Highland Park Tight-Access Backyard Level, Retaining & Pool Pad

Project Scope

A sloping Highland Park backyard levelled and set up as a stable pool pad — fill brought in to build the area up, retaining walls built to hold the new levels, then a layer of pebbles topped with crusher dust to finish the pad. We'll be back on a return visit to do the fencing.

The Challenge

The access was the whole story on this one — down a steep, narrow hill that only our 1.7-tonne excavator could fit through, so every part of the job had to be done with the small machine. On top of that, the patio was under construction at the same time, so we were working in around another trade's build the whole way.

How We Approached It

1. 1
   Worked the 1.7-tonne excavator down the steep, narrow access — the only machine that could fit
2. 2
   Levelled the backyard and brought in fill to build the area up to level
3. 3
   Built the retaining walls to hold the new levels
4. 4
   Laid a layer of pebbles, then topped it with crusher dust for a stable pool pad
5. 5
   Worked in around the patio construction underway on site at the same time

On Site

Key Takeaways

• On tight-access blocks the machine choice decides the job — the 1.7-tonne excavator got down an access nothing bigger could
• A stable pool pad is built in layers — fill to level, then pebbles, then a crusher dust finish
• Working around another trade mid-build (the patio) comes down to sequencing and communication — six days on site and both jobs kept moving