How much does a garden wall cost?
Last reviewed July 2026
A well-built brick wall is one of the most satisfying things a bricklayer makes, and one of the most visible, since it’s all at eye level. Here’s what affects the cost of a garden or boundary wall.
The short answer
It depends on the height, length and brick you choose, plus the foundation work underneath, so there’s no single figure that fits every wall. A low dwarf wall is a small job; a tall retaining wall is a bigger one. Send a photo with rough measurements and we’ll give you a quick steer, then a fixed written quote.
What affects the cost
Every job is different, so we don’t put a figure on this page that we’d then have to caveat. These are the things that move the price up or down. The only accurate number is a measured written quotation, which we give for free.
Height, length and foundations
A wall’s cost is driven by its height (which sets how thick it must be), its length, and the foundations underneath, the part you never see but that stops the wall cracking or leaning a few winters in.
Brick, bond and copings
The brick you choose, the bond it’s laid in and the coping on top all affect both the look and the cost. Matching an existing house or wall may mean sourcing a specific brick.
Retaining vs free-standing
A wall holding back soil or a level change is a retaining wall. It needs a stronger foundation and often reinforcement, so it’s a bigger job than a free-standing garden wall of the same size.
Common questions
- How is a garden wall priced?
- Usually by the square metre of wall, once we know the brick, the height and the foundations. We give you a clear price in the written quote rather than a vague estimate.
- Do I need planning permission for a garden wall?
- Walls up to 1m next to a road, or 2m elsewhere, are generally permitted development, but Cambourne’s estate design codes can be stricter, so we’ll flag anything worth checking.