A sandstone retaining wall on a Canberra block is built from heavy stone blocks lifted in by a small excavator, so we check the access on site before you choose the stone.
Sandstone
Typical HeightOne to three rows of 500 mm stone, taller with an engineer's design
Access NeededMachine access is the deciding factor
Build TimeDepends on how the stone can be placed
Finish OptionsA or B grade logs and blocks, mortared, dry stacked or boulder walls, in seven natural colour ranges
Is It Right For You
Is Sandstone Good For A Retaining Wall
Yes, on the right site. Sandstone retaining walls are built from large natural stone blocks, called logs, usually 500 mm high and heavy enough to hold a low garden wall by their own weight. Each log is lifted in by a small excavator, so we check the access before you choose a stone.
01
Looks Better With Age
Sandstone softens as it weathers and as the planting grows over it.
02
Heavy By Design
Low walls hold by the weight of the stone and a slight lean back into the slope.
03
Needs Machine Access
An excavator lifts each log, so there has to be a way into the yard.
Get A QuoteSend a photo of the slope and the side access, and we will tell you if sandstone is possible.
Sizes
Sandstone Block Sizes And What Each Is For
Sandstone for retaining walls is sold in a handful of standard sizes. The log is the one most walls are built from.
SizeWhat It IsUsed For
500 x 500 x 1000 mm
What It IsThe standard sandstone log, quarry sawn.
Used ForMost garden retaining walls, one course for every half metre.
500 x 500 x 2000 mm
What It IsA double length log.
Used ForLong, straight runs with fewer joints.
300 x 300 x 1000 mm
What It IsA billet, sometimes called a sandstone sleeper.
Used ForLow edges, steps and garden borders.
Walling Blocks
What It IsSmaller sawn or split blocks about 300 mm high, 900 to 1200 mm long.
Used ForLower feature walls and planters built by hand.
These are the standard sawn sizes suppliers sell into Canberra. Every load varies a little, because it is quarried stone.
Grades
A Grade Or B Grade Sandstone
Sandstone logs and blocks are sold in two main grades. The grade is about how the stone is cut, not how strong it is, and we source the grade that suits your budget and the look you want.
A Grade SandstoneBest For
Formal Gardens
Pool Surrounds
Modern Homes
B Grade SandstoneBest For
Natural Gardens
Bigger Walls On A Budget
A Rustic Look
OR
A Grade Sandstone
Sawn on four or more sides, with flat faces, square edges and even course heights. It gives a more uniform, neatly cut wall.
B Grade Sandstone
Sawn top and bottom, with a rough rock face front and more natural variation. It costs less and gives a rustic finish.
Get A Sandstone QuoteTell us the grade and colour you like, and we will price it after a site measure.
Colours
Sandstone Colours And How They Weather
Sandstone comes in the colours of the quarry: honey and golden yellow, cream and off white, buff and tan, natural brown, pink and pink-brown, grey, and mixed or banded stone. What is available depends on the quarry, and we buy through Wholesale Sleeper Co, Canberra Sandstone and other suppliers.
Most Common
Honey Yellow
Warm golden stone with light orange banding. It mellows to a softer tan over the years.
Light
Cream And White
Pale stone for a crisp, modern look. It shows marks and lichen more in shady spots.
Banded
Banded Pink And Brown
Soft bands of pink and tan through a cream stone, different in every block.
Warm
Buff And Tan
Soft light brown and beige stone that sits quietly in a garden.
Rich
Natural Brown
Deeper brown stone with natural iron banding, for a strong, earthy wall.
Cool
Grey
Cool grey stone that suits modern homes with dark cladding.
Natural Colours
Honey And Golden Yellow
Cream And Off White
Buff And Tan
Natural Brown
Pink And Pink-Brown
Grey
Mixed And Banded
Wall Types
A Grade Logs And Blocks
B Grade Logs And Blocks
Mortared Sandstone Masonry
Dry Stacked Sandstone
Sandstone Boulder Walls
Other Natural Stone
Bluestone Or Basalt
Granite
Other Natural Stone
Dry Or Mortared
Dry Stacked Or Mortared Sandstone
We build sandstone walls from A grade or B grade logs and blocks, as mortared sandstone masonry, as traditional dry stacked walls, and as natural sandstone boulder walls. Most log walls are dry stacked, with no mortar. Mortar is used where a wall carries more, or where smaller stone needs holding together.
Dry StackedMortared
How It Holds
Dry StackedThe weight of each log and a lean back into the slope.
MortaredLaid on mortar like masonry, usually on a concrete footing.
Drainage
Dry StackedWater drains out through the joints, and through the gravel and ag pipe behind the stone.
MortaredNeeds weep holes and a drain behind, like a block wall.
Movement
Dry StackedSettles slightly, which is normal. It should not lean forward.
MortaredHolds its line, but can crack if the footing moves.
Best For
Dry StackedLarge logs and garden walls.
MortaredSmaller stone, taller walls and engineered designs.
Access And Build
How A Sandstone Wall Goes In
Sandstone is placed by machine, so the build starts with how the stone gets to the wall.
01
Check The Access
A standard 1 m sandstone log weighs about 580 kg, so a mini excavator needs a way into the yard. Smaller stone can be placed by hand, but the labour and the price change completely.
02
Dig And Level The Base
The wall line is dug out and a base of crushed rock is compacted flat, because the first course sets the whole wall.
03
Set The First Course
The first logs are lowered in, levelled and set back into the slope.
04
Put The Drainage In
An ag pipe in a filter sock runs along the base, with clean gravel and filter cloth behind the stone.
05
Stack And Backfill
Each course goes on with its joints staggered, and the gravel is filled in behind as the wall rises.
Not Sure A Machine Can Get In? Send a photo of the side access and the slope, and we will tell you whether sandstone is possible.
Every 500 mm course adds height, and height is what the ACT rules measure.
One Or Two Courses
A wall holding fill is exempt from a development approval up to 1.0 m, and a wall cut into the slope up to 1.2 m. Two courses is about 1 m.
Near A Boundary
Within 1.5 m of a side or rear boundary, or out the front, the exempt limit is 0.4 m, which is less than one log.
Three Courses And Up
Three courses, about 1.5 m, is past the 1.0 m and 1.2 m limits, so it needs a development approval and may need a building approval too. At that height, or with a driveway or a building above, we have it designed by an engineer.
What We Do About It
01
Measure the wall height in courses and the distance to each boundary on site.
02
Tell you up front if the wall needs approval or engineering.
03
Supply the drawings where they are needed. The homeowner lodges the application.
Every sandstone wall is quoted on site. These are the four that matter most on this wall.
SandstoneWe do not price walls by the square metre or by the metre of length. Every wall is estimated after a site assessment, from what your site needs.
What Moves The Price Of This Wall
Grade Of Stone
A grade sawn logs cost more than B grade rock face logs.
Machine Access
An excavator has to reach the wall line. Without one, the job changes completely.
Height In Courses
Each 500 mm course adds stone and drainage, and past 1.5 m, engineering.
Base And Drainage
The compacted base, the gravel and the ag pipe under and behind the stone are all part of the price.
Every sandstone wall is estimated on its own after a site assessment, not off a square metre rate. The price moves with the height, the grade of stone, the access for the machine and the drainage.
How long do sandstone retaining walls last?
A well built sandstone wall lasts for decades. The stone weathers and softens, but the wall stays put when the base and the drainage are done right.
Is sandstone good for a retaining wall?
Yes, where a machine can get in. The logs are heavy enough to hold a low wall by their weight, and taller walls are designed by an engineer like any other.
What sizes do sandstone blocks come in?
The standard log is 500 x 500 x 1000 mm, and 2 m logs suit long runs. Billets of 300 x 300 x 1000 mm suit edges and steps.
Should you seal a sandstone wall?
We generally do not seal sandstone walls. Sandstone is a fairly soft stone that weathers naturally, and we would rather let it age into its natural look. In our experience a sealer can spoil that look as the stone keeps weathering. We do seal other stone where it suits, such as bluestone, granite, and natural stone paving or cladding.
Do you build walls in other natural stone?
Yes. As well as sandstone, we build retaining walls in bluestone, also called basalt, granite and other natural stone, using the building method that suits the stone and the site.
Can sandstone be installed without machine access?
Smaller stone can be placed by hand, but the labour changes completely and so does the price. We check the access before we quote it.
Is a sandstone look block the same as sandstone?
No. Sandstone look blocks are concrete, moulded and coloured to look like stone. Natural sandstone is quarried, heavier and different in every block.
Is sandstone or concrete better for a retaining wall?
Neither rots, and both make a strong wall when there is drainage behind it. Sandstone is natural stone that softens as it weathers, and each log holds a low wall by its own weight, but the logs need a machine to place them. Concrete sleepers and blocks give a more even wall, come in more colours and finishes, and suit taller engineered walls.
Do I need approval for a sandstone retaining wall in Canberra?
Away from the boundaries, one or two courses usually does not. A standard sandstone log is 500 mm high, so two courses is about 1.0 m, the most a wall holding back built-up soil, called fill, can reach without a development approval. A wall cut into the slope can go to 1.2 m. Within 1.5 m of a side or rear boundary, or in the front yard, the limit is 0.4 m, which is less than one log, so a sandstone wall there needs approval.
Next Step
Send A Photo Of Your Site
A photo and a rough length and height is usually enough for us to tell you which walls will work, before anyone drives out.
Concrete Sleeper
Concrete Block
Timber Sleeper
Brick
Palisade
Sandstone
Repairs & Replacement
What A Wall Costs
Rules, Approvals & Engineering
Most Common
Light
Banded
Warm
Rich
Cool
SandstoneWe do not price walls by the square metre or by the metre of length. Every wall is estimated after a site assessment, from what your site needs.
