Retaining wall construction in Alameda CA - a slope that stays put and drains well
Soil spilling onto your patio or an old wall leaning? We build a wall sized to your slope, with drainage planned from the start.
Retaining walls hold back a slope. Here's when you need one.
A retaining wall holds back soil where your yard changes level, so a slope stays where it is instead of creeping onto a patio, a path or the side of your house. A poured concrete wall usually involves site prep, digging out, the concrete, steel reinforcement and gravel backfill, and a fair quote covers every one of those steps.
The price follows the wall's height and length, the material and how much digging your slope needs. Taking out an old wall, a curved or terraced design, a decorative finish and extra height all add to it. The schedule depends on whether your wall needs a permit, the weather and how easily we can get materials into your yard.
Your written estimate lists each step from digging to backfill, so you can compare it fairly against other quotes. California's Contractors State License Board requires a license for anyone who offers home improvement work, and we're licensed and insured. If you're also thinking about masonry restoration on an older house or a fireplace installation, I'm glad to look at those while I'm there.
Your yard usually shows it. These signs point to a retaining wall.
Soil washing onto your paths
After a heavy rain you find dirt on the patio, the walkway or piled against the fence. That usually means the slope is slowly moving downhill, and each wet season takes a little more of it.
An old wood wall leaning forward
Wood walls soften and split as they age, and once one starts to tip it's holding more than it can carry. Waiting usually means a bigger, messier dig when it finally lets go.
Water standing at the foot of a slope
Puddles that sit at the bottom of a bank, or a damp patch that never dries, tell you water has nowhere to go. Trapped water adds weight and pressure, and that's often what pushes an older wall over.
Here's how a retaining wall job goes. It starts with your slope.
When you call or write, we get back to you to set a time, and I come out myself to walk the slope with you. I look at how high the ground rises, where water runs in a storm and what sits above the wall, because those decide the wall type and height I'd suggest, not a standard size.
After the visit I send a written estimate that spells out the scope. Some things, such as old footings or buried debris, can't be known until we dig, and I'll tell you plainly where that applies.
Once you're ready, we take care of any city steps and have underground utilities marked through 811 before anyone digs, which takes a few days. Our own small crew of masons builds the wall while I check in on site, we treat your yard with care and clean up, and then we walk the finished job with you.
Tell us about your retaining wall. We'll come take a look.
Send the wall's length, a rough height and photos of the slope, or call (510) 254-3205. We reply within one business day to set a free on-site estimate, with no obligation.
(510) 254-3205Building retaining walls in Alameda. And in the cities around it.
In Alameda, permits start at the city's Permit Center. Its list exempts retaining walls no taller than 4 feet, from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, unless the wall carries a surcharge, extra weight such as a driveway or a slope above it. That list leans on an older building code, so the Permit Center has the current rule for your wall, and when a permit is needed we handle the application and the inspections.
The city is also working on a shoreline plan for sea level rise, storms and rising groundwater, which is one more reason we plan drainage behind a wall on the island from the start. We build walls in Oakland and Berkeley too, and in many other East Bay cities.
Questions about retaining walls. Answers before you call.
Read through the answers below, and if your question isn't here, give us a call and I'll explain it plainly.
How much does a retaining wall cost in Alameda?
A poured concrete retaining wall about 3 feet high usually costs about $47 to $52 per square foot in Alameda County. That typical rate covers the usual steps from site prep to gravel backfill. It's the area's going rate, not our price, and your written estimate shows what your own slope calls for.
Is a concrete block or timber retaining wall better?
For most yards I'd choose block, because segmental concrete block resists cracking and doesn't splinter or decay the way treated timbers and railroad ties do. Block is also dry-stacked, laid without mortar, so water drains out through the face instead of building pressure behind the wall.
How tall can a block retaining wall be?
There's no set number, and one block maker's guide says no gravity wall height is typical, a gravity wall being one that holds soil back by its own weight, since the limit depends on each site's soil and shape. Another maker says its height tables leave out earthquake loads and suggests checking with a local engineer in a seismic area. That's why the height I suggest comes from your slope.
How long does it take to build a retaining wall?
Laying the wall is often the quicker part, since a block industry guide says an experienced crew of three or four typically builds 300 to 500 square feet of block wall a day. Any permit, the digging and the drainage work add to that, and I'll walk you through the order of things at the estimate.
Retaining wall or other masonry? Call us for a free estimate.
Call (510) 254-3205 in the evening or on the weekend if that's easier, tell us about the slope, and we'll set a time to come and look.
Mon–Fri: 6 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
