Retaining Walls
We build beautiful, functional, retaining walls and replace old walls that have failed
We Build, Repair, and Replace Retaining Walls
We are your retaining wall specialists in Powell, Delaware, and Plain City, Ohio!
Retaining walls are a great addition to any landscape, especially if your property has an existing slope. Building a retaining wall allows you to reclaim some of that lost space by carving out usable outdoor spaces on sloping ground that would otherwise not be usable. Retaining walls can hold back earth and soil which helps to create new level areas for the construction of a new garden bed, a new lawn, a patio or an outdoor cooking area, and more. Retaining walls can be built using a variety of materials including rock, brick, block, boulders, or even wood.
Why Do You Need Retaining Walls On Your Property?
- Do you want to add character or style to your landscape?
- Do you need to prevent soil erosion on your property?
- Do you have an existing retaining wall that has failed and needs repair or rebuilt?
- Do you have a sloped property you’d like to landscape?
- Do you want to create a new outdoor living space?
- Do you want some raised garden beds around your home or property?
GroundSmith is a landscaping contractor based out of Lewis Center, Ohio and serving Delaware County. We provide our services in Delaware, Dublin, Galena, Jerome Village, Lewis Center, Plain City, Powell, and Westerville.
We specialize in designing and building functional retaining walls for property owners looking to add aesthetics to their landscape or to landscape their naturally sloped property. From adding a natural stone wall to a landscape bed to a 60′ foot long curved block retaining wall to hold back earth around the edge of your home. The team at GroundSmith will be able to provide you with a retaining wall solution that will benefit your specific property.
Proper Drainage For Retaining Walls
We are often contacted by potential customers who have an existing retaining wall that has failed, it’s either falling down, bulging, or collapsing. One of the most common reasons for retaining wall failure is that the original wall was built with poor drainage in place.
Retaining walls are designed to hold back earth from erosion. This also makes them excellent at holding back water too. The water that builds up behind a retaining wall is referred to in the industry as “hydrostatic pressure” and the external force of the soil or fill held behind your retaining wall coupled with the weight of the water held behind it is often enough to seriously compromise the integrity of your wall which can lead to failures such as bulging and even a total collapse.
Well-built retaining walls must incorporate good drainage if it’s going to last for many years. Depending on the type of material being used to build your retaining wall there are a variety of ways to integrate sufficient drainage such as lateral drains, french drains, weeping drains, blanket drains and also the use of very granular soil or fill behind the wall can also work to disperse rather than hold the water.
Understanding Retaining Wall Surcharges
A "surcharge" when it comes to a retaining wall is the weight on top of or behind the wall. For example, if you're building a retaining wall to create a new parking area for a boat or an RV we need to consider the weight of the boat or RV and it's impact on the retaining wall.
If your wall is going to have a surcharge it must be built with this in mind if it's going to last. This would also include tiered retaining walls or retaining walls with a fence on top or any other weight other than the earth it's holding back.
Geo-grid is often used to provide extra tensile strength to each course of your retaining wall so it's anchored to the ground behind it. Proper use of geo-grid will ensure that your retaining wall will be built to last and won't collapse or buckle under the excess weight.
Failure to properly stabilize retaining walls is another very common failure.
What Materials Do We Use For Retaining Walls?
There are many different materials to build your retaining wall out of. Below are some of the more popular materials in our area because of their availability.
- Block retaining walls
- Natural stone landscape walls
- Large boulder retaining walls
How Our Retaining Wall Construction Process Works
When building a retaining wall on your property that is designed to hold back soil and earth from erosion there is very little margin for error so when required we work directly with engineers if your wall is over 6 feet in height. There are many pre-engineered systems we can use as well that can eliminate the need for detailed building plans.
- We start with our initial consultation.
- We determine how many feet of retaining wall you need.
- We determine the height of the wall and if a building permit or engineer will be required.
- We take into account any surcharges (weight) the wall might be exposed to.
- We consult with you on the materials you’d like your retaining built with.
- We’ll provide you with an accurate written estimate for the work.
The amount of work required to build a retaining wall can vary widely from project to project. The slope of your property, the amount of earth your retaining wall must hold back and the overall accessibility of your property will all contribute to the final cost. We’ll be able to offer you an accurate estimate only after a site visit.
What Does It Cost To Build Retaining Walls?
Retaining walls can vary in price depending on the size, scope, length, height, and the materials chosen. Larger walls will need to be engineered which can add to the cost.
Natural Stone Landscape Walls
Starting at $2800
This would be for a small garden wall (under 2 feet high) to surround a small garden or to surround a small landscaping bed.
Landscape Block Retaining Walls
Starting at $3500
This would be for a medium sized wall up to 4 feet high. Installed with drainage and geo-grid so it lasts.
Retaining Wall Projects Can Include
A beautiful retaining wall isn't just for looks. They have an important job to do. Whether we're building a brand new retaining wall or replacing an existing retaining wall that has failed, there are a number of things we do.
These prices do not include stairs. If you need stairs built within your retaining wall there will be an additional cost. These price ranges are for a typical wall built using readily available landscape block. There are a wide variety of styles and patterns available and we'll be able to provide you with a selection during our consultation. The price can vary significantly depending on the specific material you choose.
These prices are ball park figures to give you a rough idea as to what you should expect. Your particular project may vary depending on site accessibility, materials chosen, and the overall scope of work. If you need a firm price please request a consultation so we can view your potential project, listen to your ideas, and determine the actual scope of work required to complete your project. After our on-site consultation we'll be able to provide you with a firm estimate to complete your project.
Retaining Wall Repair Or Replacement
We specialize in rebuilding retaining walls that have failed and/or collapsed.
Retaining Wall Repairs
It's pretty common for us to get called out to repair an existing retaining wall that has collapsed or failed in some way. This could be an old wood retaining wall that is rotting away or a block wall that is bulging or on the verge of collapse if it has not collapsed already.
Typically we don't recommend "repairing" retaining walls. The wall has failed for a reason and that reason is typically poor construction or a poor choice of materials. When a wall has failed we will usually recommend tearing the wall out and replacing it for a variety of reasons. It's the more cost effective option in most situations.
Rebuilding Failed Retaining Walls
If your existing retaining wall has failed and needs to be replaced it's usually more cost effective to demolish the old wall, remove the materials, re-excavate the site, install a proper base, geo-grid if necessary, install drainage, and build the retaining wall properly.
We specialize in rebuilding retaining walls that have failed and would be happy to provide you with a consultation if you have a wall that you believe needs to be replaced.
I have been a GroundSmith customer for many years. I used Groundship for my homes landscaping needs. GroundSmith people do a great job on the cutting the grass, and annual spring clean of all of the beds. The show up on time and consistently leave my home better off than they arrive.
Scott’s team is great! His crew has been mowing and treating our lawn for the last 3 years. They have also done a few landscaping projects for us as well. Last summer we installed a pool. Because of the construction our front, side and back yards were torn up. After construction was completed they got our yard looking back to normal in such a short time and their landscaping plan around the pool was great. They do great quality work and are very dependable. Our grass and landscaping look fantastic due to their services. They are truly full service. Great customer service and are always attentive to the customer’s needs.
We've been using GroundSmith for a couple of years and they have done an awesome job. Our property has been transformed from what it was just a few years ago. Another great thing is they take care of so many different aspects for us (landscaping, irrigation, lighting, lawncare, etc.). Everyone on their team is fantastic -- highly recommended!
Love the GroundSmith team. Super responsive and they have done a great job on my yard and landscaping for years. This year they came through big time on snow removal and highly recommended the organization for all of your landscape needs.
Responsive, customized lawn care. Breadth of expertise. Competitive pricing. Made it right any time I was unhappy. Would highly recommend.
Are you getting the level of professional service that you would expect from you landscaping services? If not, look no further than GroundSmith. Every type of service we have received (new landscaping, mowing, cleanups, landscape lighting, landscape design) have been top notch. We have tried others for services and keep coming back to GroundSmith simply because of the people. Thank you Scott!
Choose The Right Retaining Wall Builder
Building a retaining wall isn't rocket science but it must be done right if you want the retaining wall to last!
You Want A Beautiful New Retaining Wall...?
There are literally hundreds of landscaping contractors you could choose from throughout our area to design and build your retaining wall. They range from small one man show type businesses to very large companies with lots of overhead.
Somewhere in the middle is the contractor that's probably best suited for your retaining wall construction project. Finding a landscaping contractor you can trust to take your vision and transform it from a beautiful design concept into reality is your ultimate goal.
You're not hiring a landscaper. You're hiring someone to improve your property. It's an important distinction.
What Should You Consider?
It can be overwhelming trying to figure out who to hire to design and build your new landscape. To make things easier when trying to determine who the right landscape design/build contractor is for your project is, start with these questions.
Do they specialize in design/build projects of the same scope and scale of the project you have envisioned for your property? If yes, how long have they been in business?
Do they have great reviews from other homeowners who've hired them to design and build their landscape?
Do they offer any type of workmanship warranty or any after sales service if there is ever a problem?
Do they have photos and references of the work they are capable of doing?
Request Your Retaining Wall Consultation