Block Wall Installation

What This Service Involves

Retaining walls in the Puget Sound region fail for one main reason: water pressure building behind them in our saturated soils. We install segmental concrete block walls on a compacted, level base and back them with free-draining gravel and perforated drain pipe that carries groundwater safely away. Geogrid reinforcement is added on taller or load-bearing walls so the structure resists the hydrostatic and soil pressure that PNW rainfall generates. The result is a wall that holds its line for decades instead of bulging, leaning, or blowing out after a wet winter.

Benefits

Engineered drainage relieves hydrostatic pressure; Compacted base prevents settling and leaning; Geogrid reinforcement adds strength on tall walls; Interlocking block resists frost heave and movement; Clean, uniform finish suits terracing and grade changes

Our Process

1) Excavate and compact a level leveling-pad base; 2) Set the first course precisely and backfill with gravel; 3) Install drain pipe, geogrid, and stack courses; 4) Backfill, compact, and cap the finished wall

What Affects the Cost

Wall height, length, and total block quantity; Amount of excavation and grade change; Drainage materials and geogrid reinforcement needed; Block style, texture, and cap selection; Site access and soil conditions on the slope

Best Time of Year

Drier summer and early fall conditions make excavation and backfilling far more manageable, since saturated soil is unstable and hard to compact.