Bricklaying & Repointing

Garden wall in front of flower bed not built down to the ground

Anonymous user 23/02/2024 - 2.46 PM

Hi, We have just had a new garden wall built between our front garden and the street. The wall has 3 rows of "double" brick then single brick to the top. There is a flowerbed behind the wall - it is not a raised flowerbed in that there is no raised border, but the dirt is currently piled quite high, especially toward the wall, which it is our intention to lower. The problem is that at the back of the wall he has missed out the bottom 2 rows and instead made like a bridge over the flowerbed (ie a cavity filled with dirt). I raised this and he believes it is our fault for not advising the flowerbed would be lowered and that building around a raised bed is standard, but surely you would always expect to build the wall down to the ground (he has angled concrete under the bricks to hold them up)? Appreciate any comments from professionals on how this should be done, for now I've agreed for him to come back at a "discount" to resolution, but I do feel a bit stitched up. Additional facts: - the builder was originally quoting for the whole front drive. At the time we had discussed kerb stones to retain a flowerbed that remained raised (although not discussed, we would probably still have wanted to lower the bed to level of the kerb stones) - we opted for a driveway product he does not do, hence he was only contracted to do the wall. We since wanted to lower flowerbed which he wasn't aware, mostly as it never occurred to us that a wall would be anything other than all the way down. - design and quote was originally for single wall all the way up. He "got a good deal on the bricks" and so had made the "double wall" at no extra cost. - we currently have him booked for about £7000 worth of work in the back garden next year. Should we dig in and insist on rectifying for free? Stop the cheque? Pay him but tell him to stick future work? Or is he right and should just pay and be happy with a lovely wall? Honest comments wanted. Many thanks