Wall runs at true length, heights stepped, distance to the boundary shown.
Retaining is assessed on height, proximity and what sits behind it. Trace the run where it goes and the numbers come with it.
The block and its contours load from the address, so the cut and fill sides are right before you start. Unlocking the property is $75, once, with unlimited edits.
Height per sectionBoundary clearance dimensionedContours from real data
What the sheet shows for retaining
Retaining is the one structure where the ground matters as much as the wall.
- Each run at true lengthTraced along the real boundary or contour, not drawn as a straight approximation.
- Height per sectionStepped where the ground steps, because the threshold applies to the tallest section.
- Distance to the boundaryFrom the wall face, dimensioned, since proximity is what triggers assessment.
- Clearance to sewer and mapped servicesWhere an asset owner clearance applies, it is on the drawing.
- Existing levels from contour dataSo the cut side and the fill side read correctly for the engineer.
- Surcharge behind the wallA driveway, pool or structure above the wall, marked where it changes the design case.
What decides whether retaining needs approval
Four thresholds, and a fifth question that belongs to the asset owner rather than the council.
Height thresholds and boundary rules for retaining differ by state and council, and a wall exempt on one side of a street can be assessable on the other. Confirm before you quote.
What the certifier will ask you
The questions a retaining wall application comes back with, and what the certifier looks for in each.
The tallest section decides whether the wall needs building approval and an engineer's design, because the height steps along the run. The sheet gives the height of each section.
More on thisA wall close to a boundary usually brings both assessment and a conversation with the neighbour, so the distance is dimensioned from the wall face.
More on thisA landslide, flood or heritage overlay can bring a planning approval on top of the building approval, and the zone decides which of the council's rules apply. The mapped overlays are read at the lot as the wall goes on the plan.
More on thisA wall over a sewer main needs the asset owner before it needs the council, as a separate approval on a separate timeline. Where an asset owner's clearance applies, it is on the drawing.
More on thisThe certifier or the council gives the approval, and the site plan can come from the builder, the supplier, a drafter or the owner, as long as it is clear and to scale. A surveyor comes in where the position of a boundary on the ground has to be fixed.
More on thisThe council and the zone set the rules the plan is checked against, and some councils step them with the lot's size. The address gives the council, and the sheet prints the lot's area.
More on thisA fence on top is assessed with its own height test, and a driveway, pool or building above the wall changes the engineer's design. Both heights go on the sheet, with anything above the wall that loads it.
More on thisQuestions people ask about retaining walls
Answers from the blog, and the checks that read one address.
Where the wall sits changes what it costs
Two hundred millimetres of height and half a metre of boundary clearance are often the difference between an exempt wall and a certified design with an engineer attached. Drawing the run on the real contours settles it before the quote goes out.
Check the wind class for the blockPatio / carport / louvered · Granny flat · Retaining · Pools · Concreting / driveways · Class 10a structures. All seven come out of the same editor, on the same sheet, at the same price.
Doing a different job?
Each page covers what that structure needs on the sheet.
Draw the wall where it goes, on ground that is actually there.
Contours, boundaries and mapped services load from the address, so the geometry you hand the engineer is real.
Search the address and check the property on the aerial before you pay anything. Unlocking it is $75, once, for that property.