Concrete retaining walls in Riverside CA - a wall with the drainage built in
Soil creeping down the slope or an old wall leaning? We build poured concrete walls that hold the ground and drain the water behind them.
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Do you need a concrete retaining wall, and what goes into one?
A concrete retaining wall holds back soil where your yard changes level, so you get flat ground you can use and a bank that stays where it belongs. Professional Riverside Concrete builds concrete retaining walls in Riverside and many of the cities around it in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
Most calls start with a bank that washes mud onto the yard every time it rains, an old wall that's started to lean, or a slope you'd like cut back to make room for a patio. The price moves with how tall and long the wall runs, how much dirt has to come out, the drainage behind it and how easily a crew and a concrete truck can reach the spot. The schedule turns on whether the city or an engineer has to weigh in first, and on curing, the wait while the concrete gains strength before soil goes back against it. The written estimate I leave after seeing your site lays out what's in your job.
How we build a concrete retaining wall
We start by digging out for the footing, the wide buried base the wall stands on, and packing the bottom so it won't settle with the dirt. Rebar, the steel bars that keep concrete from pulling apart when the soil pushes on it, goes into the footing and ties up into the stem, the upright part of the wall, so the two work as one piece. We form and pour the footing, then the stem, and behind it we lay gravel and a drain pipe so rain soaking into the hill has a way out instead of piling up against the wall. With a wall, that drainage matters as much as the concrete, so we price it in and show it on the estimate where you can see it. It's also the first thing people want to cut, because once the soil goes back you'll never see it again. I'd rather spend your money there than on a fancier face, since a good-looking wall with water trapped behind it is still a wall in trouble.
A new wall often sets up other work. Flattening part of a sloped yard is a common first step before concrete pool decks, and we plan the wall's drainage so it doesn't empty onto the new deck. When a wall cuts into a hillside for a shop, a studio or a garage, the slab inside is concrete floor installation, and doing both together keeps the grades and the water working the same direction.
A low wall for a small change in level
This suits a garden bed, a short step between the yard and the patio or a bank a couple of feet tall. It's a smaller job, but it still gets a real footing and a way for water to drain, because short walls lean too.
Replacing an old wall that's leaning
This suits a wall that's tipping, cracked through or wet at the base, which usually means water had nowhere to go. We take out the old wall, figure out why it moved and build the new one with that cause dealt with.
If an old wall is leaning, bulging or wet at the base after rain, call now rather than waiting, since water trapped behind it keeps adding to the push.
What happens when you call us about a retaining wall in Riverside?
Here's how a wall job runs with us, from the first call to the walk-through at the end. I do the estimate myself and run the crew on the build, so you're dealing with the same person throughout.
Call or send the form
Call (951) 589-3080 or use the form and tell us what's going on with the slope or the old wall. We get back to you and set a time for me to come out.
I come out and look
I look at the slope, where the water runs and how a crew and a concrete truck get in, and ask what you want the flat ground for. You get a written estimate that spells out what's in the job, drainage included, so you know what you're paying for before anything starts.
Settle permits and prep ground
Once you say go, we settle the permit question with the city and any engineering the wall needs. Then we dig out, pack the base for the footing and get the drainage materials on site.
Pour, cure and walk through
We form and pour, then let the concrete cure and harden before any soil goes back against the wall. When it's done, I walk the finished wall with you.
Get a written estimate for your retaining wall
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set up a free estimate at your property. There's no obligation, and I'll leave you a written estimate that says what's in it.
(951) 589-3080What Riverside asks of a concrete retaining wall
In Riverside, the city's building official issues permits for most construction, and a retaining wall no more than 4 feet tall is exempt from one. The city measures that height from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, so a wall that shows less than 4 feet above your yard can still cross the line once the buried footing is counted. For taller walls, the city offers standard plans that can speed up plan check, but the wall has to follow that design exactly, and any change means a design drawn for your site by a design professional. We check what the city wants before we start, and when a permit is needed we pull it ourselves or help you apply. Skipping it isn't worth the risk, because the city warns that insurers may not cover work done without permits and inspections. The state's Contractors State License Board licenses concrete contractors, the people who form, pour and finish this kind of work, and we're licensed and insured. Before you sign with anyone, ask to see their license and a current City of Riverside business license.
On jobs here we see a lot of yards cut into slopes, older walls built with no drainage at all and narrow side yards where getting a truck in takes some planning. Those things shape most of the walls we build, and we run into the same hillside lots and leaning walls on jobs in Moreno Valley and Redlands.
Retaining wall questions we hear in Riverside
How much does a concrete retaining wall cost in Riverside?
A retaining wall in Riverside usually costs about $16 to $46 per square foot, installed with materials, labor and site prep. That's what the work tends to run around here, not our price, and the spread comes from height, digging, drainage and access. The written estimate I leave after seeing your site gives you the figure for your wall, and we stand behind the work with satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
What causes a retaining wall to lean or push out?
Usually it's water trapped behind the wall, which adds hydrostatic pressure, the push of water held in the soil, on top of the weight of the dirt. Good drainage keeps groundwater low right behind the wall so that pressure doesn't build, which is why it belongs in any quote you compare. Weep holes, the small openings near the bottom of a wall, help a little but can clog, so they back up the main drain rather than replace it.
When does digging for a retaining wall need a grading permit in Riverside?
In Riverside, disturbing more than 50 cubic yards of soil needs a grading permit from the city's Public Works Department. A licensed civil engineer usually prepares the grading plans, though the city lists some exceptions. A long wall cut into a slope can move that much dirt quicker than you'd expect, so we sort it out before any digging starts.
Do I need an engineer for a retaining wall on a slope?
You might, because on a slope, in tiers or over weaker soil, the ground around a wall can still slip even when the wall itself is well designed. A good design looks at the hillside beyond the wall, not just the wall. On a slope or a stepped wall, we may bring in an engineer before we build.
What is the best way to build a retaining wall where a concrete truck can't get in?
A block wall is often the easier choice on a hard-to-reach lot. The block industry's own manual points out that segmental block units are small and light enough for walls in tough access spots. When I see how the crew and materials will get to your wall, we'll talk through block against poured concrete.
Will a new concrete retaining wall crack?
It can, because concrete shrinks as it dries and moves a little with the ground, and I'd rather tell you that now than have you surprised later. The steel inside and the drain behind it help keep small cracks small, and control joints, lines we build into the wall so it cracks there instead of at random, give any cracking a place to go.
Concrete work that often goes with a wall
When a wall carves out room for a shop, studio or garage, the slab inside finishes the space and goes smoother when both are planned at once.
Leveling a sloped backyard is often what makes room for a pool, and the deck around it needs to drain away from the water and the wall.
Talk to us about your retaining wall
Have the wall's rough length and height, a few photos of the slope and any access limits handy when you call (951) 589-3080 or send the form, so we can plan the visit around what you've got.