Retaining Walls
Retaining Walls
A retaining wall is not landscaping. It is a structure holding back several tons of wet soil.
Why walls fail here
Almost always water, almost never the block.
Soil behind a wall gets saturated. Saturated soil weighs far more and pushes far harder than dry soil. If there is nowhere for that water to go, the pressure builds until the wall leans, bulges or comes apart at the courses.
The fix is unglamorous and invisible: drainage aggregate behind the wall, a drain line with somewhere to actually go, and geogrid tied back into the slope where the height calls for it.
What we build
Segmental block for engineered height and clean geometry. Natural and stacked stone where the property calls for it. Boulder walls where the grade is severe and the look suits.
Terracing rather than one tall wall is often cheaper, safer and better looking. It is worth asking about before you assume you need height.
Signs yours is in trouble
- A lean that was not there last year
- Bulging in the middle courses
- Separation at the ends
- Water seeping through the face instead of out of a drain
- Soil or mulch washing over the top
- Drainage aggregate and drain line as standard
- Geogrid reinforcement where height requires it
- Segmental block, natural stone and boulder
- Terracing considered before defaulting to height
- Built to hold, not just to look right the first year
The rest of what we build
Most projects cover more than one of these, and doing them together is where the saving is.
WhereWhy did my retaining wall fail?
Nearly always drainage. Saturated soil pushes far harder than dry soil, and without aggregate and a drain line behind the wall the pressure has nowhere to go.
Do retaining walls need a permit in Northwest Arkansas?
It depends on height and on your city. In Bentonville, Rogers and Fayetteville the line is four feet; Bella Vista starts at two and a half. We confirm with the city before we build.
Can you repair a leaning wall or does it come out?
Sometimes it can be rebuilt from a course down. If the failure is structural or the drainage was never there, it usually comes out. We will tell you which.
Free on-site consultation
Tell us what you want the space to be
Paco comes out, walks the ground and talks it through. The visit costs nothing and there is nothing attached to it.