Retaining wall repair - what would you expect this to cost?

Does this look like a big, expensive retaining wall replacement to you? I thought it wouldn't be too bad, it's pretty small in comparison to most I've seen, but I have been told it will be an expensive fix, but not sure what experience they have to back that up. Apparently the whole fence will need to come down as well etc - it doesn't look like the fence is attached to the wall, the metal posts are in the ground on the inside of the wall.

Total span is less than 16m across, pretty much what is in the photos if you piece them together - 4 sleepers high then 3 sleepers high (total ?8m long for this part). Then about another 8 metres of one sleeper height with no posts as it is half buried.

Would you bother replacing it yet? Or wait a bit longer? It falls away into a hidden corner of council land. What would you expect it to cost and how long would it be likely to take if I got someone in to do it?
 

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I've just spent close to $100k on demo, excavation, propping and corefilled block retaining walls, so yup - it ain't gunna be cheap.

Your's is an easy one by comparison. Put new posts in slightly across from the existing (post hole digger), lift out the old sleepers with bobcat, slide in new sleepers. Or if they don't want to do it that way, they will need to pull the whole wall down and erect the new one.
 
Are you handy enough to do it yourself , seems an easy job to me.
If it was mine I would just buy some treated pine logs for both posts and retainer ,
place it up against the old so you don't have to remove it , cover/backfill with a bit of soil.
The old section will soon rot away.
Hardest part of the job is digging the holes but you can hire a petrol post hold digger.
 
Providing this work can be done without removing the fence a much simpler job.

Couple of options -
1 - build wall and leave existing in situ.
2 - Use backhoe remove old sleeper wall and get back hoe to bore your holes for your posts. Set posts in position and simply place your sleepers in when posts are set. Fill behind with drainage gravel wrapped in biddum.

I would build the wall with something like this yes a bit more cost but never replace. http://www.durawall.com.au/

I would do option two also speck with neighbour as I'm sure this would need doing as well.

If your halfway handy you could do this yourself.

Brian
 
I can't see much wrong with it,apart from a rotted post and cracks in the sleepers.

That retaining wall is bloody great compared to mine.
 
Total span is less than 16m across, pretty much what is in the photos if you piece them together - 4 sleepers high then 3 sleepers high (total ?8m long for this part). Then about another 8 metres of one sleeper height with no posts as it is half buried.

Material cost may be high if you reset the 16 m span in treated hardwood
you hire a bobcat for three hours all the old timberwork will be in a bin by then,have them drill new posts holes at the same time and start again once the posts are set,the rest is esay if you have a good level..imho..
 
Most bob cat back hoes will have minimum hire and float charges..
Be an easy $300 in that
Get a excavator with an auger if you using a machine..
Otherwise save the $ and hand dig yourself
Remember to go the height of the wall into the ground
And id be going 400x400

Most important are the uprights
 
I did a timber retaining wall similar to that a few years ago after watching a few vids on Youtube (for PPOR). It was 3 timber sleepers high on the end, then 2 sections of 2 timbers high. It took 4 weekends of prep/build but I didn't use any equipment. Next time would use a post hole digger. The costs were timber sleepers, creosote, ready mix cement, bolts, liner, gravel and ag pipe. My timber has started to crack in places. My retainer wall was all under council limits for requiring permission from council.
I think yours still looks okay. I think if any were popping loose or bowed out or rotting/termites then its time? Cheers, nat
 
I would build the wall with something like this yes a bit more cost but never replace. http://www.durawall.com.au/

I agree don't mess around with timber it does not last.

I am assuming your land is on the higher side thus you can't build replacement fence in front of old. If you did it by hand replacing the timber section by section you would probably get away with not taking the fence down for the first couple posts. However at the corner I reckon no option but to remove given where the posts sit.
I personally would do it that way before it gives way as most of the retaining wall posts look fairly rotten.

A contractor with small excavator could have it replaced in a day with limestone blocks but it would be a bit more expensive than the concrete post and panel system.
 
My land is on the high side, photos are taken from council park backing onto it, so repair/replacement will be all on me. The wall obviously goes around the corner between 4 and 3 sleepers high between this property and next door too, but strangely there are no signs of damage, it looks to be in really good condition. I think it will hold for a bit longer - the photos were taken after 24hrs of constant rain, and nothing is falling away at the moment, but I wouldn't like to kick it too hard!
 
Allow $350-$450 per lineal meter. Most quotes will come in between that for that kind of job. $85 per lineal meter for re-fencing.

That will give you an good indicative budget before you go getting quotes.

Does this look like a big, expensive retaining wall replacement to you? I thought it wouldn't be too bad, it's pretty small in comparison to most I've seen, but I have been told it will be an expensive fix, but not sure what experience they have to back that up. Apparently the whole fence will need to come down as well etc - it doesn't look like the fence is attached to the wall, the metal posts are in the ground on the inside of the wall.

Total span is less than 16m across, pretty much what is in the photos if you piece them together - 4 sleepers high then 3 sleepers high (total ?8m long for this part). Then about another 8 metres of one sleeper height with no posts as it is half buried.

Would you bother replacing it yet? Or wait a bit longer? It falls away into a hidden corner of council land. What would you expect it to cost and how long would it be likely to take if I got someone in to do it?
 
Just had a similar wall replaced with wood at my workplace...they obviously paid for it all to be done, it cost $8000 for about 20m x 600mm-1000m high varient.

Doing it yourself... I was looking at it recently for myself, besa block quote I got was $3 per bloc, 12 blocks per m2. then foundation and mortar and time...you can get pretty besa blocks, sandstone look etc, they are more like $6-15 per block.

you can also get stackable (no mortar required) besa block type things.

Bunnings if I recall correctly had wooden "sleepers" for $15 per sleeper @ 1500mmx150mm - but I am not sure on that, as we just had a quick look, we are likely to use the besa blocks.
 
Hardest part of the job is digging the holes but you can hire a petrol post hold digger.

We had to do good few meters of retaining wall at our PPOR. had about 30 holes to dig. I ended up buying a small post hole digger from ebay ($300). Best thing ever. Still use it for other things like digging holes for plants etc...
 
... Next time would use a post hole digger...

The powered diggers need quite a bit of clearance around them to operate: might not be possible to put a hole close enough to the wall. They also stop when they hit rocks or big roots and you then need to dig by hand.

If the soil isn't too hard, get a post hole shovel which is like two round shovels joined together like scissors to make lifting the soil out easier. Only $80 or so.
 
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