Holding back a sloped yard
When a slope keeps washing onto the lawn or a walk, a wall holds the soil back and gives you level ground. That works as long as the water behind it has somewhere to go.
Concrete retaining walls in City of Atwater CA - a wall that drains and holds
Slope washing out, or an old wall leaning or weeping mud? We build concrete walls planned for drainage and the load behind them.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Replies within 1 business day.
What goes into a concrete retaining wall
A concrete retaining wall holds back soil where your yard changes level. For properties in the City of Atwater, we build each one from the footing up, with steel, drainage and backfill planned together so the ground stays where you want it.
Most calls start with a slope that keeps washing out or a yard that drops off at the property line. The price moves with the wall's height and length, how much digging the footing takes, the drainage behind it and any driveway or other load planned near the top. The schedule turns on the design, any permit review and curing, which is the wait while new concrete gains strength. Your estimate gives you the figure for your own wall.
We're based in Atwater and work in many of the cities around it, so please call and ask if yours isn't listed. The city's building office lists Atwater at an earthquake design rating of Seismic Design Category D. It also rates weathering here as negligible and lists no winter design temperature. That means frost is rarely the worry with a wall around here. Water and the load behind it usually are.
Plain answers before we start
We've been in business since 2013, and I'd rather you know what you're getting before we dig. I explain the reason behind each step and answer your questions plainly, cost and drainage included.
I'm there for the pour
I come out myself to look at the slope, measure it and talk it through with you. Our crew does the work, and I'm back on site for the pours and the final walkthrough.
Licensed and insured
We're licensed and insured. If you're comparing bids, California's contractor license board describes a concrete contractor class for those who form, pour, place and finish concrete work.
How we build and drain a concrete wall
Water behind a wall does more harm than most people expect, so drainage goes into our plan and your price at the first visit. It doesn't turn up as an extra after the pour. Please tell me about any driveway or other plans near the wall. Changing the backfill, adding a load near the top or letting water build up behind the wall can undo what the design assumed, even when the concrete itself is strong.
We dig out and set the footing, which is the base the wall stands on. Then we tie in the rebar, the steel inside that helps the concrete stand up to the soil pushing against it. We form and pour the wall to the size the project design or the code that applies sets, because height alone doesn't tell you how big the footing should be or how much steel it needs. The drain goes in behind the wall before the soil does.
If the budget gets tight, I'd recommend keeping the money in the footing and drainage. They're buried on day one and they're what keep the wall standing, while a fancier face can wait. A wall often sets up other work, like level ground for concrete pool decks or a pad for concrete floor installation. When we plan those jobs together, the wall gets built for what goes beside it.
Common reasons people build a retaining wall
Small business and builder sites
Retaining walls aren't only for homes. We also build them for small businesses and builders, where a parking area or a building pad has to sit level against a change in grade.
Stepping down to a patio or pool
Yards that change level often need a wall to make room for a patio, a pool area or steps. Planning the wall first keeps water from running toward the new slab.
Replacing a leaning old wall
An old wall that leans, cracks or pushes mud through its face is usually losing to water or to a load it wasn't built for. We look at both before planning the new one.
Get a written estimate for your retaining wall
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time to come out. I'll look at the slope, measure and talk it through with you, then write up your estimate.
Free and no obligation
The estimate costs you nothing and doesn't commit you to anything. You can compare it with other bids and take the time you need to decide.
Everything listed in writing
I write each estimate up so you can see the footing, wall, drainage and backfill spelled out before you decide. You won't find a drainage charge added later.
Bring the height and length
If you know roughly how tall and long the wall needs to be, and whether a driveway will sit near it, put that in the form or email estimates@cityofatwaterconcrete.com.
Concrete wall and yard finish examples
These photos are examples of wall faces, cap styles and nearby steps and slabs, the kinds of choices we can talk through at your estimate.
Retaining wall questions, answered plainly
Here are practical questions about concrete retaining walls, from cost and drainage to permits, backfill and block versus poured concrete.
What does a retaining wall cost in California?
Retaining wall construction in California usually costs about $35 to $65 per square foot. That's the statewide range, not our price. Where your wall lands depends mostly on its height and length, the footing work and the drainage. I'll measure on site and write up the figure for your wall.
Why does drainage matter behind a retaining wall?
Water pressure behind a wall can greatly increase the load on it. A well-planned wall includes drainage gravel, filter fabric or a graded filter, perforated drain outlets and ground that sends water away. Weep holes, which are small openings through the wall, go in where the design calls for them. Please keep the outlets clear afterward, because trapped water can cause leakage.
Who issues building permits in Atwater?
The City of Atwater Building Division issues building permits, with submittals, plan reviews and payments through Cloudpermit. Its counter is open Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and closed noon to 1:00 PM. It takes questions at building@atwater.org or (209) 357-6343. If your wall needs a permit, we'll settle up front whose name it's in. When it's ours, we file it and book the inspections.
Is a block wall as strong as a poured concrete retaining wall?
Not when the block cores are left empty. Block walls with unfilled cores, called ungrouted walls, are significantly weaker and aren't appropriate for retaining walls. For walls 6 feet or taller, poured concrete typically wins on cost because its thickness can be designed precisely. If you're planning a tall wall, you can ask us for a poured price first.
How soon can you backfill behind a new retaining wall in Atwater?
Soil goes back only after the wall has adequate strength and any bracing it needs. It's then packed in controlled lifts, which are layers placed one at a time, with equipment that won't put a damaging sideways load on the new wall. We don't rush this part, because a young wall pushed out of line is hard to put right.
Work that often goes with a retaining wall
Call about your retaining wall today
We're open seven days a week, 7 AM to 11 PM, so you can call (209) 280-3262 while you're standing out by the slope.