Concrete retaining walls in Kent WA - a wall that holds your yard in place
Soil slumping onto your patio, or an old wall starting to lean? We build a poured or block wall that holds the slope back.
What does a concrete retaining wall in Kent involve?
A concrete retaining wall holds back the soil on your property so a slope stays where it belongs. In Kent, we build it either as a poured concrete wall or from concrete blocks stacked without mortar, to level a yard, keep a hillside off your driveway or replace a wall that's giving out.
Most calls start with dirt washing onto a patio or driveway, a slope too steep to mow, or an old wall that's tipping. A block wall holds the soil with the weight of its stacked units, while a poured wall is usually T-shaped reinforced concrete whose wide footing reaches back under the dirt, so the soil's own weight helps keep it from tipping. The price moves with the wall's height and length, which type you pick, how much digging and drainage the slope needs and how easy it is to get equipment to the spot. The schedule turns on the permit, whether an engineer needs to look first and the weather on pour days. Kent's Permit Center issues residential permits by appointment, and we check which office covers your address, take care of the permit when your wall needs one and keep you posted on where it stands. Your estimate comes in writing with each part of the job listed, so you can see what your own wall will take.
How we build concrete retaining walls
I start by measuring and walking the slope, then I price a block wall and a poured wall side by side, because the right pick depends on your height, your access and your budget, and you should see both before you choose. On a steep lot, I'll tell you when the slope needs an engineer's look before we go any further. Once you've decided, our crew digs out to firm ground and packs the base, since a wall set on loose fill settles and leans right along with it. For a poured wall we set the forms and the rebar, the steel bars that keep the concrete from pulling apart under the soil's push, then pour and let it cure, which is the wait while the concrete gains strength before we load dirt against it. For a block wall we level the first row on that packed base and stack up from there. Behind either one, we build the drainage as carefully as the face, with gravel, a drain pipe and openings that let water out, then we backfill in layers and clean up. If the budget gets tight, I'd rather you skip a fancy finish than cut the base or the drainage, because both are buried by the end of the job and they decide whether the wall stays straight. A poured wall can still show a few small cracks, and that's normal concrete, not a wall in trouble.
A new wall often opens up flat ground for other work. When a leveled backyard is headed for a pool, we can pour concrete pool decks that slope water away from the wall. When the wall forms one side of a shop or storage space cut into the hill, our concrete floor installation work gives the room a floor that meets the wall.
Why Kent homeowners call D&L Kent Concrete Construction for retaining walls
I measure and walk your site
I come out for the estimate myself to measure and walk the slope, and then I run the job while our crew does the work. The person who saw where your water runs is the one making the calls when we dig.
Running this business since 2013
I left an office job, learned concrete on a crew from the ground up and started this business in 2013. Most of that time has gone into layout and prep, the part of a wall you can't fix once it's backfilled.
Fully licensed and insured on every wall
We're fully licensed and insured. That matters more on a wall than on most jobs, because we're digging into a slope that can sit right against your house or a neighbor's fence.
Steep Kent lots checked first
Kent's critical areas rules cover steep slopes and landslide hazard areas, and King County's landslide map marks places as potential hazards without saying what's actually under a given lot. We see plenty of sloped yards in Kent and in Renton, Federal Way, Tacoma and many other cities nearby, so I check where your address falls before I price the wall.
On a retaining wall, the base and the drainage behind it matter more than the face you see. When you're ready, call (253) 398-9060 or send us your details with your address, the wall's rough length and height and a few photos of the slope.
Get a written price for your retaining wall
We reply within one business day, and the estimate is free, done on site and comes with no obligation. I'll come out to measure and walk the slope, then you get a written estimate with each part of the job listed.
Block and poured retaining walls
Questions about concrete retaining walls, answered
How much does a concrete retaining wall cost near Kent?
Installing a concrete retaining wall in the Seattle area usually costs about $20 to $50 per square foot. That figure covers concrete, materials and supplies for a poured wall about 3 feet high, so removing an old wall, terraced or curved walls, decorative work, extra height and landscaping all come on top. Your written estimate shows the number for your own slope.
Is a block retaining wall or a poured concrete wall better for my yard?
A block wall is usually the lower-cost choice, and a poured wall is the one to look at when you want a single solid concrete face. A segmental wall design manual says block walls typically run 25 to 40 percent less than conventional poured walls, which is why I price both for you before you choose.
How do I know if my retaining wall is failing?
Leaning, tilting, bulging, bowing or any part of it coming down can mean the wall is no longer holding back the soil the way it was designed to. Treat the area around a wall like that as a safety concern and keep people and cars clear until an engineer has looked at it. After that, call us and we'll talk through a replacement.
Who can build a retaining wall in Washington?
Washington requires every construction contractor to register with the state Department of Labor & Industries, and state law also requires contractors to be bonded and insured. That applies to a retaining wall in Kent the same as any other construction job.
What causes a retaining wall to lean or fail?
Drainage failure is one of the most common causes, when clogged weep holes, the small drain openings near the bottom, or a blocked drain pipe let water build up behind the wall. Keeping those openings and pipes clear spares the wall extra water pressure it may not have been built to handle, so it's worth looking at them now and then.
What should I ask a contractor before building a retaining wall?
Ask which local code rules apply to your wall, because a block wall installation guide says those rules set the engineering needs for a project of any size. Ask what the wall will sit on too, since the same guide treats organic soil, the dark topsoil full of roots, and expansive soil, clay that swells when it's wet, as unsuitable ground for a wall.
Concrete work that pairs with a wall
- Concrete pool decks
A new wall often turns a sloped backyard into usable flat ground, and that's the right moment to plan a pool deck that sheds water away from the wall.
- Concrete floor installation
If your wall forms one side of a shop or storage space cut into the hill, the floor inside needs a packed base and a pour that meets the wall.