A lot of the walls we build replace one that didn't make it. A wall that's leaning, bulging at the belly, cracking along the joints or dropping at the top is telling you something has gone wrong underneath or behind it. Patching the face won't fix that.
Why Perth retaining walls fail
Almost always it comes down to two things.
Drainage. Perth sand lets water run straight through, and it collects behind anything solid. With no ag drain and no free-draining backfill, that water builds pressure every winter until the wall gives. It's the water, not the weight of the soil, that does the pushing.
Footings. A footing that doesn't reach something solid lets the wall settle and rotate. In sand that often means the footing should have gone deeper than it looked like it needed to.
A third cause is backfill dumped in one load instead of compacted in layers. The ground behind keeps settling for years and drags the wall with it.
Repair or rebuild? We'll tell you straight
We'll look at the wall, work out what's actually causing the problem and tell you honestly whether it can be fixed or needs replacing. If it can be repaired properly, we'll quote that. If it can't, we won't charge you to find out the hard way.
How a replacement runs
- Free on-site measure and assessment of what failed.
- A fixed written quote including demolition of the old wall, excavation and spoil removal.
- A council check before we book you in, as heights and boundary positions can change what's needed.
- Old wall out, ground cut back, new footings dug to depth.
- New wall built with an ag drain, clean aggregate and backfill compacted in layers.
- Site cleaned up and the rubbish gone.
Fences pushed out by a failing wall
When a retaining wall moves, the fence on top usually goes with it: leaning posts, gaps, sheets pulling apart. We rebuild the wall and reset or replace the fence as one job, so it's all finished square again.
Picking the replacement wall
Sometimes the old wall was simply the wrong type for the job, like a low garden-style wall asked to hold up a boundary. We'll recommend limestone or panel-and-post or sleeper based on height, load and whether a fence is going on top.
Questions
My wall is leaning a little. Is it urgent?
A lean usually means drainage or footing trouble that gets worse each winter. Book a measure so we can look at it before it moves further.
Do you take the old wall away?
Yes. Demolition, excavation, spoil removal and clean-up are in the quoted price.
Can you replace just one section?
Sometimes. It depends on whether the cause is local or runs along the whole wall. We'll tell you which at the assessment.
Get a free quote
Leave your name, phone and email and we'll call you back to book a free on-site measure. You'll get one fixed price in writing.
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