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SouthGrade — Built From The Ground Up.
Landscape & Hardscape

Retaining Walls Built to Hold

Retaining walls fail from the back, not the front. The drainage you cannot see is the part that matters.

Coverage
Metro Atlanta
Typical duration
Typical residential wall: 2–5 days
Quotes
Free & on site

A retaining wall holds back earth. That earth gets heavier when it is wet, and in Georgia it is wet often. Almost every failed wall in this region failed for the same reason: water built up behind it with nowhere to go, and hydrostatic pressure pushed it over.

We build segmental block and boulder walls with the parts you cannot see done properly — a compacted base below frost depth, gravel backfill, a perforated drain at the base, and outlets that actually daylight.

Do you need this?

If any of these sound like your property, this is the service:

  • A slope is eroding, slipping or eating into usable yard
  • An existing wall is leaning, bulging or cracking
  • You want to level a sloped yard into usable terraces
  • A driveway, patio or shed needs a cut supported
  • Soil is washing out from under a fence line or structure

How the job runs

  1. 1

    Assess the load

    Height, slope above and below, what sits behind the wall and how wet the ground gets all determine what the wall has to be. Walls over about four feet often need engineering — we will tell you if yours does.

  2. 2

    Excavate and base

    A compacted gravel base, level and deep enough that the first course sits below grade. Everything above depends on this course being right.

  3. 3

    Build and batter

    Courses laid with the correct setback so the wall leans slightly into the slope rather than standing vertical against it.

  4. 4

    Drainage behind

    Gravel backfill against the full height, filter fabric to stop clay migration, and a perforated drain at the base taken to daylight.

  5. 5

    Backfill, cap and finish

    Compacted backfill in lifts, capstones set, and the ground above graded so surface water is not sheeting straight over the top.

What affects your price

Rocky or clay-heavy soil can add up to 50 percent in excavation.

We quote after seeing the site, and the price we give you is fixed and in writing. Estimates are free and there is no obligation.

Get a free quote

Why it's different in Georgia

Clay is the enemy of retaining walls. It holds water, it expands, and it pushes. It also silts up cheap drainage. Any quote you receive that does not itemise gravel backfill, filter fabric and a drain outlet is a quote for a wall that will lean within a few years.

FAQ

Retaining Walls — your questions


How much does a retaining wall cost in Atlanta?

Every property is different, so we price it after seeing it rather than quoting blind. What moves the number is access for the machine, how much material has to move, site conditions and how much is hauled in or out. Estimates are free, fixed and in writing.

Does my retaining wall need engineering?

Generally anything over four feet, or any wall with a slope or structure loading it from above, should be engineered. Many metro Atlanta counties require it. We flag it at quote rather than building something that should have been designed.

Why do retaining walls lean?

Water pressure behind them, almost every time. Without gravel backfill and a working drain, saturated clay pushes with enormous force. The second most common cause is an inadequate or unlevel base course.

Can you repair an existing wall?

Sometimes. If the base is sound and the problem is drainage, it can often be excavated behind, drained properly and rebuilt from the failure point up. If the base has gone, rebuilding is usually cheaper than chasing it.

Need retaining walls?

Free on-site quote, fixed price, and a date you can hold us to.

Mon–Fri 7am–6pm · Sat 8am–4pm · Phone only, no email