Areas we cover
Landscaping, Fencing & RetainingWalls in Torbay: Torquay, Paignton & Brixham
Coastal gardens built for wind, salt and steep ground: terracing that holds, fencing that stays up and paving that drains, priced as one fixed figure.
30 years in South Devon · 5.0 Google rating · £2 million public liability
30 years
Building gardens across South Devon
5.0 rating
Average score on Google reviews
Fixed prices
Agreed in writing before we start
£2 million public liability
Fully insured, team covered
Coastal gardens in Torquay, Paignton and Brixham, where exposure and level changes decide the specification.
We work across Torbay every week
Torquay, Paignton and Brixham are a short run over the hill from our Denbury base near Newton Abbot, and Torbay is one of our regular working areas rather than an occasional trip. Preston, Chelston, Babbacombe, Galmpton and Churston all fall inside our normal patch.
Working here often enough matters, because Torbay gardens have a character of their own, steep, terraced, exposed and frequently built on ground that was levelled by someone else a century ago.
The properties we work on in Torbay
The bay is full of Victorian and Edwardian villas with tiered gardens and old stone retaining walls, seaside terraces with tiny high-walled yards, 1930s semis on the slopes above Paignton, and modern housing and bungalows on the flatter land inland.
Many of the older properties have retaining structures that were built long before anyone thought about drainage behind a wall. A large share of our Torbay work is replacing or rebuilding those, then re-terracing the garden so it's genuinely usable.
What Torbay clients ask for
Retaining walls and terracing lead the list, followed by fencing that survives coastal wind, patios on sloping plots, and decking used to create a level platform where excavation would be prohibitive.
Low-maintenance is a common brief here: composite decking and fencing, porcelain paving and planting that tolerates salt-laden wind, particularly for second homes and holiday lets that aren't occupied year-round.
Towns we cover in Torbay
Each town below has its own page, with the local detail and the work we do there.
Torbay gardens are frequently steep, terraced and salt-exposed. Retaining walls, steps and fixings need to be specified for that, not for a flat inland plot.
We build with the coastal conditions in mind: appropriate materials, proper drainage behind retained ground, and finishes that cope with wind and salt air.
Every job is priced as one fixed sum from the measured work and the labour it genuinely needs, and is covered by £2 million public liability insurance.
Services available in Torbay
Patios & PavingPatios and driveways on sloping Torbay plots, with falls and drainage worked out so water leaves the terrace instead of sitting behind the retaining wall.
Porcelain PatiosCrisp, low-maintenance porcelain laid to tolerances the material actually demands.
Indian Sandstone PatiosRiven sandstone laid so the colour, the coursing and the joints all read as deliberate.
DrivewaysA driveway built to carry a vehicle, shed water and still look sharp in ten winters.
Garden WallsRetaining and terrace walls, the core of Torbay work. Proper footings, free-draining backfill and weep holes so the wall doesn't bow.
Garden & Patio StepsEven risers, generous treads and a step you never have to think about in the dark.
FencingCoastal fencing specified for wind and salt: concrete or steel posts, closeboard or composite boards, set deep.
DeckingRaised and split-level decking to create flat outdoor space on steep Torquay and Brixham gardens without major excavation.
PergolasStructure and shade over a patio or deck, cut and jointed like joinery.
Garden RoomsInsulated garden rooms and pergolas built to cope with exposure, with position and access assessed before anything is agreed.
Garden DesignFull renovation of tiered Torbay gardens: levels, walls, surfaces and planting resolved as one scheme.
Turfing & PlantingSoil prepared properly, so the lawn knits and the borders actually establish.Why choose PC Landscaping in Torbay
Coastal experience
Three decades of building in South Devon, including exposed bay gardens where materials and fixings have to be chosen for salt and wind.
Retaining walls done properly
Footings, free-draining backfill and weep holes as standard, the details that decide whether a terrace wall stays plumb.
5.0 Google rating
Our average review score is 5.0, with clients consistently mentioning punctual starts and tidy finishes.
One fixed price
Priced from the measured work and the labour needed, with hourly rates only for genuinely unforeseen extras raised at the time.
Insured for structural work
£2 million public liability cover, with the self-employed tradesmen working alongside Phil covered under the same policy.
What Torbay gardens throw at you
Salt-laden wind degrades the wrong materials
Untreated timber, standard fixings and thin coatings fail early in Torquay, Paignton and Brixham. Specification has to assume exposure rather than shelter.
Steep gardens with old, undrained retaining walls
Many Torbay terraces are held by walls with no drainage behind them. They hold saturated soil every winter, which is exactly how bowing and collapse start.
Wind load on solid fencing
A solid panel fence on a shallow timber post is a sail. Exposed bay boundaries need deeper posts, stronger post materials and sometimes a design that lets wind pass.
Limited and shared access
Tight lanes, steps down to gardens and shared side passages mean materials often have to be barrowed a long way. Planning that in advance is part of the price being accurate.
Older properties with unknown made ground
Victorian villa gardens were frequently terraced with whatever was to hand. Excavation depth and footing design have to respond to what's actually found.
How the job runs
- Step 1
Site visit in Torbay
Phil comes out to the property, measures the work, checks levels, ground conditions, drainage and access, and talks through what you want the garden to do. Site visits across Torbay are arranged between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday.
- Step 2
Fixed price and programme
You get one fixed price, calculated from the measured area and the labour the work genuinely needs, plus a realistic start window. An hourly rate only ever applies to unforeseen additional work, and we raise it with you at the time rather than at the end.
- Step 3
Groundwork, levels and drainage
Excavation, sub-bases, footings and water routing happen first. Getting these right is what decides whether the finished work is still level and dry in ten years.
- Step 4
Build and finish
Walls, paving, carpentry, structures and planting are built in a sequence that avoids disturbing completed work. The site is cleared at the end of each day.
- Step 5
Handover
We walk the finished work with you and explain any aftercare. If anything needs attention afterwards, Phil is the person who answers the phone.
Areas of Torbay we cover
We work right across the bay and the villages around it.
- Torquay: villa gardens, terraces, steep plots and town courtyards.
- Paignton: estate housing, bungalows and sloping rear gardens inland from the seafront.
- Brixham: exposed coastal plots, harbourside properties and hillside gardens.
- Preston, Chelston and Babbacombe: established residential gardens, often tiered.
- Galmpton and Churston: semi-rural plots between the bay and the South Hams.
Building for a coastal climate
Exposure changes specification more than it changes design. Fencing gets concrete or steel posts and deeper settings; timber is either well treated or replaced with composite; fixings are chosen so they don't stain or corrode in salt air.
Drainage is the other constant. On a tiered garden, water from the upper terrace has to be given a route off the site or it ends up behind the next wall down. Getting that wrong is what turns a small wall repair into rebuilding three terraces.
Planting and surfacing follow the same logic: materials that cope with wind-driven rain and salt, surfaces that drain, and finishes that don't need re-treating every spring on a garden nobody visits in January.
Holiday lets and second homes
Torbay has a lot of property that isn't lived in year-round. That shifts the brief toward durability and low maintenance: composite instead of softwood, porcelain instead of surfaces that need sealing, and boundaries that don't need checking after every storm.
It also means access and scheduling have to be planned around letting periods, which we'll work out with you at quoting stage rather than assuming the garden is free.
Nearby areas we also cover
Back to the PC Landscaping homepage, see all services, browse every area we cover or get in touch with Phil.
Torbay: common questions
Do you cover Torquay, Paignton and Brixham?
Yes. Torbay is one of our regular working areas, we're based in Denbury near Newton Abbot, a short run over the hill, and work across the whole bay including Preston, Chelston, Babbacombe, Galmpton and Churston.
How soon can you come and look at a job in Torbay?
Torbay is close to our base, so site visits are straightforward to arrange. Ring Phil on 07792 076673 for a realistic date, we're on site 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.
How much does a retaining wall or patio cost in Torbay?
It depends on height, length, ground conditions, access and materials, which vary enormously on sloping bay plots. Phil measures on site and gives one fixed price before any work starts.
Do you offer emergency callouts in Torbay after a storm?
We don't run an emergency or weekend callout service, we work 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Ring Phil about storm-damaged fencing or walls and he'll tell you straight when we can get to it.
Which fencing stands up best in a coastal Torbay garden?
Usually concrete or steel posts with closeboard or composite boards, set deeper than an inland boundary would need. Solid panels in shallow timber posts are what tends to blow down here.
My retaining wall is leaning: can it be repaired?
Sometimes, if the footing and drainage are sound and only the masonry has suffered. A wall that's actually leaning usually has a structural or drainage cause, and Phil will tell you honestly which it is rather than patching a failure.
Can you build on a very steep Torbay garden?
Yes. Stepped terracing, retaining walls and raised decking are the standard answers, and they're a large part of what we build across the bay.
Can you work on a holiday let between bookings?
Yes, as long as we know the constraints when we quote. Programme and access get planned around your letting periods.
Do you work in the South Hams and Exeter too?
Yes: Teignbridge, Torbay, Exeter and the South Hams are all within our coverage from Denbury.
Client feedback
Reviews from across South Devon
“Fab job for my pathway around my house and patio… Phil's suggestion and explanation of the construction work was the most solid.”
Hung Alice
Pathway & patio · Google review
“Phil and his team provided some excellent service… The decking looks fab, love my new garden!”
Frank S
Decking & garden · Google review
“Phil finished the remainder of my featherboard fence. Started the job promptly, arrived on time and finished the job professionally.”
Big Steve
Featherboard fencing · Google review
“Phil and Nigel did a complete redesign of our garden, did a very professional job from start to finish… this is the second job they have done for us and we have another project for later in the year.”
Robert Down
Full garden redesign · repeat client · Google review
Planning work on a Torbay garden?
Phil visits, assesses the slope, the walls and the exposure, then quotes one fixed price for the whole job.
30 years' experience · £2 million public liability · 8am–6pm, Monday to Friday