Slopes and retaining walls
Slopes and retaining walls can crack, move or even collapse, particularly if they’re affected by pressure from heavy rainfall, earthquakes or other natural disasters.
Slopes and retaining walls can crack, move or even collapse, particularly if they’re affected by pressure from heavy rainfall, earthquakes or other natural disasters.
Some higher risk areas are where:
If you have concerns about the stability of a slope, or want to make some changes, talk to your council or an engineer.
Keep a look out on your property for:
Look at neighbouring properties and roads immediately adjacent to the property, especially those immediately above the property, for these signs as well.
Consider any changes to buildings and structures on the property that might indicate land movement, including:
Your local council may hold information on the construction of any retaining walls on your property file. Older walls may have been built before there were Building Code requirements or weakened over time.
Look for construction issues such as narrow, tall poles that are spaced far apart and not secured with anchor bolts.
If you have any concerns or need work done, talk to a licensed building practitioner or engineer. It’s worth putting money aside for maintenance and repairs. If a retaining wall fails it may damage land, buildings or structures above or below.
Monitoring and maintaining your retaining walls is important to reduce the risk of a slip, or the wall failing as a result of heavy rain, flooding or an earthquake. Watch for signs that may indicate wall movement, including:
Watch out for signs that water is building up, including:
If you want to improve an existing retaining wall, consider getting engineering advice. Work to improve a retaining wall may include:
Talk to your local council about what you need to do to meet Building Code requirements and whether you need a building consent before making any changes. You may also need an engineer’s report.
It’s worth thinking about what would happen if a retaining wall failed. Consider who and what would be affected. How would you pay for repairs? The work may cost more than you might receive from EQCover or your private insurance cover.
Talk with your neighbours. If the retaining wall is on the boundary or outside your property, and it protects or supports your land, someone else may be responsible for making a claim if it fails in the event of a natural disaster. If it’s on an uninsured property, there won’t be any insurance cover.
Information about ownership of a retaining wall may be on the title or held by your local council. If you need to make a claim for damage caused by rainfall or a natural disaster, talk to EQC. You might also need to contact your private insurer.
For more about our natural disaster insurance, EQCover: