Brick Walls in Croydon — London Borough of Croydon

Croydon's sloping plots mean a lot of the walls we build here are retaining rather than purely decorative — holding a driveway platform, a terraced patio or a level change between gardens.
Retained ground is heavy, and heavier again when saturated. A retaining wall needs a footing sized for the load, adequate thickness or reinforcement for its height, and drainage behind it. We will not build a tall retaining wall in a single skin because it looks tidier.
Free-draining backfill, a drainage layer and weep holes let water escape instead of building pressure. Most leaning garden retaining walls we are asked to replace had none of these.
Above a certain height, or where a wall retains a driveway or a neighbour's ground, a structural engineer's design is the right call. We will tell you when we think you have reached that point.
Full detail on materials and build-up is on our brick walls page, and more about the area on our Croydon page.
There is no single figure — it depends on the retained height, the ground, the surcharge above it and the wall's construction. Low garden retaining is routine work; anything substantial, or retaining next to a driveway or neighbouring land, should have a designed solution. We will say clearly which category your job falls into.
Call +44 7847 037606 or send us the details and we will come and measure up.