QUESTION ABOUT RETAINING WALL BETWEEN TWO NEW PROPERTIES.

Hoping someone can asist here please.

I need to put in a retaining wall between a recently built house and my new house.

I understand this is my responsability and have the quotes ready to go.

My new neighbour, a good bloke, has "Demanded" steel uprights (and that the wall sits on the boundary) because it "Looks good" and he has to look at it.

Thing is the steel quote easily exceeds the timber one by over $1,200.00, which is money i just dont have.

So, the question:

To meet my LEGAL requirements, treated pine with all the drainage etc, built by a professional is enough right?

If the neighbour wants the steel for asthetic reasons, it would be fair to ask him to pay the extra?

Really hope someone can help,

Troubilly.

My wife and I are going to be in the same boat. I've been advised by out builder that because the retaining wall resides on OUR property, we can build it as we want to build it, provided it's built by a licensed builder and it's structurally sound.

To be honest I was a bit surprised with their answer. I'd assume the neighbour would have a say in it, like a shared fence, but apparently not.

I wonder if it would be slightly different then if its on the boundary?

It's a bit of a juggling act too, as in i don't want to strain a good relationship before we move in!

But I would have thought if I build it to the regulations, any add-on's or requests from the neighbour over and above that would (or should) be picked up financially by them?

Thanks for the advise though and good luck!

Thanks mate! I suppose I should clarify...the retaining wall IS on the boundary, but technically because we are the ones requiring it, it's considered our responsibility and on our property, despite the fact that we'll never really see it and our neighbour will. No one has bought the lot next to us yet though, so maybe we can get it put in before some does? Then again, it's not as if we'd build an ugly one on purpose, but cost and sustainability does play a factor too.

My advise is, get it built before you form a relationship with your future neighbour... Then there's no conflict to start with!

Although I havent had experience with retaining walls, I would doubt he can demand you use a more expensive (although better looking) material when most retaining walls are built from treated timber.

If he wants something more pleasing to look at, then he would have to foot the rest of the bill.

Thats how it is with fences in qld, both have to share the cost, unless one person wants something out of the ordinary, then they can only expect their neighbour to pay half of the normal style and they foot the bill for the rest.

WE dont have any neighbours yet, just vacant blocks. Both blocks have been for sale at some point, I think its going to be hard geting them to contribute half the cost of the fence seeing as though its likely that neither of them will be moving in or even building any time soon!

Thanks Ms Builder!

That is what I thought... Certainly makes sense, and that's what I intend to follow up on (unless someone else points out otherwise)... But common sense and what is written in law sometimes don't go hand in hand do they?!!

No sometimes they do not!

I also really hate how some people just "demand" to try and get what they want rather than having a chat and saying hey, you know, we would really prefer to have a different style seeing as though we are looking at it all the time, have you considered this.... Or if we meet half way would you consider doing this... or ANYTHING other than purely demanding you do it the way they want.

What style fencing is in your estate?

So many walls are done in timber, I wonder what he is thinking demanding you do it in something different?!

We're atually pretty lucky.

We're both building the same house with the same with the same builder, so we got in touch early on and swapped all our plans so we could make them look totally different (facades, bricks etc).

They are good people who we get along with and have found common ground with on a lot of things... fence included (1900mm high, double reinforced treated pine).

I got a few blokes to go around and get the quotes and wheni got them back they only quoted the steel... Neighbour had had words and said nothing but steel, so i'm a tad cheesed off he got them to change what i'd asked them to quote in the first place!

Sure we'll sort it out, just need to get my facts straight first so I'm amed with the right ammo!

If you are having treated pine fencing, wouldnt it look odd having anything other than treated retaining wall?

I would be very very annoyed if I asked someone for a quote and my neighbour told them to quote something different, thats actually really rude!

I can understand your neighbours view point. If you use wooden uprights they will eventually rot and the wall will collapse. It's not a matter of if, but when. If you use steel uprights then even if the sleepers rot you can replace them fairly easily and cheaply. He is actually doing you a bit of a favour by allowing it on the boundary because usually you would have to put it about 150mm inside the fenceline which makes the fence harder to instal but also takes up valuable space. Unless you like the idea of pulling out the entire wall and redoing it in ten years time then I'd use the steel uprights.

Ms Builder, I thought it was a bit rude, and I'm not happy, but I'm pretty easy going so it's not the end of the world!

Mozzie, thanks, understood and appreciate your advise.

It's probably not a question of which I'd prefer, over what I can currently afford with all the other building expenses going on.

You certainly know what your talking about, and it's possibly short sightedness to a degree from my part (again finances), but the neighbour wants it for more asthetic reasoning, everything else aside, and I'm very open to compromise, but legally, as long as I put a retaining wall in, it's fair to ask for the neighbour to help out with the additional (or meet half way) to get the steel option?

He's a nice bloke and we're hoping to have a good relationship, I just need to find the fair outcome without me (or him) being screwed over!!!