Updated October 2026
Jannali is one of the steepest suburbs in the Shire. Its leafy streets climb and drop sharply, and many blocks carry at least one retaining wall, and some carry three or four. We connect you with builders who know how to work these slopes, from tiered backyard rebuilds to engineered walls under driveways.
Common wall situations in Jannali
Steep blocks mean tiered yards, and tiered yards mean multiple walls that were usually built in stages over decades, in a mix of timber, brick and stone. When one tier starts leaning, the load transfers to the ones below. Driveway walls are the other big category: many Jannali driveways are cut into the hill, and the walls holding them matter structurally. Access is the recurring challenge, with plenty of backyards reachable only by stairs.
Material options
Concrete sleepers are the workhorse for Jannali rebuilds, and sleeper lengths can be carried down stair access where machines cannot go. For very steep sites, builders sometimes use smaller terraced walls rather than one tall engineered wall, which can simplify approval too. Compare concrete sleeper walls and timber retaining walls.
What a wall costs in Jannali
Access drives Jannali pricing more than anywhere nearby. Hand-carried materials and hand excavation push labour up, so two identical walls can price very differently on different blocks. Use our retaining wall cost guide for ranges, and treat everything before a site visit as guide pricing only.
Walls over 600mm high need approval (a CDC or DA). Walls up to 600mm can be exempt development if they meet the other criteria, such as setbacks and drainage, so check with Sutherland Shire Council first.
Frequently asked questions
My block is only accessible by stairs. Can a wall still be built?
Yes. Local builders handle stair-only access regularly in Jannali, using lighter materials and hand digging. It costs more in labour, but it is routine work.
One tier of my terraced yard is leaning. Do I replace them all?
Not always, but have the whole slope assessed, because tiers share load. See leaning or collapsed wall.
Is a tall single wall or several small walls better on a steep block?
Several lower walls are often cheaper, safer and simpler to approve, but it depends on the slope and what you want from the space.Get a builder who knows steep blocks. Get a fast quote
We also cover nearby Como and Sutherland.