Concrete retaining walls in Concord NC - a wall that holds your slope and drains well
Level yards held back by straight, drained walls
A concrete retaining wall holds back the soil on a slope so your yard stays where it is. In Concord, most calls start with a bank that's washing out or an old wall that's starting to lean. Water is what pushes walls over, so we plan where it drains before we talk block or height.
When a concrete retaining wall is the right fix
The common build is segmental block, concrete units stacked dry without mortar that hold mainly by their own weight. The level ground behind the wall can then carry a garden, a concrete pool deck or a shed's concrete floor.
Price turns on the wall's height and length, the digging and drainage behind it, and whether your site needs an engineer. Timing turns on that design and any permit review, and the written estimate spells out what's included and what isn't.
Best for
- Banks that keep washing out
- Old walls starting to lean
- Leveling a sloped backyard
Flat ground you can use
A wall lets us cut a slope back and fill behind it level, so a yard you couldn't mow can hold a patio, a play area or a garden.
Less mud after storms
Holding the bank cuts down the dirt that washes onto your lawn, walk or driveway every time a hard rain comes through Concord.
A clean finished edge
Block comes in several face textures and colors with a cap row on top, so the wall looks like part of the yard instead of a barrier.
A real fix for leaning walls
When an old timber or block wall starts tipping, I'll tell you straight that replacing it with a drained wall beats propping it up another season.
How we build a retaining wall's base and drainage
- We're licensed and fully insured, and I come out to look at your slope and write the estimate myself.
- We dig out and pack the base under the first row instead of raking it level, because a wall on loose dirt settles unevenly and starts to lean.
- Since 2017 our own crew has built with me on site, laying drain stone and a pipe behind the wall so water drains out of the soil behind it.
Choosing the right retaining wall
On the estimate we look at how tall the wall has to be, what sits above it and where water runs, then tell you straight which of these fits and which isn't worth the money.
Short garden wall
A low wall edging a bed or a gentle grade, where the job is mostly a neat line and a little held-back soil.
Gravity block wall
Block that holds by weight alone, which one block maker says flexes with settling rather than cracking, suits moderate slopes on steady ground.
Reinforced block wall
For taller walls, layers of soil reinforcement reach back into the backfill, the soil behind the wall, and add to its effective width and weight.
Terraced walls
Two shorter walls stepped back up a long, steep slope with a planting shelf between them, when one tall wall isn't the better answer.
Tell us about your slope
Send the wall's rough length and height, how steep the slope is and any water trouble. We reply within one business day to set a free on-site estimate, with no obligation.
Retaining wall questions from Concord
How much does a concrete retaining wall cost in Concord NC?
An installed concrete retaining wall in the Charlotte area usually costs about $30 to $55 per square foot of wall. That's the market's going rate, not our quote, and height, drainage and any engineering move it up or down. Your written estimate lists what's in and what's out, and our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Who issues building permits for a retaining wall in Concord?
Cabarrus County's Construction Standards Division handles building permits across the county, and one construction application with the City of Concord gets both city zoning and county building review. We'll tell you up front whether your wall needs a permit, and when it does, we handle the application and the scheduling.
Does a short retaining wall in Concord need an engineer?
It can. One block maker calls the idea that walls under 4 feet need no engineer a best-case rule of thumb, and North Carolina's residential code requires a registered design professional for any residential retaining wall crossing adjacent property lines, at any height. We check the code first and bring in an engineer when the site calls for one.
How do you keep water from pushing over a retaining wall?
Send water away from the wall first, and give it a way out where it still reaches the wall. Water adds load, can wash out soil at the base and weakens the ground around the wall, so good drainage cuts what the wall has to hold. On the estimate visit we look at where your yard's water runs now.
Does a retaining wall contractor in North Carolina need a license?
North Carolina requires a general contractor's license when the total project cost is $40,000 or higher. Whatever your wall's size, ask each bidder about their license and insurance, because you're the one left with the wall if something goes wrong.
Work that goes with a wall
Concrete floor installation
When the level ground behind a new wall is meant for a shed, workshop or garage, a concrete floor finishes it.
Explore Concrete floor installationConcrete pool decks
Building up a sloped backyard for a pool usually starts with a wall, then a deck around the water.
Explore Concrete pool decks