Site preparation and retaining walls. Mortdale based, Sydney wide.
Retaining Walls & Site Preparation Sydney — excavation, levelling, drainage and walls that last
Trees and stumps out, block cut and levelled, drainage in, wall built and certified, by one arborist-led crew with its own machinery. One fixed quote for homeowners and builders.
★ 5.0 from 66 Google reviewsAQF Level 5 arboristsISO 9001 certified$20M public liability
The block, made ready. The slope, made to hold.
Most Sydney blocks are not flat and most of them have trees on them. We take the trees and stumps out, cut and fill the site to the levels on the plan, put the drainage in, build the retaining wall and hand the block back compacted, clean and ready — for a builder, a pool, a granny flat or simply a backyard you can use.
This is where an arborist-led crew earns its keep. On a normal landscaping job the tree company leaves, the excavator arrives and finds the root plate, and the retaining wall goes in over roots that will heave it in three years. We do the whole sequence ourselves: remove the trees, grind or grub the stumps, deal with the roots properly, then excavate, retain and drain in the right order. One crew, one quote, one accountable company if anything moves. The crew carries NSW landscape contractor licences; the arborists carry AQF Level 5.
We run our own compact loader, stump grinder, chipper and tip trucks and hire an excavator when the cut needs one. That keeps mobilisation costs down and lets us do tight-access sites — the ones with a 900 mm side path — that bigger earthmoving outfits will not touch.
Site preparation, start to finish.
Clearing and grubbing
Trees, shrubs, stumps and root plates removed, green waste chipped or carted, invasive species (Privet, Camphor Laurel, African Olive) controlled so they do not come back through the new work. See land clearing.
Excavation, cut and fill
Block cut to the levels on the plan or the builder’s set-out, fill placed and compacted in layers, spoil removed or reused on site. Levels checked with a laser, not by eye.
Retaining walls
Treated-pine and hardwood sleeper walls, concrete block and sandstone. Posts concreted to depth, ag drain and geofabric behind every wall, weep holes where the wall holds water. Walls over 600 mm designed by an engineer and certified.
Drainage
Subsoil drains behind walls, stormwater diverted away from slabs and neighbours, soakage sorted before the turf goes down. Drainage is the part everyone skips and the reason walls fail.
Turf, paths and finish
Underlay spread and levelled, turf laid and rolled, pavers lifted and relaid on new bedding, concrete driveway extensions, edging and steps. See landscape construction.
Root barriers and tree protection
Where a tree stays, root barriers protect the new slab or wall and tree protection to AS 4970 keeps the council happy during the build. See root barriers.
Our own photos, real blocks.
When a retaining wall needs approval, and when it does not.
Exempt walls: In NSW a retaining wall up to 600 mm high, clear of boundaries, easements and services, can usually be built as exempt development with no council approval. Most backyard garden walls and lawn terracing sit in this band.
Engineered walls: Above 600 mm, on a boundary, holding a driveway or a pool, or within a tree protection zone, the wall needs a design by a structural engineer and a certifier’s sign-off, and sometimes a complying development certificate or DA. We tell you which at the quote and build to the engineer’s drawings.
Trees: Excavation within the protection zone of a protected tree needs council approval and often an arborist’s impact assessment to AS 4970 — which we write in-house. Where the tree can stay we design the cut around the roots; where it cannot we lodge for removal first, so the earthworks are never held up by a tree the council did not know about. See the tree protection zone guide.
Crew-days, materials, and no surprises.
Day rates
A two-person crew with machinery is $4,000 a day ex GST. A full crew with the loader, chipper and trucks runs $5,500–$9,000 a day depending on size. Excavator hire is added at cost when the cut needs one.
Materials itemised
Sleepers, posts, concrete, blocks, drainage, geofabric, fill and turf are listed as their own lines so you can see exactly what you are paying for and trim the scope if you need to.
Fixed after a look
We walk the site, measure the cut and the wall, check access and any tree controls, and give you one fixed price with the days stated. Optional extras (stump grinding, turf, planting) as separate lines.
Recent figures, ex GST
Whole-property clearing and levelling $17,900; concrete driveway modification and extension $15,400; pavers lifted, cleaned and relaid on new bedding $5,500; clearing around 50 trees on one block $24,200.
Good to know before you book.
Can you clear the block and do the retaining in one job?
Yes — that is the point. Trees, stumps, roots, excavation, drainage, wall and finish from one crew, in the right order, on one quote.
Do you need an excavator on site?
For most residential cuts our compact loader and stump grinder do the work and fit through a side gate. For deeper cuts or big walls we hire an excavator in for the day and it is on the one quote.
What retaining wall type should I use?
Treated-pine sleepers are the cheapest for garden terracing under 600 mm. Hardwood or concrete sleepers last longer and suit walls with a driveway or slab behind them. Block and sandstone are the choice where the wall is seen every day. We quote the options.
Will the wall need council approval?
Under 600 mm and away from boundaries, usually no. Taller, on a boundary, holding a structure or inside a tree protection zone — engineer, certifier and sometimes a CDC or DA. We tell you at the quote.
Who removes the spoil?
We do, on our own tip trucks, unless you want it reused on site. Green waste is chipped; clean fill is carted or used behind the wall.
More from True Roots.
Qualified, insured and accountable
- AQF Level 5 arboristDiploma of Arboriculture (TAFE NSW). Reports accepted by Sydney councils.
- ISO 9001 certifiedQuality management system, audited. SWMS and risk assessments with every quote.
- $20M public liabilityPlus icare workers compensation. Certificates of currency sent on request.
- Australian StandardsPruning to AS 4373, tree protection on building sites to AS 4970.
- Indigenous-ownedTender-ready for councils, strata and builders: certificates of currency and site documentation supplied with every quote.
- 5.0 on Google66 reviews, every one from a real job. Read them.
Block to clear, level or retain?
Send the site plan or a few photos with your suburb. We quote the trees, the earthworks and the wall as one fixed price.
Get a free quote
Tell us what you need done and we will call you back to arrange a look. Every job is assessed individually - no two trees are the same.
Urgent or unsafe tree? Call 0422 023 242 - we answer 24 hours.