Garden wall building

A garden wall can mark a boundary, divide a patio from a lawn, frame a raised planter or simply give a garden a sense of permanence that fencing cannot. Because a wall is heavy and rigid, it depends entirely on a sound footing and good detailing to stay straight and dry for years.

Gardenscape has built hard landscaping since 2007, and new walls are often part of a patio, driveway or garden redesign. This page covers building new garden walls. If an existing wall is cracked, leaning or losing its pointing, our garden wall repairs page is the better starting point.

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Types of garden wall

A brick garden wall is the classic choice, and the brick can be matched or chosen to complement the house. Low walls around a patio or front garden give definition without blocking light. Double-skin planter walls create raised beds with a built-in edge. Block walls finished with render offer a cleaner, modern look, and walls can be capped with brick, stone or coping to throw rain clear of the face.

Where a wall needs to hold back soil, it becomes a retaining wall and must be designed for that load, with drainage behind it. Our retaining walls page covers that type of work separately.

Footings and building the wall

Every wall starts below ground. A trench is dug to firm ground and a concrete footing is poured to suit the height and weight of the wall. The masonry is then built up course by course, kept level and plumb, with a damp-proof course near the base where appropriate. Longer walls may need piers or movement joints so they can cope with changes in temperature and ground.

The top of the wall is finished with a coping or capping that sheds water. Water getting into the top of a wall is one of the main reasons brickwork stains, frosts and fails over time, so this detail is worth getting right.

Height, boundaries and permissions

Height affects both the look and whether permission is needed. Walls, fences and gates over certain heights, particularly next to a road, can require planning permission, and listed buildings or conservation areas bring extra controls. If the wall is on a shared boundary, it is sensible to talk to your neighbour before work starts. We can discuss the height you have in mind at the planning stage.

Think about how the wall works with the rest of the garden. Lighting, planting pockets, a gate opening or seating height can all be built in at the same time far more neatly than added afterwards.

What affects the cost

The length and height of the wall, the type of brick or block, single or double skin, the depth of footing, piers, coping, any demolition of an old wall and access for materials all affect the price. We measure and discuss the design on a free site visit, then give one fixed written quote.

Your questions answered

Do I need planning permission for a garden wall?

Walls over certain heights, especially next to a road, and walls at listed buildings or in conservation areas can need permission. We can talk through the height you want at the planning stage.

What footing does a garden wall need?

A concrete footing in a trench dug down to firm ground, sized for the height and weight of the wall. Taller or longer walls need deeper footings and sometimes piers.

Brick or rendered block for a garden wall?

Brick gives a traditional look and can match the house, while rendered block gives a smooth modern finish. Both need sound footings and a coping to shed water.

What affects the cost of a garden wall?

The length and height, materials, single or double skin, footings, piers, coping, removal of any old wall and access. We price it after a free site visit with one fixed written quote.