Retaining wall construction in Encinitas CA - a wall built to drain and stay put
Hillside soil slumping into the yard or an old wall starting to lean? We build retaining walls that drain properly and hold the slope.
Retaining walls that hold the slope
A retaining wall holds back soil so a slope turns into ground you can use. The simplest kind does it mostly with its own weight, and many are built from concrete block stacked dry with no mortar. When one starts to lean, I look for the cause before I talk about a fix.
Height, length, how steep the slope is and site access move the price, and any permit moves the schedule, so I lay both out in your written estimate. If you have an old stone wall worth saving, masonry restoration may be the better call.
Retaining wall construction, start to finish
A wall that lasts is mostly what you can't see once it's done, so here's what goes into the ground before the cap goes on.
Dig and base
We get underground lines marked, dig out for the footing and pack a level gravel base, because a wall only stays straight if what's under it does.
Block courses
We set concrete block course by course, checking level as we go. Block resists cracking and won't splinter or rot the way treated timber and railroad ties do.
Drainage
Clean gravel goes right behind the block with a drain pipe at the bottom, and our bids list both, because water pressure is what pushes walls over.
Backfill and cleanup
We backfill in packed layers, laying in reinforcement grid wherever the design calls for it, then haul off the extra dirt and leave your yard clean.
Tell us about your wall
Send the planned wall height, length and a photo of the slope. We'll reply within one business day to set up a free on-site estimate, no obligation.
(760) 230-9799How we build retaining walls
I'd rather spend extra time planning a wall than have you deal with a failed one later, so the hard thinking happens before anyone digs.
- I look at your slope myself. I come out to look at the job in person, and our own crew builds the wall with me running the site.
- In business since 2017. I learned masonry as a helper under an experienced mason, then started this business in 2017.
- Reinforcement settled early. Height and slope decide whether your wall needs soil reinforcement, so we sort that out at the start, not halfway up the wall.
- Licensed in California, insured. California requires a license for anyone doing or offering construction contracting, and we're fully licensed and insured.
- Planning more yard work. If the wall is part of a bigger project like a new fireplace installation, call (760) 230-9799 and we'll plan it together.
Where we work from Encinitas
Advanced Encinitas Concrete and Masonry is based in Encinitas and works in many of the cities around it, including Carlsbad and Solana Beach. If your city isn't listed, call (760) 230-9799.
From first call to walk-through
I want you to know what we're doing and why before any digging starts, so you'll hear it from me at the visit, in the estimate and at the walk-through.
The visit
Call or send the form and we'll set a time for me to see the site. I walk the slope, measure the height and length you want, and look at drainage, access and anything already failing, then tell you straight what I see.
The estimate
Next you get a written estimate that lays out the wall, the drainage behind it and whether it needs reinforcement. Read it over, ask me anything and compare it with other bids before you decide.
The build
Once you say go, we check with the city and handle any permit paperwork. Then our crew builds the wall, and I walk the finished job with you so you see the drain outlet, the cap and the cleanup before we call it done.
Encinitas retaining wall questions
How much does a retaining wall cost in Encinitas?
A retaining wall in the San Diego area usually costs about $25 to $55 per square foot of wall face, installed. That's the going rate around here, not our quote, and extra height, curves, terracing, decorative finishes or tearing out an old wall push it up. Your written estimate gives your own number.
When does a retaining wall need a permit in Encinitas?
You need a city permit for a retaining wall over four feet tall, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top, or for one holding extra load, like a slope rising behind a shorter wall. Since the footing counts, a wall can look short and still need one. We file the application with the City of Encinitas when it does.
Are there extra rules for a retaining wall on a coastal bluff in Encinitas?
Bluff-top lots carry extra city rules. The city's bluff zone text calls for a soils report and a geotechnical review from a certified engineering geologist with each permit application there, and it bars new structures within 40 feet of the bluff's top edge, with listed exceptions. Check the current code with the city before planning a wall there.
How do I know if my retaining wall needs soil reinforcement?
Height and what sits behind the wall usually decide it. One block maker's guide calls for soil-reinforced walls past a typical four feet, and for lower walls holding sloping backfill or sitting on poor foundations. The reinforcement is flat layers reaching back into the soil, so the wall acts wider and heavier.
What causes a retaining wall to lean or fail?
Water building up behind the wall is usually the cause, along with tall walls built without reinforcement. Free-draining gravel right behind the wall lets groundwater fall to drain pipes before pressure builds, and it keeps water from running down the face and staining it. Ask to see gravel and pipe in every bid you get.
Let's plan your Encinitas yard
Call (760) 230-9799, evenings and weekends too, tell us about the slope, and we'll set a time to come look.