Concrete retaining walls in Solon OH - built to drain and hold your slope
Is your slope sliding, bulging or washing into the yard? We build a poured wall that holds the soil and lets water drain away.
Is poured concrete the right wall for my slope?
A concrete retaining wall in Solon is a wall poured in forms that holds soil back where your yard steps up or drops off, so the slope stays put instead of creeping onto your lawn, patio or driveway. Once the concrete has cured, the soil goes back in behind it and the ground on both sides is usable again.
Most calls start with a slope that keeps slumping after rain, an old timber or block wall that's leaning, or a yard that falls away right where you want flat ground. The price moves with the wall's height and length, whether poured concrete or block suits it, any old wall that has to come out, curves, how hard it is to get forms and a concrete truck back there, and how much drainage goes behind it. The schedule turns on what the city needs before we start, the weather, and the cure, the days the concrete needs to harden before we put soil against it. My written estimate gives you the figure for your wall and lists what's included, so tear-out and drainage don't show up later as extras.
How we build a concrete retaining wall
Before I price a poured wall, I check whether block would hold your slope for less, and if it would, I tell you. When poured is the right call, our crew digs out for the footing, the wide concrete base the wall stands on, then sets the forms and ties in rebar, steel bars that keep the wall from bending and splitting under the weight of the soil. We pour, pull the forms when the concrete is ready, and put the most care into what goes behind the wall, because water trapped in soaked soil is what breaks retaining walls. That means drain stone and a pipe to carry water out to a spot that won't soak your yard or your neighbor's, then backfill in layers, packing each one so the ground behind the wall doesn't settle later.
A wall is often one piece of a bigger change to the yard. If the flat ground is for a pool, we also build concrete pool decks, and planning the deck and wall together lets the deck's runoff and the wall's drain work as one system. If you're also redoing a garage or basement floor, we handle concrete floor installation too, and lining both jobs up saves a second round of setup.
Walls close to a property line
Block walls rely on grid reinforcement buried back into the soil, and when that grid would have to run into your neighbor's yard, a poured wall can be designed to stand on its own wide footing or be tied back instead. That makes poured concrete the usual pick for a wall tight against a lot line.
Low walls for terraces and beds
A short poured wall can square off a garden bed, hold the edge of a patio or turn one slope into two flat steps of yard. On a plain low wall block is often quicker and cheaper, so this is where I'll compare the two with you before you commit.
Building a concrete retaining wall in Solon
The Solon Building Department issues building permits here, and what your wall needs is the city's call, so I check with them before we dig instead of guessing. When the city wants a permit, we file it and schedule the inspections. For a permit site plan, the city recommends a topographic drawing of your property if you have one, and it points to easements and swales, the shallow ditches that carry water between lots, because those may have their own setbacks that limit where a wall can go.
A lot of the yards we see were graded so water runs to a swale along the back or side of the lot, and a new wall can't block that path without pushing water toward your house or the one next door. We set the drain's outlet around where the water already wants to go, the same as on jobs in Twinsburg and Bainbridge.
Poured walls holding back slopes
Why call us for retaining walls
I do the estimate myself
I measure the slope, look at where your water runs and write the estimate, and our crew does the forming, pouring and finishing with me or our foreman running the job. The person who priced your wall is someone you can reach while it's being built.
Building concrete since 2013
We've been in business since 2013, and I came to it after learning forming and finishing on a crew, not just pricing jobs at kitchen tables. When I tell you what your wall needs behind it, that comes from building them.
Licensed and insured on every wall
We're licensed and insured. A wall job puts an open dig, heavy forms and a concrete truck on your property, and that coverage protects you if something goes wrong.
Solon registration, worth asking about
The city requires every contractor working in Solon to hold a yearly registration before starting any work. Ask any builder you're comparing about it, us included, because it's a quick way to spot a crew that plans to skip the paperwork.
Before you sign with anyone, ask what goes behind the wall and where the water leaves. When you're ready, ask for your estimate and I'll come out and walk the slope with you.
(440) 560-8533Get a written estimate for your retaining wall
We get back to you within one business day, and then I come out, measure the slope and give you a written estimate that lists what's included. It costs you nothing, and there's no obligation.
Retaining wall questions from Solon homeowners
When is a poured concrete retaining wall worth more than a block wall?
One guide says poured concrete earns its higher cost when you need a slim wall, a wall with no joints, or a wall that also serves as part of a foundation. For a typical grade change, the same guide finds block wins on speed and cost. So the real question is whether your wall needs one of those three things.
How much does a poured concrete retaining wall cost near Cleveland?
Poured concrete retaining walls in the Cleveland area usually cost about $36 to $40 per square foot, installed with labor included. That range doesn't cover removing an old wall, stamped or multi-colored concrete, curved walls or walls taller than 3 ft, so expect more if your job has any of those. Your written estimate shows what your own wall comes to.
Does a taller retaining wall in Solon need an engineer?
Often, yes. One guide says walls commonly need a licensed engineer past about 4 ft of exposed height, or at any height when a slope, driveway or pool is involved. The guide leaves the exact line to the local building department, so for a taller wall we start with the city before anything gets drawn up.
How long does a building permit review take in Solon?
The city's building department says permit review generally takes 7 to 10 business days, depending on the project. We work that wait into your schedule, so it happens before the dig and doesn't leave your yard torn up while you wait.
How long does a poured concrete retaining wall last?
Built right, a poured wall lasts for decades, and so does a block wall. Drainage decides its life more than the material does, so ask every builder what goes behind theirs. One guide calls for clean washed gravel right behind a poured wall, with filter fabric between the stone and the native soil so the stone doesn't clog.
What causes a poured concrete retaining wall to crack?
Ground movement is a common cause, because a poured wall is rigid, while the joints in a block wall can flex with minor shifting. If part of your yard has moved before, tell me at the estimate so we weigh that when choosing between poured and block.
Plan your retaining wall and the yard around it
Call (440) 560-8533 or send the form with the wall's height, length and slope photos, so my first visit starts with your options.
