Retaining walls in Brisbane are limited to 1 metre high unless certification and a engineers design is sought. So the idea is to keep the wall below 1 meter or costs will escalate before you even get a post in the ground depending on the size and nature of your wall. A good structural landscaper should know the best remedy and style to fit your budget.

Amongst Brisbane shires there are different regulations in which how close the retaining wall can be built next to the boundary i.e the front roadside or the neighbours. The height of 1 metre is taken from existing ground level, so don’t think you can build up the existing height, or you will undermine the strength and the building inspectors sharp eyes. You can stagger your walls in short distances to get higher than the one meter. to check on the distance and regulation on this.

If your wall is within 1.5mtr from a house or has a vehicle or load bearing traffic a engineers report will be needed. If the vendor or owner doesn’t comply with this regulation they may run into difficulty when selling their house causing headache and costs to get it to comply or have their contract negotiated down as not its legal.

Or if a disgruntled neighbour tells Brisbane council about the illegal retaining wall, the owner may have to remove it, pay for additional work in order for it to comply, or receive a fine. To comply a BSA licenced structural landscaper or builder is what you will need to do to get this job done properly, as laws binding the Queensland area will protect you for 6years and 2months on your newly constructed wall.

There are a lot of cowboy landscapers out there without a licence and operating illegally. There are 3 types of BSA licenses for landscapers to look for 1: landscaper 2: structural landscaper 3: builder restricted to structural landscaping C price landscapes has the number < 2 and 3 licenses.> The 3rd is the highest license giving a broarder scope of works.

The first CANNOT construct your wall legally . A structural landscaper can do all the necessary requirements and have the skills and expertise to build your wall to code and to B.S.A standards on a wall to 1 metre in height .If you are buliding a engineered design wall over 1 metre in height you will need the license of number 3: builder restricted to structural landscaping and a certifier to produce the certification on completion if it complys with the engineers design drawn before commencement. license Check to see if he can produce a license and log on to the BSA website and enter his number and see if he has had any demerit points or past problems or suspension on his license.

Also he should have a current public liability insurance certificate to show you on request.

As drilling deep holes for load bearing posts are required for your brisbane retaining wall your contractor will need to assess a dial a dig report for your address before he commences work and within 30 days of the issued reports, or his public liability insurance will not be covered if he hits your sewage pipes ,telstra cables , fatal power cables, and extremely expensive broadband cables. Beware ….. these costs can run into the millions if he hits a main.

Don’t be surprised if a rock clause is entered in the contract. This is standard, as if your landscaper drills and hits rock this can potentially cost.

There are many types of retaining walls to choose from ranging from treated pine which is the cheapest, hardwood giving greater strength and longevity, or boulders if you are on rock, rendered block, keystone or concrete. Retaining walls are great enabling the creation of terraces or improving the sizes of flat land.

Water and drainage problems can occur if your landscaper is uneducated causing erosion and nightmare costs and with the possibility of the all needing to be replaced if it’s not done properly. So don’t short cut. Get the retaining wall built once and properly with the correct size for drainage and sess pits to cope with your calculated runoff area .

If paving is done on the edge of the wall, this too can also cause problems from sinking soil and faster runoff. This is especially a problem in Brisbane given retaining walls are usually on steep run off slopes.

C Price landscapes can help. We do free quotes servicing brisbane and quality work with current public liability insurance,