Retaining Walls in The Western Suburbs

Fully licensed & accredited contractors

Retaining walls in your outdoor areas are a great way to add a contemporary look and feel to your space as well as providing functionality.

Utilising materials most suited to the area, Absolute Mini Diggers will keep within the existing style of your space whilst designing and building a retaining wall. Be it traditional retaining walls or concrete retaining walls Absolute Mini Diggers will work with you and your ideas to get your design just right.

This is a guide on Victorian retaining wall regulations, use this article as a guide, please speak to your local council for the latest information.

Retaining wall regulations in Victoria

Installing a retaining wall in Melbourne may appear to be a straightforward process, and it is if you follow the council’s guidelines. However, you will require council consent and an engineer for walls that are higher than 1000mm high.

Some people prefer to learn the hard way and do not properly install their concrete sleeper retaining walls, causing the wall to lean and bulge over time. If you install your retaining walls at 600mm high in some states and follow our installation guidelines, you will be fine, but anything over that requires council approval and the services of an engineer.

As you can see, the higher the wall, the greater the risk to people, which is why it’s so important to get it done correctly.

Do I need a permit to build a retaining wall?

A building permit is required for all retaining walls that are: constructed on or near site boundaries where there is a risk of damage to the adjoining property, and/or. 1m or more in height.

How high can a retaining wall be without council approval in Vic?

When will you need to get your retaining wall approved by the local council? The best thing to do is simply ask your local municipality, which can be done over the phone. State-by-state variances in height are possible. However, the following are some general rules to follow:

* Retaining walls exceeding one metre height in Victoria require a construction permit.

If you require a building permit, you’ll almost certainly need a structural engineer as well. If your engineer requires our concrete sleeper engineer specification details, please contact us.

Engineers will find domestic retaining wall projects to be rather straightforward and not a large undertaking, and getting an engineer report will not be expensive.

Not only are there height restrictions, but there may also be restrictions on how close you may get to the boundary; the best thing to do is contact your local government.

We may provide advice or direction on the items we believe you require, or provide a material quote for you, but it is ultimately the customer’s obligation to ensure that they have ordered the correct materials and have followed council rules and/or engineer requirements.

We can supply any sorts and lengths of steel, so please inquire for a quote. Steel specifications, including dimensions and sectional qualities, are available upon request.

How close can I build a retaining wall to a boundary Victoria?

In Victoria, a building permit is required for any retaining walls near property boundaries or that are one metre (or more) in height.

Who is responsible to build and pay for a boundary retaining wall?

Who is responsible for the cost of boundary retaining walls? The owner who benefits from the wall, regardless of which side of the boundary it is on, is responsible for its upkeep. Even if the wall had been built with boundary position 2 (on the neighbor’s land) in Example 4, owner B would be accountable for it.

Do I need permission to build a retaining wall in Victoria?

Planning permission is required if the wall is to be over 1-metre high and next to a road or pathway; or over 2-metres high elsewhere. Independent, freestanding retaining walls may not require building regulation approval; however, any structures must be structurally sound and well maintained