By Emily Rivers
Last updated 10th May 2024

A retaining wall is a structure that acts like a wall holding back soil. A retaining wall might be to keep soil from flooding into your home with heavy rains, or it might be to hold back soil and create a patio or outdoor space if your home is built into a slope. 

Retaining walls come in all different types, so there will be a style of retaining wall to compliment your home and budget. Retaining walls can also be used to create garden beds and terraced style gardens.

What are the different types of retaining walls?

The four main types of a retaining walls are;

  1. Cantilever
  2. Gravity
  3. Soil Reinforcement
  4. Anchor retaining

  1. Cantilever retaining walls

This is built using reinforced concrete, with an L-shaped or inverted T-shaped foundation.
Cantilever retaining walls are further broken up into different types;

  • King Post
    Steel UC columns driven or cast into augured post holes. Concrete panels or timber sleepers are slid down the channels to fill the gap between the posts.
  • Sheet Pile
    Steel sheet piles driven in the ground, then tied back using ground anchors.
  • Secant Walls
    A continuous line of bored and concrete fill piles, common when building large basements.
  • Precast concrete L shaped
    Can be bolted down or cast in a concrete foundation, the units are made in a precast concrete factory and brought to site. 
  • Hollow block L Shaped
    Blocks are laid on top of a reinforced raft with started bars, then cement is used to fill the cavity of the block.

 

  1. Gravity retaining walls

These walls use their own weight to hold back the earth, the four main types of gravity retaining walls are;

  • Gabion basket
    Steel baskets filled with various size stone.
  • Criblock
    Constructed from timber or concrete frames and filled with stone.
  • Concrete block
    Interlocking concrete blocks.
  • Masonry
    Walls built using bricks.

 

  1. Soil Reinforced retaining walls

Created by excavating layers of soil and placed on top of a geogrid. Geogrid sheets reinforce the soil and the soil becomes the retaining structure. Concrete blocks wall are connected to the geogrid layers.

 

  1. Anchor Retaining Walls

A wall is constructed and then given strength to the wall by  using cables or steel bars anchored in the rock or soil behind by being bored into the ground.

Cost to build a retaining wall

What is the cheapest way to build a retaining wall?

The cheapest retaining walls to hold a massive amount of earth back would be masonry bricks that are filled with concrete as well as gabion baskets filled with stone.

If the retaining wall is for a garden bed so not as much earth, then wood would suffice. The wood will need to be pretreated to withstand the elements of being semi buried into the earth. These can be wood blocks or even wood sleepers.

How much will it cost to build a retaining wall?

The cost of building a wall is of course the labour time of the builder, but then the expense of the materials. Building a brick retaining wall versus a stone retaining wall might be a similar amount of labour time but the material costs will vary greatly. Before speaking with the builder do your research on which style wall will best suit your property and be strong enough for the amount of soil the wall needs to hold back. Then take into account the access to the area and location on your property. If living in a terraced house could a small digger be taken around to the back of your garden or will the foundation have to be dug by hand adding days of labour onto the cost of the retaining wall?

The height and width of the wall will depend on how deep the foundation needs to be dug and there will be a cost involved for the removal of the excavated soil. The ground conditions will affect the price as sandy soil equals better drainage than clay soil, and this too will influence the materials needed for the construction of the retaining wall as will the extent of the slope the wall needs to hold back.

Cost to build a retaining wall

Per

Average total labour cost

Build a 5 metre long gabion retaining wall

Per day

£280

Build a 5 metre long brick retaining wall

Per day

£300

Build a 3 metre long wooden garden retaining wall, ½ metre high

Per day

£200

Repairing a concrete 5 metre long retaining wall

Per day

£200

Creating drainage holes on a concrete 5 metre long retaining wall

Per day

£180

Does my retaining wall need a foundation?

In short, yes. Another term for foundation of a retaining wall is footing.  The footing is important as over time the ground will shift causing the wall to shift and this can result in the wall falling down. The wall also needs good drainage to avoid a pressure being created against the wall from water which also can eventually push the wall down. The depth of the foundation will depend on how tall the retaining wall needs to be, e.g.; a four foot wall needs 9 inches of foundation with an inch being crushed rock to keep the retaining wall stable.

The foundation should also be wider than the wall and double the depth, for added stability.

As well as ensuring a foundation, the retaining wall needs to be suitably thick to hold back the earth. The least thick a wall should be is the depth of a house brick. A formula to work out best thickness is taking the thickness as a quarter of the depth of the soil, e.g. 150cm deep divided by 4 (1 quarter) = 37.5cm thick.

How often do I need to replace my retaining wall?

If the builder has built your retaining wall with good drainage and a solid foundation, depending on the material used, the wall should see you through 25-100 years. Over the years, check on the health of  your retaining wall, noticing any signs of flooding, deep cracks, bending or loose mortar.  Certain cracks or loose mortar a builder might just be able to repair and maintain the wall to stop the wall from crumbling. If drainage is an issue, see if a builder can retrofit some drainage points or weep holes.

If the retaining wall is buckling, speak to a builder about strengthening the foundation, possibly adding deeper anchors to secure the wall. It is a lot easier to repair a retaining wall than the expense of removing the wall to build a new retaining wall. The only time the builder will want to replace a wall is if there is no other option to save the existing retaining wall.

How many years will a retaining wall last?

This question is dependent on the type of material used to construct the retaining wall and as already touched on, the amount of drainage and solid foundation. A tough material like stone might not last 10 years, nevermind a 100 years if it has no way of draining out the water.

Average life span for different types of material:

Stone; 50 – 100 years
Stone makes for an attractive and sturdy wall without the concern of insects infesting in the wall, however certain stone can be very costly and this wall comes with limited colour choices.

Wood; 25  -40 years
An inexpensive way to create a retaining wall with a natural look but will not last as long as other retaining walls and must be weather treated as well as pest treated.

Brick; minimum of 100 years
An easy to create, pretty option that complements many gardens and is weather resistant but there are not many colour options.

Concrete;  a 100 years
This is a good mid-range costing wall, allowing many design options to create a feature in the garden aside from the practicality point of a retaining wall. The builder will need to factor in the need for drainage as this does not naturally occur like with stone.

Gabion;  50 -100 years
Gabion walls are easy to install without the need for deep foundations and have a great lifespan and require little or no maintenance. Plants can be grown to flower over the wall and the vegetation can help strengthen the wall. This style however does not suit all properties.


Estimates for common builder jobs;

JobEstimate
Screed a 17m2 living room with traditional screed£534
Cost to repoint or repair brickwork£405
Chimney breast removal cost£800
Cost to build a retaining wall£320
2. Enter postcode to get estimate
plus materials

to see who is available and get more information

Rates for other trades

Build retaining wall cost in the UK
Build retaining wall cost in the UK (excluding VAT or callout charges)
Location in UKBuild retaining wall cost
Build retaining wall near London£275
Build retaining wall near Birmingham£273
Build retaining wall near Glasgow£267
Build retaining wall near Leeds£241
Build retaining wall near Liverpool£232
Build retaining wall near Sheffield£262
Build retaining wall near Edinburgh£276
Build retaining wall near Manchester£239
Build retaining wall near Belfast£240
Build retaining wall near Bristol£259
Build retaining wall near Leicester£234
Build retaining wall near Cardiff£235
Build retaining wall near Coventry£252
Build retaining wall near Bradford£243
Build retaining wall near Nottingham£249
Build retaining wall near Newcastle Upon Tyne£259
Build retaining wall near Brighton and Hove£256
Build retaining wall near Derby£248
Build retaining wall near Hull£240
Build retaining wall near Plymouth£250
Build retaining wall near Stoke-on-Trent£238
Build retaining wall near Southampton£255
Build retaining wall near Northampton£255
Build retaining wall near Wolverhampton£262
Build retaining wall near Luton£278
Build retaining wall near Portsmouth£254
Build retaining wall near Reading£276
Build retaining wall near Norwich£240
Build retaining wall near Milton Keynes£275
Build retaining wall near Bournemouth£263
Build retaining wall near Aberdeen£278
Build retaining wall near Peterborough£269
Build retaining wall near Bolton£239
Build retaining wall near Swindon£256
Build retaining wall near Southend-on-Sea£259
Build retaining wall near Warrington£238
Build retaining wall near Oxford£269
Build retaining wall near Swansea£237
Build retaining wall near Sunderland£258
Build retaining wall near Slough£276
Build retaining wall near Kingswood£259
Build retaining wall near Telford£244
Build retaining wall near Cambridge£272
Build retaining wall near Ipswich£241
Build retaining wall near Blackpool£227
Build retaining wall near Middlesbrough£249
Build retaining wall near Dundee£265
Build retaining wall near Huddersfield£246
Build retaining wall near York£237
Build retaining wall near Poole£264
Build retaining wall near Watford£276
Build retaining wall near Newport£238
Build retaining wall near Colchester£246
Build retaining wall near Exeter£290
Build retaining wall near Blackburn£236
Build retaining wall near Crawley£270
Build retaining wall near Gloucester£254
Build retaining wall near Stockport£239
Build retaining wall near Basingstoke£277
Build retaining wall near Basildon£266
Build retaining wall near Cheltenham£259
Build retaining wall near Gateshead£258
Build retaining wall near Worthing£257
Build retaining wall near Rochdale£240
Build retaining wall near Oldham£240
Build retaining wall near Chelmsford£262
Build retaining wall near Birkenhead£232
Build retaining wall near Maidstone£269
Build retaining wall near Gillingham£266
Build retaining wall near Salford£238
Build retaining wall near Solihull£272
Build retaining wall near St Helens£233
Build retaining wall near Worcester£246
Build retaining wall near Lincoln£235
Build retaining wall near West Bromwich£276
Build retaining wall near Eastbourne£254
Build retaining wall near Wakefield£244
Build retaining wall near Wythenshawe£240
Build retaining wall near Bedford£280
Build retaining wall near Hemel Hempstead£277
Build retaining wall near Preston£234
Build retaining wall near Stevenage£281
Build retaining wall near Southport£231
Build retaining wall near Bath£261
Build retaining wall near Harlow£276
Build retaining wall near Sutton Coldfield£274
Build retaining wall near Darlington£247
Build retaining wall near Chester£235
Build retaining wall near Hastings£255
Build retaining wall near Nuneaton£246
Build retaining wall near Halifax£245
Build retaining wall near Hartlepool£255
Build retaining wall near Aylesbury£274
Build retaining wall near Doncaster£252
Build retaining wall near Grimsby£243
Build retaining wall near Wallasey£232
Build retaining wall near Stockton-on-Tees£251
Build retaining wall near Weston-super-Mare£252
Build retaining wall near High Wycombe£275
Build retaining wall near Ashford£250
Build retaining wall near Redditch£250
Build retaining wall near Wigan£236
Build retaining wall near Scunthorpe£238
Build retaining wall near Bury£240
Build retaining wall near Paisley£273
Build retaining wall near Bracknell£276
Build retaining wall near Burnley£245
Build retaining wall near Rugby£235
Build retaining wall near Guildford£278
Build retaining wall near Carlisle£290
Build retaining wall near Chatham£265
Build retaining wall near East Kilbride£260
Build retaining wall near Newcastle-under-Lyme£238
Build retaining wall near Chesterfield£265
Build retaining wall near Burton upon Trent£243
Build retaining wall near Tamworth£245
Build retaining wall near Shrewsbury£238
Build retaining wall near Woking£277
Build retaining wall near St Albans£278
Build retaining wall near Harrogate£237
Build retaining wall near Crewe£243
Build retaining wall near South Shields£259
Build retaining wall near Craigavon£240
Build retaining wall near Stafford£241
Build retaining wall near Rotherham£261
Build retaining wall near Barnsley£256
Build retaining wall near Lowestoft£280
Build retaining wall near Walsall£267
Build retaining wall near Gosport£253
Build retaining wall near Dartford£275
Build retaining wall near Bognor Regis£257
Build retaining wall near Corby£241
Build retaining wall near Paignton£254
Build retaining wall near Maidenhead£276
Build retaining wall near Rochester£267
Build retaining wall near Ellesmere Port£233
Build retaining wall near Loughborough£240
Build retaining wall near Dudley£286
Build retaining wall near Dewsbury£244
Build retaining wall near Mansfield£253
Build retaining wall near Margate£236
Build retaining wall near Kettering£241
Build retaining wall near Cannock£254
Build retaining wall near Sale£239
Build retaining wall near Taunton£254
Build retaining wall near Runcorn£237
Build retaining wall near Farnborough£279
Build retaining wall near Tynemouth£259
Build retaining wall near Hereford£242
Build retaining wall near Halesowen£277
Build retaining wall near Widnes£236
Build retaining wall near Huyton with Roby£233
Build retaining wall near Scarborough£245
Build retaining wall near Gravesend£271
Build retaining wall near Bebington£232
Build retaining wall near Kidderminster£276
Build retaining wall near Stourbridge£288
Build retaining wall near Barry£233
Build retaining wall near Smethwick£277
Build retaining wall near Dunfermline£274
Build retaining wall near Livingston£274
Build retaining wall near Weymouth£272
Build retaining wall near Brentwood£270
Build retaining wall near Barrow-in-Furness£290
Build retaining wall near Hamilton£234
Build retaining wall near Canterbury£242
Build retaining wall near Wellingborough£257
Build retaining wall near Sittingbourne£260
Build retaining wall near Macclesfield£239
Build retaining wall near Bootle£232
Build retaining wall near Carlton£250
Build retaining wall near Esher£275
Build retaining wall near Clacton-on-Sea£243
Build retaining wall near Lancaster£231
Build retaining wall near Beeston£243
Build retaining wall near Banbury£249
Build retaining wall near Torquay£262
Build retaining wall near Folkestone£241
Build retaining wall near Kingswinford£282
Build retaining wall near Bloxwich£258
Build retaining wall near Bridgend£229
Build retaining wall near Welwyn Garden City£278
Build retaining wall near Lisburn£240
Build retaining wall near Leamington Spa£246
Build retaining wall near Washington£258
Build retaining wall near Tunbridge Wells£266
Build retaining wall near Kirkcaldy£282
Build retaining wall near Hinckley£234
Build retaining wall near Durham£256
Build retaining wall near Cumbernauld£256
Build retaining wall near Wokingham£276
Build retaining wall near Horsham£269
Build retaining wall near Crosby£231
Build retaining wall near Yeovil£280
Build retaining wall near Thundersley£261
Build retaining wall near Altrincham£239
Build retaining wall near Willenhall£259
Build retaining wall near Christchurch£263
Build retaining wall near Keighley£240
Build retaining wall near Ashton-under-Lyne£240