Everything You Should Know About Retaining Walls

Do you have any slopes, dips, or inclines in your yard?

Then you almost certainly have a Retaining Walls Maple Ridge on your property. Retaining walls keep back dirt that might otherwise erode or collapse. They can be found anywhere from highway construction to landscaping.

Retaining walls are commonly used to keep soil stable in elevated yard features. Still, they can also plant tiered gardens on a sloped portion of the yard, manage erosion on an incline, or create an elevated sitting area.

Here's all you need to know about the supporting structures if you're planning to build a retaining wall.

Retaining Wall Fundamentals

Retaining walls serve a variety of purposes in the yard, including preventing soil from pouring over a steep incline.  They're essential for sunken patios, walkout basements, and any other hardscape with a sharp difference in ground elevation.

Retaining walls can also be found in parks and public gardens, serving as plant, sculpture, and aesthetic landscaping components.

Concrete, stone, or bricks are commonly used to build retaining walls.

However, retaining wall bricks (available at most home improvement stores) is your best bet if you're trying to do it yourself.  These blocks range in price from $1.25 to $4 per block, depending on size and texture, and they come with locking flanges that connect each row of blocks.

If you build a small retaining wall less than three feet high yourself, it will cost between $5 and $8 per square foot.  Due to the labor requirements, more enormous retaining walls, which are not DIY-friendly, are more expensive.  A mason-built natural stone or brick retaining wall can cost up to $20 per square foot, whereas poured concrete retaining walls cost between $13 and $18 per square foot.

If the contractor has to pour a deep frost footing (described below) or remove tree roots in the way of the footing, he may charge more for labor and supplies. If you're going to build a retaining wall, make sure you check with your local building department first. Because retaining walls can modify water flow and impact your neighbors, you may need a zoning permit or a building permit. Because local building laws and ordinances differ from community to community, don't miss this stage.