Edinburgh · Midlothian · The Lothians
Garden Walls in Edinburgh & the Lothians
New boundary walls, front walls, raised beds and feature walls, designed to suit your home and built to stand for decades.
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We build garden walls in Edinburgh from brick, block and stone – boundary walls, dwarf walls, raised beds and feature walls – set out on proper foundations and finished to suit your home.
A good garden wall does a job, whether that's marking a boundary, keeping a dog in, screening a bin store or giving a garden some structure. It also has to look right next to the house for the next 30 years, so we spend time at the start getting the line, height and materials right.
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Garden walls in Edinburgh built to last
The walls we're asked to build most often:
Front garden walls
Low brick or rendered walls along the pavement, often with piers and a gate opening. These set the first impression of the house, so we match brick and coping to the property.
Boundary walls
Taller walls between neighbouring gardens for privacy and security, built with piers or a thicker section on longer runs for stability.
Dwarf walls
Low walls to edge a patio, separate a lawn from a seating area or carry a fence or railings on top.
Raised beds
Brick or block beds at a comfortable working height, with drainage holes so soil doesn't stay waterlogged.
Feature and screen walls
Short walls to hide bins, oil tanks or heat pumps, or to frame a patio or outdoor seating area.
If the ground behind the wall is higher than the ground in front, it's a retaining wall and needs a different design. See our retaining walls page.
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Planning the wall before we build it
A few things are worth settling before the first brick goes down, and we'll go through each of them at the site visit.
Height and planning permission
In Scotland a new garden wall up to 2 metres high usually counts as permitted development and doesn't need planning permission. The exception is the front: any part over 1 metre high that sits forward of the house where it faces a road does need permission. Conservation areas and listed buildings have tighter rules, and a lot of Edinburgh falls into one or the other, so if your house is in one we'll suggest checking with the City of Edinburgh Council planning team first.
Where the boundary is
Boundary walls in Scotland are often shared, or mutual, and your title deeds may say who owns and maintains the wall. If a new wall will sit on the line between two gardens, it's worth agreeing it with your neighbour in writing before we start.
What's under the ground
Drains, gas pipes and old foundations often run along garden boundaries. We check for them as we dig and adjust the foundation where needed.
Gates and openings
If you want a gate, a gap for bins or a step through, we build the piers in from the start so the opening is strong and square.
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Choosing materials
| Material | Suits | Things to know |
|---|---|---|
| Facing brick | Front walls, boundary walls, raised beds | Wide choice of colours and textures; can match most existing brickwork |
| Rendered block | Long boundary walls, modern homes | Cost-effective for long runs; render needs a coping on top to stay clean |
| Block with brick or stone face | Feature walls, walls carrying a fence | Strength of block with a decorative face |
| Natural stone | Older properties, conservation areas | Matches traditional Edinburgh sandstone walls |
Every wall gets a coping or cap on top. It's a small detail that throws rainwater clear of the face, stops water soaking down into the wall and saves you repointing for years.
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How we build your garden wall
- 1
Set out
We mark the line, height and any gate openings, and agree them with you on site.
- 2
Dig and pour
Footings are dug to firm ground below frost depth and filled with concrete sized for the wall.
- 3
Build
Brick or block is laid level and plumb, with piers on longer runs and a damp-proof course where needed.
- 4
Finish
Copings or caps fitted, joints finished neatly and any render applied.
- 5
Clean up
Spoil and offcuts removed and the area left tidy.
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Garden walls across Edinburgh and the Lothians
We build garden walls throughout Edinburgh and also have dedicated pages for garden walls in Dalkeith, Bonnyrigg, Penicuik, Musselburgh and Livingston. If your wall needs fixing rather than replacing, see garden wall repairs.
Garden wall FAQs
How thick does a garden wall need to be?
Low walls up to around waist height can be a single brick thick with piers. Taller boundary walls are usually built double thickness, or as block with a brick face, for stability. We'll recommend the right build for your height and exposure.
Can you build a wall on top of an existing one?
Sometimes. It depends on whether the existing wall and its foundation can take the extra height and load. Often it's better to take the old wall down and build the new one on a proper footing.
Can I put a fence on top of a garden wall?
Yes, and it's a popular way to get privacy without a full-height wall. Remember the planning limits apply to the combined height of the wall and fence. We also do garden fencing, so we can do both in one job.
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Get a quote for your new wall
Send a photo of where you want the wall and a rough length and height. We'll come out, measure up and give you a written quote. Call or text 07426 792387 or request a free quote.
Free quotes
Get a free, no-obligation quote
Call or text 07426 792387, or send photos through the quote form.