What Auckland clients say
“Sam and the team at Chambers Consultants are absolute professionals and provide excellent service and communication. They helped us recently with a complex pre purchase inspection and saved us from making a big mistake!”
Jeremy M., Google review
“The team was professional, reliable, and delivered high-quality results on time. Very responsive and easy to work with—I highly recommend them for any geotechnical needs.”
Hossein G., Google review
“Good reliable Consultant Engineers, technically sound.”
Shahid A., Google review
Read all reviews on Google · Geotechnical engineers in Auckland · What a geotechnical report costs
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a building consent for a retaining wall in New Zealand?
Under Schedule 1 of the Building Act, a retaining wall can be exempt from building consent where it is no more than 1.5 metres high, does not carry any surcharge such as a building, driveway or another wall above it, and does not protect a structure or road. Above that height, or where there is a surcharge, a building consent and specific engineering design are required. Some councils and district plans impose additional requirements, and an exempt wall still has to comply with the Building Code.
What causes retaining walls to fail?
The most common cause is water. Blocked or absent drainage behind the wall allows hydrostatic pressure to build, which can double the design load. Other frequent causes are undersized or under-embedded piles, timber decay at the ground line in older walls, surcharge loads added after construction such as a new driveway or fill, undercutting at the toe, and global slope instability where the wall itself is sound but the ground beneath it is moving.
How do I know if my retaining wall needs remedial work?
Signs that warrant assessment include forward lean or bulging, horizontal cracking in the wall face, cracked or stepped ground at the top of the wall, timber softness or rot at the ground line, water seeping through the face rather than from the drainage outlet, and movement in paving or structures immediately above or below. Any of these on a wall retaining more than about 1.5 metres, or supporting a building or driveway, should be assessed by a geotechnical or structural engineer rather than patched.