5 Tips to save you money when building a concrete sleeper retaining wall

• Double check your quantities on site before ordering

Concrete sleeper retaining walls are an expensive build. Making sure you accurately order your materials can save you a decent chunk of money, as often material suppliers will charge a restocking fee on the products as they may get damaged whilst on site. These restocking fees can be as high as 40% at some stores. The best way that I have found to really nail your quantities is to make a final quantity list once your wall has been cut and you can double and triple check your height and lengths on the ground. 

• B-Grade sleepers

B-Grade sleepers or second sleepers can be a great way to minimise your costs. B-grade sleepers should still be up to engineering standards, but may have cosmetic chips and cracks on them. This can be a great way to save money if nobody is going to see the retaining wall or if you really don’t mind if the finish isn’t perfect. 

• Understand the engineering 

Know whether you are going to need engineering on your wall or not. In most city councils in south east Queensland, you don’t need engineering for a wall under 1.0m (except Logan City). This can save you a bit of money as engineering generally costs upwards of a thousand dollars per job. 

• Double and triple check your wall location

Double check your wall location. If you’re on a boundary, triple check your wall location. Often the location you see on the plans isn’t reflected when you get to the site. Building a wall in the wrong location can be very costly and may lead to you needing to rip out the wall and build a new one. 

• Don’t buy dodgy galvanised steel posts

Galvanised steel posts can be a costly part of your retaining wall budget. They are also integral to the strength and longevity of your retaining wall. Buying posts that don’t meet the Australian standards for galvanised steel posts can come with a host of issues. Cheap posts may be prone to bending under pressure, as the pressure on the wall goes directly onto the galvanised steel posts. Further, you really want to make sure the galvanisation of the posts has been done correctly and to the right specs. Galvanising your posts protects them from the weather, giving you a wall that can last 25 years and beyond. Getting the right specced posts will give you the best chance of building a strong and long lasting wall.