A retaining wall does two jobs: it holds back soil, and it moves water. Walls fail when the second job is ignored. Every wall we build has a compacted base, gravel backfill, and a drain pipe behind it so the water that builds up in a Gulf Coast rain has somewhere to go other than pushing on the wall.
We build segmental block walls for sloping lots, terraced beds, tree wells, and seating walls around a patio or fire pit. Steps, caps, and lighting can be built into the wall as it goes up.
Taller walls and walls carrying a load — a driveway, a structure, a steep slope — can need an engineer's design and a permit. We tell you that at the quote stage, not after the wall is half built.
What’s included
A site visit to look at the slope, the soil, and where the water goes now
Utility locates through Alabama 811 before any digging
Excavation and a compacted crushed-stone footing
Segmental block laid level and stepped back into the slope
Gravel backfill and a perforated drain pipe behind the wall
Cap units and any steps or lighting built into the wall
Grading and finishing above and below the wall
What the price depends on
We do not publish a rate for this, because a number with no yard attached to it is a guess. These are the things that actually move it:
Face area, which is length times height, not just how long the wall looks
Height. Past a certain point the wall needs engineering and that changes the build
How much excavation and drainage stone goes in behind it, which you never see afterwards
The block you choose
Whether the slope above the wall has to be cut back and rebuilt
We measure all of it on site. The written quote comes back with the scope, the materials and one price for the whole job, so you are comparing a number to a number rather than one guess to another.
Questions about this work
How tall can you build?
Low garden and seating walls are straightforward. Above roughly four feet, or wherever the wall holds up something heavy, an engineer's design is usually required and a permit may be too. We look at the site and tell you which category your wall is in before quoting.
Why do retaining walls lean or fall over?
Almost always water. Soil behind a wall gets heavier as it soaks, and without gravel and a drain that weight pushes the wall out. The other cause is no proper footing. We build both in, every time.
Can a wall double as seating?
Yes. A seat-height wall around a patio or fire pit is one of the most useful things you can add to a backyard, and it can be built with the patio in a single job.
Free site visit, written quote
Thinking about retaining walls?
A sentence or two is enough. We come out, walk the property with you, and follow up with one written quote for the whole job.
Call or send the form. Tell us what you are picturing and where the property is. We come back to you within one business day.
We walk the property. We look at the ground, the drainage, the sun and shade, and what is already there, and talk through options and budget.
One written quote. One scope and one price for the whole job — lawn, hardscape, drainage, fence — in the order it should be built.
We build it. One crew from the first dig to the last light, with a call if anything changes along the way.
