Retaining walls in Alpharetta and north metro Atlanta
Sloped yards are everywhere in north Georgia. A well-built retaining wall holds the ground in place, stops erosion and turns a slope into a level patio, bed or play area.
The walls we build
Oscar Cruz Construction builds and repairs retaining walls across north metro Atlanta. Our walls are segmental block walls: interlocking concrete blocks stacked in courses, with a cap on top. You can see them in our photos along a driveway with fresh sod, and under a new deck where the wall holds the yard up beside a concrete patio.
- Walls along driveways and walks where the yard drops off.
- Walls that level a sloped backyard for a patio or lawn.
- Walls around and under decks, built together with the deck and patio.
- Rebuilding or redirecting existing walls. One of our customers, Gennadi T., had us raise a deck and redirect retaining walls on the same job.
Why walls fail, and what a good wall needs
A retaining wall holds back a lot of weight, and wet clay is heavier still. When a wall leans, bulges or cracks, the cause is almost always one of these:
- No real footing. The first course has to sit on a dug-out, compacted gravel base that is level and below grade.
- Water trapped behind the wall. Water pressure pushes walls over. Gravel backfill and a drain pipe behind the wall give it a way out.
- Blocks stacked straight up. Segmental blocks are set back slightly with each course so the wall leans into the hill.
- Too tall for the design. Taller walls need extra reinforcement and sometimes an engineered design and a permit, depending on the city and the height.
At the estimate, we look at the height, the slope above the wall, where the water goes, and what sits near the top, like a driveway or a patio, and tell you what your wall needs.
Signs your wall needs attention
- The wall is leaning out or bulging in the middle.
- Blocks have cracked, shifted or fallen.
- Soil or water is washing out through the joints or around the ends.
- The ground behind the wall is sinking.
Text a photo to (678) 207-9762 and Oscar can tell you whether it looks like a repair or a rebuild before he comes out.
What drives the price
- Length and height of the wall.
- How much digging and backfill the slope needs.
- Drainage behind and around the wall.
- Access for equipment and block delivery.
- Whether old wall material has to come out first.
Retaining wall questions
Can you fix a wall that is leaning?
Often a short leaning section can be taken down and rebuilt on a proper base with drainage behind it. If the whole wall was built without a base or drainage, rebuilding it is usually the lasting fix. Oscar will tell you which one you are looking at.
Do I need a permit for a retaining wall?
Small garden walls usually do not. Taller walls, and walls holding up a driveway or a structure, can need a permit or an engineered design depending on your city. We check this at the estimate.
Can you build the patio and the wall together?
Yes, and it is usually the best way. The wall, the drainage and the patio are planned as one job, like the deck, wall and patio in our photos.
Can you tell from a photo whether my wall needs work?
Often, yes. Text a photo of the wall, including the top and both ends, to (678) 207-9762. Leaning, bulging, cracked blocks and soil washing out are all visible in a photo.
Other work we do
- Hardscapes overview
- Paver and concrete patios
- Driveways and walkways
- Construction, remodeling and repairs
See every photo and video on the projects page, or check the service area.
Walls from our jobs.
Get a free retaining wall estimate.
Tell us about the project and Oscar will follow up with next steps. The estimate is free and there is no obligation. Photos of the area help, and you can text them straight to the number below.
Call (678) 207-9762 Text photos to (678) 207-9762 oscar@oscarcruzconstruction.com