Concrete Retaining Walls in Monterey Park CA - built to drain and hold the slope
A slope slumping into the yard, ground that won't stay level or an old wall starting to lean? We build concrete walls that drain and hold.
What goes into a concrete retaining wall that holds?
A concrete retaining wall holds back a slope or a raised part of your yard in Monterey Park. It stands on a concrete footing that keeps it from tipping or sliding while steel set upright inside the wall takes the push of the soil behind it.
Most people call us when a slope is creeping onto the patio, the yard drops off too steeply to use, or an old wall has started to lean and crack. The price comes down to how tall and long the wall is, how much soil we have to dig out and haul away, how easily we can get equipment and concrete to the spot and how much drainage the ground behind it needs. The schedule turns on the permit and on the wait between pouring the wall and putting soil back behind it, and I'll go over both when I come out and write up an estimate that spells out what's included.
Why Monterey Park owners trust us with retaining walls
I'll tell you what your wall needs before we pour, including the parts nobody sees once the soil goes back, and I'm the one who comes out to look.
The owner at every estimate
I come out to measure and look at the slope myself, and then my crew and I build the wall.
Building here since 2013
I started this business in Monterey Park in 2013, after learning under a boss who made me redo anything that wasn't right.
Fully licensed and insured
We're fully licensed and insured, and you're welcome to ask about both before we put a shovel in the ground.
Hard news first
If your slope, your soil or your budget makes a wall harder than you hoped, I'll say so plainly and explain the options.
Backed by our satisfaction guarantee
I'd rather spend the time on the footing, the steel and the drains than hand you a wall that only looks right.
How we build concrete retaining walls
Water behind a wall causes more trouble than anything else, so drainage is the first thing I plan, and the rest of the wall gets built around it.
What happens when you call about a retaining wall?
We plan the job around your yard and your week, so you know what's included, how the wall will drain and what the wait looks like before we dig.
Get in touch
Call (626) 597-0325 or use the form, and we'll get back to you to set up a time for me to come out.
I look at the slope
I measure the wall's length and height, watch for where water runs on the slope and check how we'll get equipment and concrete in.
Your written estimate
You get a written estimate that spells out what's included and how the wall will drain, which is a fair question to ask every bidder.
Permits, build and walkthrough
Once you say yes, we take care of any permits and set a date, then my crew and I build the wall and I walk it with you.
Questions about a step? Call and talk it through.
(626) 597-0325Retaining wall questions we hear
How much does a concrete retaining wall cost in Monterey Park?
A poured concrete retaining wall in the Los Angeles area usually costs about $20 to $50 per square foot of wall, installed. That's the going rate around Los Angeles, not our price, and it covers site prep, digging, ready-mix concrete, gravel backfill and steel for a wall about 3 feet high. A taller wall, a tight yard or extra drainage moves it, and your own number comes from the written estimate I put together after seeing the slope.
Does a small retaining wall job need a licensed contractor in California?
Yes, in most cases, because California requires a license from the Contractors State License Board for any job worth $1,000 or more in labor and materials. If the work needs a permit of any kind, a license is required even when the job comes in under $1,000, and most retaining walls here need a permit.
What causes retaining walls to fail?
Most retaining wall failures trace back to two things, water that wasn't managed and poor communication among the people planning and building the wall. The water comes from groundwater seeping in, rain running off the surface and leaking water or sewer lines. Sticky clay fill can also push sideways as it swells when wet, and a design that leaves that out can make the wall unstable, sometimes to the point of failing.
How long does it take to build a concrete retaining wall?
It usually takes longer than people expect, because soil should only go back against a new wall once the wall has gained enough strength or been braced. That leaves a wait between pouring and filling in behind it, and I'll tell you how long that runs for your wall when I write the estimate. When the fill does go in, heavy equipment should stay back from the top of the wall by at least the wall's height.
Will my new concrete retaining wall crack?
Fine hairline cracks can show up in almost any concrete as it dries, and on a wall they're usually cosmetic. What I watch for is a crack that keeps opening or a wall that starts to lean, which usually points back to water or a weak footing, so that's where we put the time.
What should I have ready before I ask for a retaining wall estimate?
Have the wall's rough length and height, a few photos of the slope and anything you know about wet spots or pipes near where it'll go. That lets me come out ready to talk about drainage instead of starting from scratch.
Concrete retaining wall permits and slopes in Monterey Park
Monterey Park issues building permits for retaining walls, so I plan on one for your wall unless the city's building permits office tells us otherwise, and a job that moves a lot of soil can also need a grading permit from Public Works. We pull the permit ourselves and build the review wait into the schedule, so you're not the one chasing it.
Some hillside lots around here sit inside a state landslide hazard zone, which generally marks steep slopes of weak ground that may give way in an earthquake, so on a steep lot I want to know that before we plan anything. Most of what we see is more ordinary, like older walls leaning where water never had a way out and yards cut into a slope to make room for a patio or a driveway. We meet the same kinds of sloped yards on jobs in Alhambra and Pasadena, and we plan the drainage the same way there.
Get a retaining wall estimate in Monterey Park
Call (626) 597-0325 any day from 7 AM to 10 PM, or use the form, and tell us about the slope you're dealing with.