Comparative costs of building raised beds from different materials....

Hi all

I'm designing a garden for a customer on a very tight budget and need some advice on comparative costs for the raised beds she wants.

The paving will be Marshalls' Argent. Ideally, I'd like to specify the same for the walls (approx ht 60cm), but as I said, the budget is tight.... so I may be looking to specify cheaper alternatives. I could cost up the materials easily, but have no idea on labour :)

SO - I'm thinking new railway sleepers (least labour, I would think), or rendered concrete block walls (cheapest materials, but most labour?)

Any other suggestions?

If anyone could give me any ball park figures for these I would really appreciate it!

Thanks

Linda

www.garden-design-lancashire.com

 

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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Phil Voice on April 26, 2012 at 21:06
Hi Linda

What about ready made wooden raised beds? Not as chunky as sleepers but should last if you buy quality treated timber. Harrod Horticulture do a good range. http://www.harrodhorticultural.com/HarrodSite/product/We+Recommend/...

Of course these are not bespoke but a landscaper or joiner/carpenter could create on site.

Pro DesignerPermalink Reply by Jackson's Landscape Design on April 26, 2012 at 21:45

Hello Linda

Be careful with this one.....clarity hasn't been accomplished by the sound of your post.

best 

Kerry

Permalink Reply by Linda Secker on April 27, 2012 at 14:22

Hi Phil - thanks for reply, but I don't think I explained myself very clearly :) when I said raised beds, I didn't mean raised veggie type beds, I meant raised borders... 

The garden currently slopes up and I'm intending that there should be a level seating area of paving and gravel, with a raised border at the back and sides.... :)

Phil Voice said:

Hi Linda

What about ready made wooden raised beds? Not as chunky as sleepers but should last if you buy quality treated timber. Harrod Horticulture do a good range. http://www.harrodhorticultural.com/HarrodSite/product/We+Recommend/...

Of course these are not bespoke but a landscaper or joiner/carpenter could create on site.
Permalink Reply by Linda Secker on April 27, 2012 at 14:28

Hi Kerry, thanks for your reply too :)

No there isn't any clarity yet - I'm a garden designer and I will come up with several different layouts and options for the customer before drawing up the design. I'm only at the sketch layout stage as yet, but their budget is very tight and something will have to give. I want to be able to say 'well you could have these walls made from Argent but it will take you over budget, or you could have them made from (eg) sleepers and it will cost roughly x less.... The choice ultimately is theirs of course, but my job is to design their garden and present them with different options :) so no, no clarity, but no problem either, it's always like this!

Rgds

Linda

Jackson's Landscape Design said:

Hello Linda

Be careful with this one.....clarity hasn't been accomplished by the sound of your post.

best 

Kerry

Permalink Reply by Justin Hemming on April 27, 2012 at 16:05

New sleepers are around £20-25 (Jewson have had an offer on recently), hammer scaffold poles in and attach the sleepers. 

Permalink Reply by Gareth Main @ Newick Landscapes on April 28, 2012 at 15:01

Really depends on the site and length of the wall. I reckon the cost of both options would be similar but both less than using landscaping wall blocks (Marshalls Argent).

For new oak sleepers last week I paid £20.50+Vat, I used the same sleepers vertically concreted into the ground and then the horizontal facing sleepers ‘timber-lock’ screwed to these. It took us (2men) 2 days to fit these (38 sleepers), the holes were dug out with a mini digger. Using soft wood sleepers would reduce the cost further.

Block work materials would be a lot cheaper but is likely to take twice the time to build.

 

Permalink Reply by Simon Smith on April 28, 2012 at 15:26

I have done both in the past and i found sleepers to be about 20% cheaper all in but of course they will last half or even less the time.


PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Garden Doctor Chris on April 29, 2012 at 10:48
The only option cheaper than sleepers is scaffold board or similar walls faced with tongue and groove which can make an attractive bed but won't last as long as sleepers and doesn't look chunky. Prob not what this job requires. Block building is fast and cheap until you have to apply render and possibly paint.
Permalink Reply by Linda Secker on May 1, 2012 at 10:46

Thanks to all for your replies, very helpful! I shall suggest sleepers, followed by rendered walls as an option.

Cheers

Linda

Permalink Reply by gary newton on May 5, 2012 at 6:13

have done a couple of alternatives to sleepers recently

the first was a retaining wall made from circular posts 100mm dia position vertically and butted secured in a concrete footing

ideal for tight radius works

and a second was large beds formed using reclaimed telegraph poles 

they were around £30 each plus delivery

both gave a nice effect

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