Retaining wall construction in Redlands CA - a yard that stays where you put it
Soil sliding onto the patio or a slope you can't use? We build walls that hold the ground and send the water away.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
What does it take to build a retaining wall in Redlands?
Retaining wall construction in Redlands means building a wall of block, brick or stone that holds a slope in place, so the yard above stays put and you get flat ground you can actually use.
Most people call when the slope behind the house keeps washing onto the patio, or when an old wall has started to lean. The price moves with how tall and long the wall runs, what it's built from, how much dirt has to come out and how hard it is to get a crew and pallets of block into your yard. The schedule mostly turns on that same digging and access. If what you really want is a freestanding wall along the property line and not one holding back dirt, that's concrete block walls. Either way, your written estimate says what we'd do and what we'd use for your wall.
How do you know your yard needs a retaining wall?
Dirt washing onto the patio
After a storm you find mud and gravel on the patio or piled against the house, because nothing is holding the slope. Every rain takes a little more, so the slope gets steeper and harder to hold the longer it goes.
An old wall leaning out
A wall that tips forward at the top or bulges in the middle usually has water trapped behind it or too little base under it. It won't stand back up on its own, and the further it leans, the more of it has to come down.
A slope you can't use
If part of the yard is too steep to mow, plant or put a table on, a wall can turn it into level ground. A bare slope also tends to creep downhill over the years, so waiting rarely makes the job smaller.
How we handle retaining wall construction
We lay the wall out on the ground, dig down past the loose topsoil and pack a gravel base until it's hard and level, because every course above copies whatever the first one sits on. Then we set the first row true, build up course by course with clean gravel and a drain behind it where the wall calls for one, backfill in layers and pack each one, cap the top and grade the ground above so water heads away from the wall instead of soaking in behind it. I plan where the water goes as carefully as I plan the wall, because mortar makes a lousy drainage plan.
A new wall often sits beside masonry that's already there. If there's an old brick or stone wall on the property worth keeping, masonry restoration can repair it so it sits well next to the new one, and I'd rather save a sound old wall than tear it out. A wall that turns a slope into a flat terrace also leaves room for a fire, so we can plan fireplace installation alongside it and get the footings right for both.
Interlocking block
Dry-stacked concrete units that lock together suit most backyard slopes, because they go up quickly and give water a path out through the gravel behind them. They come in several face textures and colors.
Mortared block or brick
Block set in mortar on a concrete footing, finished in brick, stucco or stone veneer, suits a wall that needs to match the house or carry a fence on top. It takes more labor than dry-stacked block, so it usually costs more.
Natural stone
Stacked or mortared stone suits garden beds and lower walls where you want it to look like it's always been there. Each piece gets fitted by hand, which makes it slower to build and shows up in the price.
Get a written estimate for your retaining wall
Expect a reply within 1 business day to set a time for me to come out. The on-site estimate is free, there's no obligation, and I send it to you in writing afterward.
(909) 488-7148- Based in
- Redlands, CA 92373
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–9 PM
What happens after you call about a retaining wall?
Here's how a wall goes from your first call to the final walk-through, and who you'll be dealing with at each step along the way.
Call or send us a message
Call (909) 488-7148 or use the form, and we'll get back to you to set a time for me to come out. Tell us roughly where the wall would go so I know what I'm walking into.
I walk the slope and water
I look at the wall, what's around it and where the water runs, then send you a written estimate. It says what we'd do and what we'd use, so you're comparing real line items, not guessing at one number.
We handle permits and build
If the job needs a permit, we tell you at the estimate and handle the application. Then our crew builds the wall the way the estimate lays it out.
We walk it together
When it's done, you and I walk the finished wall together, from the cap to the drain outlet to the ground above it. We clean up before we leave, so the yard looks like we were never there, minus the slope.
Why Redlands homeowners call Prestige Redlands Concrete and Masonry for retaining walls
I look at your lot myself
I come out and look at the job myself, because in Redlands where a wall sits on the lot changes what it's allowed to be. Our crew does the work, and I'm on the job with them.
In business since 2021
We've been in business since 2021, five years now, and I learned brick, block and stone next to an old mason who wouldn't let a bad joint slide. That's still the standard every course gets held to.
Licensed and insured, before we dig
We're licensed and insured. A retaining wall moves a lot of dirt next to your house and your neighbor's fence, so that should be settled before anyone picks up a shovel.
Have a slope that won't stay put? Send us a message or call (909) 488-7148, and we'll set a time to look at it.
Building retaining walls on Redlands lots
In Redlands, the city's rules decide how tall a wall can be and how close to the house it can go, so before we draw anything up, I check the height and railing rules for that exact spot on your lot. The city's code calls for retaining walls that stand essentially vertical, are built of concrete, masonry or wood treated with an approved preservative, and are engineered for the load they carry. It also caps a wall and its railing together at nine feet, or six feet within fifteen feet of an existing house, so setting the wall back from the house can buy you height. Those limits apply to some lots and not others, and the City of Redlands has the final word on yours, so it's worth confirming with them.
Most walls we build around here hold back a backyard slope or square up a front yard where the driveway cuts in, and we do the same work on jobs in Yucaipa and Highland. We look at how the whole lot drains before we pick a spot, because a good wall in the wrong place just moves the problem.
Questions about retaining walls in Redlands
How much does a retaining wall cost around Redlands?
Retaining wall construction in the San Bernardino area usually costs about $20 to $55 per square foot of wall face, which is the going rate in the area, not our quote. Where your wall lands in that range comes down mostly to the material, whether boulders, stone, wood, concrete, interlocking block or railroad ties. Our written estimate shows what we'd do and what we'd use, so you know what your number covers.
How tall can a retaining wall be in Redlands?
Redlands code caps a retaining wall at six feet, and at thirty inches in a front yard area, though a wall needed for an adjacent driveway can reach six feet anywhere on the property. That means where your wall sits decides how tall it can go, and the closer-to-the-house limits above still apply. If you're not sure the caps cover your lot, the city is the one to ask.
When does a retaining wall need a railing in Redlands?
In Redlands, any retaining wall over thirty inches needs a fence, wall or guardrail at least three feet above the highest ground next to it. On an open guardrail, the rails have to be spaced so a nine-inch ball can't pass through. Budget for the railing as part of the wall, not as an extra you find out about later.
How do I keep water from ruining my retaining wall?
Send water away from the wall wherever you can, because water adds load to a retaining wall, causes erosion and weakens the soil around it. One block maker's guide requires a drain pipe for any reinforced wall, for gravity walls over 4 feet tall and for sites with poor drainage.
Is a block retaining wall cheaper than poured concrete?
Usually, yes. An industry design manual says segmental block walls, the dry-stacked interlocking kind, typically run 25 to 40 percent less than conventional poured concrete walls. If you're weighing the two, it's worth pricing both, and our estimate will say which one we'd use and why.
How long does it take to build a retaining wall?
The building itself often goes faster than people expect, since an industry manual says a crew of three or four typically puts up 300 to 500 square feet of wall a day. Before anyone digs, the 8-1-1 Before You Dig service marks underground utilities a few days ahead, so leave room for that when you pick a start date.
Other masonry that pairs with a retaining wall
Masonry restoration
An old brick or stone wall may only need its joints and loose units put right, which usually costs less than tearing it out and starting over.
Fireplace installation
Once a wall levels a slope, the flat ground behind it makes room for an outdoor fireplace, and planning both together keeps the footings right.
Service areas for retaining wall work
Prestige Redlands Concrete and Masonry is based in Redlands, CA, and builds retaining walls in Redlands and the cities around it. The 12 cities below each have their own page, from Yucaipa over to Riverside.
Redlands, CA
Get your retaining wall estimate started
Have the wall's spot, a rough height and length and a few photos of the slope handy when you call, and tell us if it's in the front yard, by the driveway or near the house.