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Retaining Wall Planning Checklist - Free Download

Most retaining wall problems start before the first sleeper goes in - the wrong height, no approval, or drainage left as an afterthought. This free checklist walks you through everything to sort out before you build a retaining wall on a Toowoomba block, so you can talk to a builder with confidence and compare quotes properly.

What is in the Toowoomba retaining walls checklist

Four short sections cover the decisions that matter on Darling Downs ground, from the first measure-up to signing a contract. Here is a preview of what you will work through.

Before you call anyone

  • Measure the length and the height of soil you need to hold back
  • Note the slope direction and where water runs after heavy rain
  • Check whether a driveway, shed or pool sits above the wall line, adding a surcharge (extra load that can trigger engineering)
  • Mark the boundary and any wall within 1.5 metres of a building

Approval and engineering

  • Confirm if the wall tops 1.0 metre above natural ground level
  • Ask whether council approval and AS 4678 (the earth-retaining standard) engineering are needed
  • Check who arranges the Form 15 and Form 16 certificates (the engineer's design and inspection sign-off)
  • Confirm the wall and its footings stay inside your boundary

Drainage and durability

  • Make sure an ag-drain and gravel sit behind the wall
  • Check the drain connects to a legal stormwater point
  • Ask how the design handles reactive black-soil movement
  • Confirm geofabric (a filter cloth) separates the clay from the drainage gravel

Quote and contract

  • Get the scope, materials and price in writing before work starts
  • Confirm the builder holds a current QBCC licence for the work value
  • Check what is excluded (excavation, spoil removal, access)
  • Ask for the expected build time and the clean-up included

Method and sources

This checklist is built from the Queensland building rules for retaining walls, the relevant Australian Standards and Toowoomba Regional Council's requirements. The approval and engineering points follow the council's retaining wall checklist (CL013). It is general planning guidance only. Whether your wall needs council approval and engineering depends on its height, any surcharge load and its position on your site, so always confirm with Toowoomba Regional Council or a QBCC-licensed builder before work begins.

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