Retaining Walls & Concrete Masonry

Why You Need a Retaining Wall

Retaining walls solve problems and create opportunities. If your property slopes, a retaining wall can create level areas for patios, gardens, or play spaces. It holds back soil and prevents erosion. Without a retaining wall, sloped areas can wash away during heavy rain, damaging your landscape and even your foundation.

A well-built retaining wall does more than prevent erosion. It adds usable space to your property. That sloped backyard becomes a level patio area. The hillside becomes terraced garden beds. The steep driveway entrance gets a level turnaround. Retaining walls turn challenging terrain into functional space.

Retaining walls also improve your property's appearance. A professionally built wall with clean lines and quality materials enhances your landscape. It defines different areas and adds visual interest. Whether you need a small garden wall or a large structural retaining wall, we design and build walls that serve both functional and aesthetic purposes.

Types of Retaining Walls We Build

We specialize in concrete and masonry retaining walls. These materials provide the strength needed to hold back soil and resist pressure. Concrete walls can be poured in place or built with concrete blocks. Each approach has advantages depending on your site and needs.

Poured concrete walls offer maximum strength and work well for high walls or challenging conditions. We build a footer, set forms, install reinforcement, and pour the concrete. The result is a solid, monolithic wall that will last for decades. We can finish the exposed face smooth, add texture, or apply a decorative coating.

Block retaining walls use specially designed concrete blocks that stack and interlock. These walls go up faster than poured walls and often cost less. We fill the cores with concrete and add reinforcement for strength. Many block systems offer attractive faces that look like natural stone. These work great for residential applications where appearance matters as much as function.

Engineering for Stability

A retaining wall must resist enormous pressure from the soil behind it. Water adds to this pressure, especially after heavy rain. If a wall is not designed and built correctly, it will fail. This is why proper engineering matters so much. We never guess when it comes to retaining wall design.

For taller walls or difficult sites, we work with structural engineers to create proper designs. The design accounts for soil type, height, slope, and drainage. It specifies footer depth, wall thickness, reinforcement, and drainage systems. Following these specifications ensures your wall will stand strong for its entire life.

Drainage is one of the most critical aspects of retaining wall construction. Water behind a wall creates pressure that can cause failure. We install drainage systems that channel water away. This includes gravel backfill, perforated drain pipes, and weep holes. Proper drainage removes the water pressure and keeps your wall stable.

The footer is another critical element. Every retaining wall needs a solid concrete footer below the frost line. This prevents frost heave and provides a stable base. We excavate to the proper depth, pour an adequate footer, and build the wall on this foundation. This attention to fundamentals separates walls that last from walls that fail.

Other Masonry Services

Beyond retaining walls, we handle all types of concrete masonry work. This includes decorative walls, columns, outdoor kitchens, and fire pits. Masonry adds permanent, durable features to your landscape that require little maintenance and last for generations.

We build outdoor living features like built-in grills, countertops, and seating areas using concrete block and stone veneer. These features turn your backyard into an outdoor room perfect for entertaining. Fire pits and fireplaces create focal points and extend your outdoor season into cool evenings.

For commercial properties, we install dumpster enclosures, mechanical equipment screens, and decorative walls. These features serve practical purposes while improving the property's appearance. Whatever your masonry needs, we have the skills and experience to build it right. We also offer repair services for existing masonry that has developed problems.

Frequently Asked Questions