Our services
Garden & Retaining Wallsin Newton Abbot, Torbay& the South Hams
Brick, block and stone walls carefully built to shape your garden, turning slopes into practical, attractive terraces you'll love spending time in.
30 years' experience · 5.0 Google rating · Fully insured
30 years
Hands-on experience in Devon
5.0 rating
Average score on Google reviews
Fixed prices
Agreed in writing before we start
Fully insured
Self-employed team covered
Retaining walls, boundary walls and raised beds in brick, block, stone and rendered finishes.
What garden walling covers
Garden walls fall into two families. Retaining walls hold back ground and are structural work: they carry the weight of saturated soil and everything above it. Boundary, feature and raised-bed walls carry mostly their own weight but still need footings, correct bonding and a weather-resistant coping to stand up to Devon winters.
We build in brick, block, natural stone and rendered finishes, including retaining walls, boundary walls, low seating walls, raised planting beds and the terracing that turns a slope into flat, usable garden.
Who needs it and when
If your garden slopes enough that half of it is unused, terracing with retaining walls is usually what unlocks it. If an existing wall is leaning, cracked, bulging or shedding mortar, a rebuild with the right footing, drainage and reinforcement puts that right for good.
Walls are also the practical answer where you want a defined boundary that a fence cannot give you: a windy coastal plot, a road frontage, a level change at a driveway edge, or a garden where you want planting height rather than panels.
Why it needs doing properly
The load on a retaining wall is not the soil alone, it is the soil plus the water in it. Good drainage behind the wall relieves that pressure continuously, which is exactly what keeps the wall straight through heavy rain.
Getting the footing depth, the reinforcement and the drainage right from the outset costs a fraction of rebuilding a wall later and reinstating everything around it.
What's included
- Retaining, boundary and feature walls
- Brick, block, natural stone and rendered finishes
- Proper footings and drainage behind retained ground
- Raised beds and terracing to make sloping gardens usable
Doing it right from the start
Relieving pressure behind the wall
Drainage behind a retaining wall gives water somewhere to go instead of building up against it, which is what keeps the wall standing straight through heavy rain.
A wall that holds the whole garden together
A well-built retaining wall keeps the terrace, paving, planting and anything above it exactly where it should be, so the whole garden stays stable and looking good.
Footings built for the seasons
Footings taken below the depth of seasonal ground movement keep mortar joints tight through wet and dry cycles alike.
Building it right as a structural job
A retaining wall works hardest of any wall in the garden, so it's given proper footings, a drainage layer and weep holes and the correct mortar, built as the structural job it is rather than as decoration.
How your project comes together
- Step 1
Site assessment
The team looks at the level change, the ground conditions, where water currently runs and what is above and below the proposed wall, including services, boundaries and neighbouring structures.
- Step 2
Specification and fixed price
Height, construction type, footing depth, drainage and finish are agreed, then you get one fixed price based on measured work and the labour it needs.
- Step 3
Excavation and footings
We dig and pour footings to suit the load and the ground, rather than to a standard depth applied everywhere.
- Step 4
Building, drainage and finish
The wall is built in the chosen material with reinforcement where needed, a free-draining backfill and weep holes or a land drain behind it, then coped, pointed or rendered.
- Step 5
Handover
We clear the site, walk the finished work with you and explain any aftercare. We want you to enjoy your new space from day one.
What you'll enjoy
Usable garden reclaimed
Terracing converts a slope you walk past into flat space for seating, planting or a lawn.
Stays plumb
Correct footings, reinforcement and drainage are what keep a retaining wall straight for decades.
Water managed, not trapped
Free-draining backfill and weep holes relieve pressure behind the wall instead of letting it accumulate.
Finishes that suit the property
Brick, block, natural stone and render, chosen to sit with the house rather than against it.
Coordinated with the rest of the build
Walls, steps, paving and planting are built by the same team, so levels line up first time.
Materials and finishes
Material choice is part appearance, part exposure and part structure.
- Facing brick: traditional, matched to the property, ideal for boundary and frontage walls.
- Concrete block, the structural core of most retaining walls, rendered or faced for appearance.
- Natural stone: suits older South Hams and Dartmoor-edge properties, built to look right rather than uniform.
- Rendered and painted finishes, a clean, contemporary face over a block structure.
- Copings and detailing, the coping is what keeps water out of the top of the wall; it is a functional detail, not a trim.
Methods: retaining versus boundary construction
Retaining walls need footings sized for the retained height, reinforcement appropriate to the load, a drainage layer of free-draining material against the back face, and a route for that water to escape via weep holes or a perforated land drain. A geotextile separates the drainage layer from the soil so it doesn't silt up.
Boundary and feature walls need footings below seasonal movement, correct bonding, movement joints on longer runs and a coping that throws water clear of the face. Mortar mix is matched to the masonry: the right balance keeps the joints doing the work rather than the masonry itself.
Variations and where they apply
Terracing a steep coastal garden in Torquay or Paignton usually means a series of lower walls rather than one tall one: easier to build, easier to drain, and it produces more usable terraces.
Raised beds are low retaining walls with planting behind them, so they still need drainage and a lining to keep the masonry in good condition. Seating walls are set to a comfortable height and given a wide, smooth coping.
Driveway and frontage walls take impact and road spray, so they need heavier construction and durable copings. Where a wall also supports a fence or railing above it, the fixings and the head of the wall are designed for that from the start.
Domestic and light commercial
Domestic walls are usually about levels, boundaries and planting. Light commercial work, a car park edge, a courtyard boundary, a terrace at a business premises, shifts the emphasis toward durability, impact resistance and building in a sequence that keeps the site accessible.
Either way the structural fundamentals do not change: footing, drainage, reinforcement, coping.
Where we do this work
Related services
Back to the PC Landscaping homepage, see all services or get in touch with Phil.
Garden Walls: common questions
How much does a garden or retaining wall cost?
It depends on length, height, retained load, footing depth, drainage and material, so every wall is priced individually. We measure on site and give you one fixed price before anything starts.
How long does a wall take to build?
Straightforward boundary walls are typically a few days; retaining walls and terracing schemes take longer because footings, drainage and backfill each need their own stage. You get a programme with your quote.
Do I need planning permission for a garden wall?
Height and position relative to a highway are what usually matter, and rules depend on your specific property. We'll flag anything that looks like it needs checking with the local authority before work is agreed.
Why do retaining walls lean or crack?
Almost always water and footings. Good drainage behind the wall and footings taken below seasonal ground movement avoid both, which is why we build them in from the start.
How long will the wall last?
A correctly founded, correctly drained wall lasts decades, which is why we spend the time on footings and drainage.
Can you repair an existing wall rather than rebuild it?
Sometimes. If the footing and drainage are sound and the damage is to the masonry, repair is sensible. If the wall is leaning, the cause is usually structural and rebuilding is the honest answer, and we'll tell you which it is.
Can you build a wall on a steep slope?
Yes, and it's regular work across Torbay and the South Hams. Stepped or terraced walls are usually better than one tall wall on a steep plot.
Are you insured for structural garden work?
Yes: £2 million public liability. The tradesmen working alongside the team are self-employed and covered under that same liability insurance.
Do you work across Exeter and Newton Abbot?
Yes. We work from our base near Newton Abbot throughout Teignbridge, Torbay, Exeter and the South Hams.
Client feedback
Recent words from South Devon gardens
“Phil finished the remainder of my featherboard fence. Started the job promptly, arrived on time and finished the job professionally.”
Big Steve
Featherboard fencing · Google review
“Fitted our hardwood deck and it looks great! Decent price and took just a couple of days plus they cleaned up after themselves.”
Steve Marson
Hardwood decking · Google review
“Phil and Nigel did a complete redesign of our garden, did a very professional job from start to finish… this is the second job they have done for us and we have another project for later in the year.”
Robert Down
Full garden redesign · repeat client · Google review
“Fab job for my pathway around my house and patio… Phil's suggestion and explanation of the construction work was the most solid.”
Hung Alice
Pathway & patio · Google review
Turn the slope into usable garden
We visit, assess the ground and the drainage, then quote one fixed price for the wall and the terracing around it.
30 years' experience · Fully insured · 8am–6pm, Monday to Friday