Sleeper Retaining Walls in Epping
When a backyard in Epping slopes, our fencing contractors build a sleeper retaining wall to hold it back. A wall can also level a yard or carry a fence.
Sleepers are long concrete or timber beams that stack between upright posts.
- We build walls in concrete or timber sleepers.
- Every wall gets a drain pipe and gravel behind it.
- We can add a fence along the top while we're there.
Concrete or timber sleepers
Concrete sleepers
Reinforced concrete sleepers slide between H-shaped or C-shaped steel posts, galvanised with zinc so they don't rust. They won't rot and suit walls that need to last.
Timber sleepers
Hardwood, or treated pine rated H4 or H5 for burying in the ground, held up by timber or steel posts. They cost less up front and look softer in a garden.
Replacing an old wall
If an old timber wall is rotting, we can swap it out a section at a time, or rebuild the whole run in concrete.
Why drainage matters behind a wall
Water building up behind a wall pushes on it and can tip it over time. That's a real risk on the heavy clay found around Epping.
At the base we lay ag pipe, a pipe with slots that lets water in. Behind the wall goes geofabric, a filter cloth that keeps soil out of the gravel we fill in behind it. We'll agree at the quote where the water drains to.
Does a retaining wall need a permit?
Victoria's building rules decide this, and they apply in the City of Whittlesea.
| Wall | Building permit |
|---|---|
| Under 1 metre, on its own | Not needed |
| Under 1 metre, but part of other building work or protecting next door's land | Needed |
| 1 metre or higher | Needed |
These rules come from Victoria's Building Regulations 2018. When a wall needs a permit, the building surveyor decides which drawings it needs. Ask the council if you're unsure.
A fence on top of the wall
When the wall sits on a boundary, the Colorbond or timber fence can go on top as part of one job. You only book one crew.
Some estates ask for it. Aurora's guidelines say a retaining wall over 900 millimetres high needs a fence at least 1 metre high above it.
Retaining walls questions
Do I need a permit for a sleeper wall?
Not for a wall under 1 metre on its own. At 1 metre or higher you need a building permit, and so does a lower wall that's part of other building work or holds up next door's land. The building surveyor then sets what the design must include.
Do you take the dirt away?
Yes, we dig out for the wall and take away the soil that's left over.
Can I park or build close to the wall?
Extra weight near the top of a wall, like a driveway or a shed, adds load. Tell us at the quote, because a wall carrying extra weight may need a stronger design.
Get a retaining wall quote in Epping
Sleeper retaining walls are already ticked. Add the rough length and height in the notes.
- Every quote is free and in writing.
- Every job is covered by our installers' insurance.
- We stand behind our workmanship for three years.
Colorbond fencing
Timber fencing
Pool fencing