Rockery Wall Installation

What This Service Involves

Rockery walls are a Puget Sound landscaping tradition, built by nesting large quarry rocks against a graded slope to create a naturalistic, free-draining retaining face. The open structure and gravel backfill behind the rock let our abundant groundwater drain through instead of building pressure, making rockeries well matched to the region's saturated hillsides. Each rock is keyed and battered into the slope by machine so the wall resists sliding even after heavy winter rain. The finished rockery looks like a natural rock formation and supports pockets for drought-tolerant PNW plantings.

Benefits

Time-tested regional solution for PNW slopes; Excellent natural drainage; Naturalistic quarry-rock appearance; Supports planting pockets between rocks; Durable and low maintenance

Our Process

1) Excavate and bench the slope to grade; 2) Establish a compacted rock base trench; 3) Set and key the largest base rocks; 4) Stack upper rocks with batter while placing gravel backfill and drainage; 5) Blend the top course into finished grade and plantings

What Affects the Cost

Rock size and quantity; Machine access and slope steepness; Excavation and benching; Trucking of quarry rock; Gravel backfill and drainage

Best Time of Year

Best installed in the drier spring-through-fall window when equipment can work the slope without disturbing saturated PNW soils.