building or a neighbour's structure adds surcharge and changes the design.
Soil type, fill, existing movement and how steep the ground is above and below.
Where water comes from and where it will go. Most failed walls are drainage failures first.
Whether the wall sits on a boundary, and who it retains for.
Whether a digger can reach the work and where excavated spoil is going.
Generally once it exceeds a set retained height, and at lower heights when there is a surcharge above it — a driveway, a building or sloping ground. Auckland Council publishes the thresholds, and we will tell you where we think your wall sits.
We work with engineers regularly and can point you to the right one. We will confirm who holds that contract before anything is commissioned.
Sometimes, if the structure is sound and the problem is drainage. If the posts have rotted or the wall has rotated, replacement is usually the honest answer.
Water pressure behind a wall is what pushes it over. Subsoil drainage, free-draining backfill and a proper outlet are not optional extras.
Yes, and it usually should be. The levels, drainage and finished surfaces all depend on each other.
1. Tell us about the wall: Approximate height and length, and whether anything has already moved.
2. Site visit: We assess the ground, drainage and what sits above the wall.
3. Quote prepared: Normally within three to five business days of the visit.
Tell us the approximate height and length, what is above and below the wall, and whether anything has already moved.
