Adelaide’s Trusted Retaining Wall Contractors
When it comes to retaining walls, Adelaide property owners need a wall that’s built properly the first time - structurally sound, compliant, and made to last. Lee Benson Fencing specialises in concrete sleeper retaining wall installation for residential and commercial properties across Adelaide, using materials sourced exclusively from Adelaide-owned sleeper companies.
We build concrete sleeper retaining walls up to 1m high, in a wide range of styles and colours - you name it, we can do it. And because we’re fencing specialists too, we can integrate your new wall seamlessly with your fencing for a complete boundary solution.
Our Retaining Wall Solutions
Concrete Sleeper Retaining Walls
Our core offering - durable concrete sleepers in a wide range of styles and colours, secured with high-grade steel beams. Ideal for levelling sloped blocks, creating terraced gardens, and retaining soil on boundaries.
Boundary Retaining Walls
Retaining walls along property boundaries need to get liability, compliance, and construction right. We build boundary walls to legal specifications, including the additional footing and beam depth required under SA’s cut-below law.
Retaining Walls with Integrated Fencing
Save space and money by combining your wall and fence in one structure. We can weld a good neighbour fence or a post and rail type fence right on top of your retaining wall - a clean, secure result from a single contractor.
Residential Retaining Walls
From garden terracing to driveway retention, we build walls that add usable space and value to Adelaide homes - engineered properly and finished to complement your property.
Commercial Retaining Walls
For builders, developers, and commercial property owners, we deliver compliant retaining walls built to spec and on schedule, with the machinery and experience to handle larger projects.
Why Choose Concrete Sleeper Retaining Walls?
Concrete retaining walls are built to last. They’re resistant to white ants and wood rot - problems that eventually claim every timber wall - and they’re made to withstand the harsh Aussie climate. Add in minimal maintenance, a long structural lifespan, and a wide choice of colours and profiles to suit your property, and concrete sleepers are the smart long-term choice for Adelaide conditions.
Our Installation Standards
We don’t believe in cutting corners. Every Lee Benson retaining wall is built with:
- High-grade steel beams - quality steel posts that won’t fail under load
- Proper footings - the right machinery for the job makes it easy for us to exceed the standards with the depth and width of our footings
- Professional equipment - purpose-built machinery for clean, efficient, accurate installation
- Compliance with Australian requirements - including boundary wall design under SA’s cut-below law
- Long-term structural performance - once we’ve done a wall for you, you won’t need to worry about it again
Retaining Wall Design Considerations
Every site is different, and a properly designed wall accounts for:
- Wall height requirements - we build walls up to 1m high; combined wall and fence heights affect council approval requirements
- Site access - earth moving equipment is required, so access and construction timing matter (ideally after bench-level earthworks, before studwork)
- Soil conditions - soil type affects footing design and drainage needs
- Drainage and backfill - essential for long-term performance (detailed below)
- Fence integration - deciding upfront whether fencing will sit on top of the wall affects the engineering
- Boundary and neighbour considerations - liability for retaining costs is proportionate to who alters the land, and joint walls can save both parties money
Our team walks you through all of this at quote stage - so there are no surprises later.
Drainage & Structural Performance
Drainage is what separates a wall that lasts decades from one that fails early. Water pressure building up behind a retaining wall is the most common cause of leaning and collapse. For concrete sleeper walls, we install a 90mm ag pipe laid in a gully created by a plastic membrane behind the wall, covered with 300mm of 20mm gravel, then covered with on-site landfill - allowing water to drain away freely instead of pushing against your wall.
Why Choose Lee Benson Fencing
- Adelaide-Owned Suppliers - all materials come from Adelaide-owned sleeper companies
- Experienced Retaining Wall Contractors - we know SA’s laws, soils, and standards inside out
- Quality Materials and Workmanship - high-grade steel, proper footings, no shortcuts
- Custom Solutions for Every Property - wide range of styles, colours, and fence integration options
- Competitive Pricing and Reliable Service - meeting the needs of budget-conscious homeowners while exceeding all expectations on quality
Frequently Asked Questions
If you alter the level of your land - by either excavation (cut) or building up levels (fill) - you’re responsible for retaining and paying for that retention.
Liability is still proportionate to each party’s work. Building a joint wall together can save you both money compared to each side building separately.
No. Where cut and fill are disproportionate, costs are allocated relative to each party’s actual walling requirement, usually determined from site plans.
It’s an SA law introduced after cases where neighbours excavated near a boundary, below an existing retaining wall, causing it to lean or fail. It requires walls retaining fill on a boundary to be designed for extra footing and beam depth.
A wall needs to be engineered to withstand up to 600mm of excavation below it. In practice, a 1.0m wall must be built as if it were 1.6m - more steel, deeper footings, more concrete - which can add 30% or more to the cost of fill-side walls compared to cut-side walls.
The owner is liable for reinstallation and has no claim against a third party, since the wall wasn’t built to legal specification in the first place.
Lee Benson Fencing builds concrete sleeper retaining walls up to 1m high.
Approval is generally required when the combined height of a wall and any fencing above it reaches 2.4 metres - for example, a 1.8m fence on a 600mm wall. Most councils are only interested in walls over 1.0 metre, but check with your specific council to confirm.
Ideally after earthworks have created your bench level and before footings are excavated and poured, or after footings are laid and before studwork begins. Access is the main factor, since earthmoving equipment is required.
This can happen. We’ll work closely with you and your builder to plan around it.
Occasionally, yes. We can wrap your wall in black plastic for protection where needed.
For concrete sleeper walls, usually yes. Proper drainage prevents water pressure from building up behind the wall, which is the most common cause of leaning and collapse.
We install a 90mm ag pipe laid in a gully created by a plastic membrane behind the wall, covered with 300mm of 20mm gravel, then covered with on-site landfill.
Yes - this is one of our specialties. We can weld a good neighbour fence or post and rail fence directly onto your retaining wall for a complete boundary solution from one contractor.
Decades. Concrete sleepers are resistant to termites and rot, unaffected by the harsh Australian climate, and require virtually no maintenance.
Get In Touch to Discuss Your Retaining Walls Adelaide Project!
Whether you’re a homeowner levelling a backyard, a builder needing compliant boundary walls, or a developer planning a larger project, Lee Benson Fencing has the experience and equipment to deliver. Contact us today or request a quote for expert retaining wall design, installation, and advice.