Overview
Retaining walls are engineered, not built; the drainage behind them is half the job
A retaining wall is one of the trades where the part the customer can see is the smaller part. The block or stone face is the visible job. The bigger job is what's behind it: drainage stone, geotextile, weep holes, sub-base, and reinforcement that ties back into the bank or the slab. Skip the drainage and the wall fails by season three when water pressure builds up behind it. A quote that just gives a per-square-metre rate for the face hides every line the engineer specified, and the customer compares it like-for-like to a quote that doesn't include them.
QuoteGenio gives retaining wall specialists room to spell out the engineered detail. Engineering and design as their own line where the height demands it, excavation by cubic metre, sub-base, drainage stone and geotextile by tonne or by square metre, blocks or stones at supplier price, reinforcement by tonne, weep holes by piece, and labour by day. Send the quote via WhatsApp from the bank, take a deposit on the design and excavation, raise progress invoices as each layer goes in, and the final invoice when the wall is capped and the drainage is signed off.
Who it is for
Who uses QuoteGenio
Built for every kind of retaining wall business, from solo timber-sleeper specialists to engineered concrete wall teams.
The problem
The quoting headaches every retaining wall specialist knows
Retaining wall work is engineered-heavy and drainage-critical. Without a structured proposal with engineered design, drainage, and reinforcement, the wall fails or the engineering certificate gets disputed.
Engineered design unpaid
Walls over 1.2m typically need an engineered design. Without it as a paid line, you absorb a structural engineer's fee on every prospect.
Drainage absorbed
Geotextile, weep holes, and drainage layer are critical to wall longevity. Without lines on the quote, the wall fails and the warranty is yours.
Verbal wall-type pricing
Concrete, gabion, masonry, and timber sleeper all have different price points and longevity. Customers want each option itemised before choosing.
The fix
QuoteGenio makes it simple
A clean workflow for retaining wall builds. Quote engineered design, excavation, foundations, wall material, drainage, and finishing as separate lines. Send via WhatsApp.
The payoff
What you get with QuoteGenio
The everyday wins that add up across a year of quoting and invoicing.
Built for retaining walls
Line items for engineered design, excavation, concrete foundations, wall (concrete, gabion, masonry, timber), drainage, geotextile, reinforcement, and capping.
Works from the site
Send a retaining wall quote from the slope, push an engineered design proposal from the customer's deck. Branded PDF on every send.
Quote in under 10 minutes
Build templates for engineered concrete, gabion, masonry, and timber sleeper. Each new survey is a few tweaks from sent.
Track deposits and finals
See which deposits have landed and which finals are still unpaid on engineered wall builds. Track engineering sign-off against scheduled milestones.
Built for your trade
Quoting calibrated to how retaining wall specialists actually work
Pick your trade in Settings and the entire quote flow switches to fit. Line item presets, compliance fields, on-the-quote calculators, and per-m² / after-hours pricing all change to match your industry.
Trade-specific line items
Quick add picker pre-fills the common items your trade quotes. Skip the blank rows.
Brand-specific catalogues
Pylontech, Hikvision, Canadian Solar, Sunsynk and others pre-named. Pick the brand, the description writes itself.
Compliance fields built in
IOPSA, ECASA, PIRB, PSIRA, NHBRC, SAQCC. Set once. Every quote prints them under FROM.
Registration expiry alerts
Dashboard notification 60 days before your PSIRA, CoC or any dated registration lapses.
Per-m² / hour / day billing
Unit selector on every line item: m², hr, linear m, days. Stop doing the maths externally.
After-hours and emergency
1.5× and 2× multipliers as a one-tap toggle. Customer sees the breakdown on the quote.
Quote-flow calculators
Solar size, battery backup, cable run cost. Compute on the spot, drop straight onto the quote.
Staged payments
Deposit on acceptance + balance on completion as two separate amounts on the quote PDF.
Scope-of-work checklist
Structured Included / Not included lists. Client acceptance = signing the scope.
Site-survey mode
Log a location per line item: camera positions, fixtures by room, sensors by zone.
Regional rate hints
Pricing ranges per item per currency shown as you quote.
Free on every plan
All of the above included on the free plan. Premium is for capacity, not the trade tooling.
Why QuoteGenio
Why Retaining Wall Specialists choose QuoteGenio
The tools that matter most when you are quoting on-site, under pressure, and between jobs.
Quote from your phone
Most Retaining Wall Specialists build and send quotes directly from the job site. No laptop, no office, no delays.
Win more jobs, faster
The first professional quote a client receives usually wins. Respond in minutes, not hours.
Quote to invoice in one click
When the job is accepted, convert to an invoice instantly. No retyping, no double entry.
Pricing guide
Typical Retaining Wall Specialists job pricing
A rough guide to what retaining wall specialists charge for common work. Pricing varies by wall type (timber, masonry, gabion, concrete), height, engineered vs landscape grade, drainage spec, and access. Engineered concrete and tall masonry walls sit at the top of these ranges.
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Timber sleeper wall (per linear metre, 1m high) | $ 145 - $ 380 / m |
| Masonry block wall (per linear metre, 1.2m high) | $ 280 - $ 680 / m |
| Concrete crib block (per linear metre, 1.5m high) | $ 380 - $ 850 / m |
| Gabion wall (per cubic metre) | $ 280 - $ 580 / m³ |
| Engineered concrete (per cubic metre) | $ 480 - $ 1,200 / m³ |
| Engineered design + structural calc | $ 580 - $ 2,400 |
| Drainage layer + geotextile (per linear metre) | $ 38 - $ 95 / m |
Pricing shown in USD as a rough benchmark. Rates vary significantly by country, region, currency, and market.
Call-out fees
Walls over 1.2m typically need an engineered design and structural calculation. Quote the engineered design ($ 580 to $ 2,400) as a paid line at the start of the project. Some councils require sign-off before the build can start. Without the engineered design, the wall fails inspection and the warranty falls back to you.
Hourly vs fixed pricing
Use per-linear-metre pricing for standard walls (timber, masonry, crib block) where the height and length are known. Use per-cubic-metre pricing for gabion and concrete walls where volume is the driver. Always quote engineered design and drainage as separate lines.
See it in action
Example quote breakdown
Here's what a clean engineered retaining wall proposal looks like. Design, excavation, foundations, wall, drainage, reinforcement, backfill, and capping each visible on the proposal. Customers accept faster when they see the engineered design and drainage broken out from the wall labour.
Try it yourself
Job size
Region
Sample quote
Engineered concrete retaining wall, 18m long x 1.8m high
Engineered design + structural calculation
Excavation + spoil removal (3 days plant)
Concrete foundations (60 m strip x 0.4m)
Reinforced concrete wall (poured, 18m x 1.8m)
Drainage layer + geotextile (full backwall)
Reinforcement (rebar, ties, shuttering)
Backfill + compaction (rear of wall)
Wall capping + render
| Description | Qty | Rate | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engineered design + structural calculation | 1 | $ 1,400 | $ 1,400 |
| Excavation + spoil removal (3 days plant) | 1 | $ 2,400 | $ 2,400 |
| Concrete foundations (60 m strip x 0.4m) | 1 | $ 3,800 | $ 3,800 |
| Reinforced concrete wall (poured, 18m x 1.8m) | 14 | $ 720 / m³ | $ 10,080 |
| Drainage layer + geotextile (full backwall) | 18 | $ 65.00 / m | $ 1,170 |
| Reinforcement (rebar, ties, shuttering) | 1 | $ 2,200 | $ 2,200 |
| Backfill + compaction (rear of wall) | 1 | $ 1,400 | $ 1,400 |
| Wall capping + render | 18 | $ 95.00 / m | $ 1,710 |
| Subtotal | $ 24,160 | ||
| Tax (10%) | $ 2,416 | ||
| Total incl. tax | $ 26,576 | ||
Totals recalculate as you change the controls above. Tax rate inferred from the sample quote.
Items often forgotten
Engineered design hours, drainage layer + geotextile, reinforcement and shuttering on poured concrete, backfill and compaction behind the wall, capping and render finishes, and traffic management on roadside walls. Add these as standard lines.
Peer snapshot
How Retaining Wall Specialists actually use QuoteGenio
Indicative activity for Retaining Wall Specialists on the platform. Use it as a benchmark for how often to quote and how fast to respond.
23
Quotes sent per month
65%
Average quote acceptance
5 min
Median time to send quote
$ 26,576
Typical quote value
Figures are indicative platform averages for this trade segment.
Start quoting Retaining Wall Specialist jobs like this, free
Build your first quote in under 2 minutes. No credit card, no setup fee, no contract.
Avoid these
Common quoting mistakes
We talk to a lot of retaining wall specialists. The same engineered-design, drainage, and foundation mistakes come up wall after wall. Fix these and your wall warranty work will reflect the engineering involved.
Mistake: Engineered design absorbed
Better: Quote engineered design as a paid line ($ 580 to $ 2,400) on walls over 1.2m. It is structural engineering time and customers accept it when itemised.
Mistake: Drainage skipped
Better: Quote drainage layer + geotextile as a standard line. Without proper drainage, the wall fails within 5 to 10 years and the warranty falls back to you.
Mistake: Verbal wall-type comparison
Better: Quote concrete, gabion, masonry, and timber options on the same proposal where the customer is undecided. They see the price difference and the longevity comparison.
Mistake: Foundations bundled into wall rate
Better: Quote concrete foundations as a separate line. Foundation depth and volume drive the cost more than the wall itself on engineered work.
Mistake: No deposit on engineered walls
Better: Take 30 to 50 percent deposit on engineered walls because concrete, rebar, and design are committed at the start. State on the proposal.
Mistake: Verbal warranty terms
Better: State the structural warranty (10-year on engineered, 5-year on landscape) on the proposal. Without it the customer assumes lifetime.
Mistake: No expiry on the quote
Better: Set a 30 day validity. Concrete and steel prices move; old quotes can bind you to outdated material costs.
Mistake: No follow-up after sending the quote
Better: Most quotes that don't close, don't close because nobody followed up. Send a polite check-in 48 hours after the quote lands, and a second nudge at day 7. Two of every three accepted quotes get there because someone followed up.
Step by step
How to quote retaining wall work
Always survey the slope and ground before quoting. A 30 to 60 minute survey tells you the slope angle, the height the wall needs to retain, the ground bearing capacity, the surface water and drainage situation, and any access constraints for plant. Quote based on what you saw rather than guessing from a phone description. Wall failures usually come from inadequate drainage or undersized foundations, both of which need site-specific design.
Itemise engineered design, excavation, foundations, wall material, reinforcement, drainage, backfill, and capping as separate lines. State the wall type (timber, masonry, gabion, concrete) and height on the description. Add the engineered design as a paid line on walls over 1.2m. Drainage layer and geotextile are critical for longevity and must be on every quote, regardless of wall type.
Take a deposit on engineered walls. Landscape walls (timber, low masonry) usually invoice on completion. Engineered walls (concrete, gabion over 1.5m, crib block) need 30 to 50 percent deposit because design, rebar, concrete, and plant are committed at the start. State the deposit clearly on the proposal.
Send via WhatsApp from the site visit. Wall customers usually compare 2 to 3 specialists. The first detailed proposal with engineered design and drainage stated usually wins. Share via WhatsApp link, follow up after 48 hours, and once accepted invoice the deposit and order materials. Set a 30 day validity to protect against concrete and steel price moves.
FAQ
Common questions from retaining wall specialists
Everything you need to know before getting started.
On walls over 1.2m, almost always. Quote the engineered design as a paid line ($ 580 to $ 2,400) at the start of the project. Some councils require sign-off before build can start.
Yes. Once your quote is ready, share the public link via WhatsApp. The customer opens a branded PDF on their phone, accepts online, and you have a time-stamped acceptance on file.
Yes. Drainage layer + geotextile is critical for wall longevity and must be on every quote. Without proper drainage, the wall fails within 5 to 10 years and the warranty falls back to you.
Yes. Quote timber, masonry, gabion, and concrete options on the same proposal where the customer is undecided. They see the price and longevity comparison and make an informed choice.
Quote concrete foundations as a separate line. Foundation depth and volume drive the cost more than the wall on engineered work. State the foundation depth and width on the description.
Yes. The free plan gives you 5 quotes and 2 invoices per month with no credit card. Upgrade to Premium for unlimited quotes during busy seasons.
Yes. 30 to 50 percent deposit because design, rebar, concrete, and plant are committed at the start. State on the proposal so the customer agrees in writing.
Quote engineered design, slope-specific drainage, and the wall system separately. Some slopes need pile foundations or soil nails which are specialist sub-contracted work; quote these as pass-through.
If you are tax registered, yes. Show tax as its own line on the proposal so the customer sees the full price before they accept.
30 days. Concrete and steel prices move with commodity markets. State the validity on the proposal so old quotes do not bind you to outdated material costs.
Still have questions? We would rather answer them now than after you have signed up.
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Reviews
Trusted by tradespeople
Real feedback from people who quote for a living.
"Roofs are not cheap. Having itemised quotes with labour and materials split helps clients trust my pricing. My acceptance rate has gone up noticeably."
Marco Davids
Roofer · Cape Town
"My quotes look a lot more professional now. Clients take them seriously and I spend less time formatting documents."
Megan Daniels
Interior Designer · Birmingham
"Quoting per square metre used to take me forever. I have templates set up now that cover lawn, pavers, and planting separately. Cuts my admin in half."
Nathan Walsh
Landscaper · Melbourne
Guides
Guides for Retaining Wall Specialists
Practical advice to help you quote better, get paid faster, and grow your business.
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