Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design 1 Apr 05, 2014 11:30 pm Hi there Could we please have opinions on whether we should have to pay half of the cost of a retaining wall along our boundary with our neighbours. We want to live here happily for many, many years so we don't want to cause unnecessary friction! The first two pics show the retaining wall we put up during our build. Our retaining wall is inset from the boundary by half a metre to allow for plants to disguise a future fence rather than have a wall of concrete sleepers/fence. Note the flat level above our retaining wall following the natural contour of the slope. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Our neighbours commenced building a year or so later, with the preparation of their site resulting in a new "level" that now needs to be retained. Run off issues are sometimes the result of a solid day of rain but this will be solved once proper drainage and paving is in place on their side. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Do you think responsibility of retaining the soil ****** with our neighbours? Or do they have every right to ask for half of the proposed retaining wall? It will be less than 900mm and so doesn't require council approval (we would assume - or does this extra height, although inset half a metre from our existing retaining wall, effectively make it 900mm+?) We can't state strongly enough that we want to go about this as amicably as possible so any advice would be very much appreciated! Re: Who should pay for this retaining wall? 3Apr 10, 2014 11:55 pm Yes any change to the original level is legally the responsibility of whoever alters it from its natural level. There are many documents online that would back this up. Just as you have cut and retained, if they fill they must retain. If your neighbour and you had shared a boundary cut and fill you would have paid for whatever percentage you cut or filled whether 50/50 or 40/60. I have a 2m retaining wall along my boundary! Re: Who should pay for this retaining wall? 4Apr 10, 2014 11:58 pm I don't know if it is the same where you are but we are able to ask our neighbours here to do their stormwater during the build if it effects you. When the roof goes on! Builders then attach these big long water socks from the gutter to the storm water or appropriate place until drain pipes are in place. It looks like a decent amount of water. At the end of the day you don't want it pooling near your foundation. Re: Who should pay for this retaining wall? 5Apr 11, 2014 12:05 am The storm water was an issue for a short while as their house was under construction. These are the only pics of the levels and retaining tequired so I think I have to be clear that the run off had been fixed. Now to approach the neighbours with the facts... Thank you again Simeon.. I will call my certifier for that. Have a good day 4 5140 Hi Mofflepop, I would recommend finding a building designer to prepare plans, they should design to your specified budget. The benefit is you can tender the project out… 9 20353 Thanks for the insights, that makes perfect sense, and yeah, I will be leaning on the experience of the excavator operator entirely. 6 16104 |