How much does a garden wall cost in Gloucester?
Building or repairing a garden wall? Post the job for free and it goes to local builders who cover your area. Only the builder who takes it on gets your contact details.
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Garden walls
Garden walls look simple, but a lot depends on what’s under the ground and what the wall is doing. A freestanding boundary wall needs a proper foundation and the right thickness for its height. A wall holding back soil is a retaining wall, and it needs more thought: stronger construction, drainage behind it and sometimes an engineer’s design.
Many older garden walls lean or crack because of tree roots, poor foundations, water behind them or cement repairs on soft old brick. A builder should look at why it failed before rebuilding it the same way.
You don’t normally need planning permission for a new wall up to 1 metre high next to a road, or up to 2 metres elsewhere. Taller walls, walls at listed buildings, and properties where an Article 4 direction has removed these rights can need permission. In a conservation area, taking down a wall can need permission too. The council for your area can confirm.
If the wall sits on the boundary with a neighbour, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 may apply to building a new one, and notice has to be served before work starts. Check your deeds and talk to your neighbour about who owns it.
On older houses, matching bricks or stone and using lime mortar helps the repair blend in and suits the existing wall. Tell the builder about any trees close to the wall.
What to include when you post
Rough measurements and a few photos are enough for a first look. Include:
- The length and height of the wall
- Whether it’s a new wall, a rebuild or a repair
- What it’s built from, or what you’d like it built from
- Whether the ground is higher on one side
- Photos of the whole wall and any cracks, leaning or loose sections
- Whether it’s next to a road or pavement, or on a neighbour’s boundary
- Any trees close by, and access for materials and waste
- The rough age of the house, if you want the new wall to match
If part of the wall has already fallen, say so and keep people away from it until a builder has seen it.
What to ask
Ask the builder to explain what they’ll do below ground as well as above. Cover:
- What foundations they’ll lay, and how deep
- For retaining walls, how they’ll drain the soil behind it and whether an engineer is needed
- Whether taking down the old wall and removing rubble is included
- Whether they’ll reuse the existing bricks or stone, and how they’ll match new materials
- What mortar they’ll use, and whether it suits older brick
- Whether coping stones or a damp-proof course are included
Get the quote in writing. If the wall is on a boundary, sort out ownership and any party wall notice before work starts.
Not quite the right job?
See every job on our Builder page, or post it anyway and describe it in your own words.
Before a tradesperson starts work
Registrations
Some work must be done by a registered professional. Work on a gas boiler, cooker or fire must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer, which you can check on the Gas Safe Register.
Our business check
Limited companies are checked with Companies House and sole traders upload their insurance certificate. Trade registrations are confirmed by the tradesperson when they sign up.
Get the price in writing
Ask for a written quote that sets out the work and the price before anything starts. Your contract for the work is with the tradesperson.
Questions
What people tend to ask before booking this job. For anything specific to your home, ask the tradesperson who takes it on when they get in touch.
If the ground is higher on one side, it's a retaining wall and needs the right foundations and drainage. Tell the builder, as it changes how the wall should be built.
A new wall next to a road usually needs planning permission if it's over 1 metre high. Elsewhere the limit is 2 metres. Listed buildings, conservation areas and Article 4 directions can change this, so check with the council for your area.
Check your deeds. Some walls belong to one side and some are shared. If it's shared, talk to your neighbour before work starts, and the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 may apply.
Common causes include tree roots, weak foundations, water pressure behind a retaining wall and frost damage. A leaning wall can fall, so keep people away from it and get it looked at.
Often, if they're in good condition. Cleaning off old mortar takes time, so ask whether the price assumes reuse or new materials.