Concrete retaining walls in Los Angeles CA - a slope that stays where it belongs
Soil creeping onto the patio or a slope that sheds dirt every rain? A poured, drained concrete wall holds it back.
Do I need a concrete retaining wall for my slope?
A concrete retaining wall is a steel-reinforced, poured wall that holds back a slope, and in Los Angeles it's how you turn a hillside yard into flat, usable ground where the dirt stays put.
Most people call when soil is washing onto a path, an old wall has started to lean, or they want a flat yard out of a slope, maybe for a concrete patio. The price moves with the wall's height and length, how much dirt has to come out, how easy it is to get concrete to the spot and how much drainage the slope needs. The schedule turns mostly on whether the wall needs plans and a permit before we dig, then on the digging, the pour and the cure. The estimate on site puts a number on your wall.
How we build a concrete retaining wall
It starts on the first visit, because we plan the drainage behind the wall from then on, and water building up back there is what pushes walls over. I look at the slope, how tall the wall has to be and where the rain runs now. On the job we dig for the footing, the wide base the wall stands on, then set the forms and place rebar, steel bars that carry the push of the soil, throughout the wall before we pour. After the pour we leave the wall to cure before anything leans on it.
A wall usually changes the ground around it. If the flat area below it is going to be a workshop, a garage bay or a covered room, concrete floor installation is the next step, and the floor's height is easier to get right with the wall's footing in view. Walls that level a backyard for a pool often sit next to one of our concrete pool decks, and we slope the deck so its water heads away from the wall instead of soaking in behind it.
Poured concrete wall
This suits a wall that has to hold a lot of soil, fit a tight spot or tie into a slab, because the footing, the steel and the wall end up as one solid piece. It usually costs more than block, so it earns its place where strength and a clean, smooth face matter most.
Segmental block wall
This is built from concrete blocks that lock together course by course, and it often suits owners watching the budget on a lower wall. We're glad to price a block wall next to a poured one so you can compare the two for your slope before you choose.
What shapes a concrete retaining wall in Los Angeles
In Los Angeles, the city's Building and Safety office issues permits for retaining walls on private property, and under the city's retaining wall rules, a wall over 2 feet that goes in under a revocable permit also needs a "B" permit with plans and structural calculations. Whether your wall needs a permit depends on the wall and the lot, so I don't guess at it. When a job needs one, we figure out which office covers your address and handle the application and inspections for you.
The lot shapes the wall here too. The city's zoning rules for your lot set how tall the wall can be, so we settle the height before we settle the design. A draft city building bulletin says the Baseline Hillside Ordinance limits grading, the digging and reshaping of soil, on projects inside the Hillside Area shown on the city planning department's map, which can change how far we cut into a slope. Where a property sits in a state Seismic Hazard Zone, the state has found weak soil or rock is likely underneath, and those materials can fail in an earthquake unless the grading and construction take proper precautions, so we build the footing and the dig around what's under your lot. We're based in Los Angeles and work across the city and many of the cities around it, and we run into the same steep backyards on jobs in Glendale and Pasadena.
Poured walls and retained slopes
Why call us for retaining walls
Same person estimates and builds
I come out to look at your slope and give the estimate, and I lead the crew that builds the wall. What we talked about at the curb is what gets built, with no handoff in between.
In business since 2013
I learned concrete from my dad, starting out hauling and mixing for him, and I started this business in 2013, so we've been at it 13 years. That's a long time spent seeing what happens to concrete when the ground under it wasn't ready.
Fully licensed and insured
We're fully licensed and insured, and California's licensing board treats forming, pouring and finishing concrete as its own trade. Ask about the license of anyone who bids on your wall, us included.
Satisfaction guaranteed on every job
That promise covers a retaining wall the same as a driveway or a walk. I'd rather answer your question twice than leave you guessing about your own property.
On a retaining wall, what matters most ends up buried behind it and under it, so those questions are worth asking before anyone digs. Request your estimate and we'll start with your slope.
(213) 329-1820Get a free on-site estimate for your retaining wall
We reply within one business day to set up a visit. We come out, look at the slope and where the water runs, and give you the estimate on site, free and with no obligation.
Retaining wall questions from Los Angeles
How much does a concrete retaining wall cost in Los Angeles?
A retaining wall in Los Angeles usually costs about $20 to $50 per square foot. That's the going rate around the city, not our price. Height, length, how much digging and hauling the slope needs, access for the pour, the drain and whether the wall needs drawn plans all move it. Your own number comes from the estimate on site.
What causes a concrete retaining wall to lean or push over?
Water pressure building up in the soil behind it is the usual cause, which is why drainage belongs in the plan from the start. A typical system lays a perforated pipe along the base of the wall, wrapped in filter fabric so it doesn't clog. Weep holes, small openings low in the wall, only give backup relief because they can clog too.
Is a segmental block retaining wall cheaper than a poured concrete wall?
Often, yes. A masonry trade group's manual says segmental walls typically come in 25 to 40 percent cheaper than poured concrete walls. That's a general figure, not a quote for your slope, so we price both side by side and let you compare.
How long does a new concrete retaining wall need to cure?
Once the concrete is poured, it's left to cure for at least 24 hours. Curing is the time the concrete sits undisturbed while it hardens and gains strength. Weather and the size of the pour can stretch that, and we leave the wall alone until it's ready.
What is the best way to keep a retaining wall within budget?
Save on the parts you can see, not the parts you can't. The footing, the rebar and the drain are buried the day the wall is done, and they decide whether it stays put, so those are the last things I'd cut. A plainer face, a lower wall or a block wall are better places to save.
How do I get an estimate for a retaining wall in Los Angeles?
Call (213) 329-1820 or send the contact form with your property address, the wall's rough length and height, and a few photos of the slope. That tells us what we're walking into before the visit. On site we look at the ground and where the water runs, then give you a number for your wall.
Plan your retaining wall and the drain behind it
We're open evenings and weekends, so call (213) 329-1820 or send the form whenever you're out looking at that slope.
