Concrete retaining walls in La Habra CA - ground held back and water drained away
Soil slumping onto your patio or a slope creeping into the yard? We build a poured or block wall that holds it back and drains.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
What a concrete retaining wall does
A concrete retaining wall holds back a slope so the ground above stays put and the yard below stays usable. We build concrete retaining walls in La Habra, CA, in two kinds, poured in place on a concrete footing or stacked dry from segmental concrete blocks, and a well-built wall of either kind can look good, too.
The price mostly turns on the wall's height and length, whether it's poured or block, how much dirt comes out and what goes in behind it. The schedule turns on whether the city needs to review plans first, and on the weather. Your own figure comes from the estimate I write after seeing the slope.
Poured or block
Cast-in-place concrete or dry-stacked segmental block, each suited to different sites and budgets.
Firm ground underneath
The base needs firm, packed soil, since organic or expansive soil makes a poor foundation.
A path for water
Water behind the wall needs a way out, or it builds up and pushes on it.
A finished face
A poured face can be smooth or textured, and block comes in several face styles.
Is a retaining wall the right job?
Choose a slab for anything you walk or drive on, and a wall, footing or foundation to hold soil back or carry weight.
- Concrete driveway buildingThis pageA good fit when your driveway is cracked, sinking or too narrow for your cars.
- Concrete patio constructionThis pageChoose this when you want a plain, solid slab out back for a table and grill.
- Stamped concrete servicesThis pageWorth a look if you want concrete pressed with a stone or brick pattern.
- Concrete sidewalk buildingThis pageFor a front walk or side path that's cracked, heaved or easy to trip on.
- Garage floor concreteThis pageThe right call when the garage slab is cracked, uneven or holding water.
- Decorative concreteThis pageWhen color, texture or a special finish matters as much as a sound slab.
- Concrete retaining wallsThis pageFor a slope that's slumping, washing out or crowding the usable part of your yard.
- Concrete floor installationThis pageA fit for an indoor slab in an addition, workshop or converted space.
- Concrete pool decksThis pagePick this when the deck around your pool is cracked, lifting or worn out.
- Concrete steps constructionThis pageFor front or back steps that are crumbling, uneven or ready to be rebuilt.
- Slab foundation buildingThis pageWhen a new building, addition or garage needs a flat concrete slab to sit on.
- Foundation installationThis pageThe starting point for new construction that needs its foundation planned and poured.
- Concrete parking lot buildingThis pageFor a business or apartment lot that needs new paving or more parking spaces.
- Concrete footingsThis pageWhen a wall, post, deck or addition needs a solid concrete base below ground.
- Foundation raisingThis pageWorth asking about when part of a house has settled and floors feel out of level.
- Concrete cuttingThis pageWhen you need a clean opening, trench or section removed from existing concrete.
Retaining wall ideas and styles
Press any photo to see it larger, and ask us about a style you like.
Why homeowners choose Excel La Habra Concrete
I lead the crew
I come out to see every job and write the estimate myself, then I'm on site leading our crew through the work.
Years running a crew
Before opening this business, I spent several years running another contractor's crew and setting forms, so I know how a good job gets planned.
Licensed, insured, careful underneath
We're fully licensed and insured, and I put the most care into what you won't see later, the ground under the wall and the drainage behind it.
From first call to finished wall
You deal with me from the first visit to clean-up, and I tell you what comes next at each stage.
Call or send the form
Call (562) 245-5067 or send the form, and we'll set a time to see the job.
I look over the slope
I walk the site, look at the slope and ask what the wall needs to hold back.
Your written estimate
It lists what is and isn't included, and can price block and poured side by side.
Plans and city review
If a permit's needed, we file it, and the city's first plan review takes about two weeks.
Building and clean-up
We plan the pour around weather and inspections, and I'm on site with the crew through clean-up.
Retaining wall questions, answered
Read through the answers below, and call or send the form if your question isn't covered here.
Ask us directly
Call (562) 245-5067 or send the form with anything else, and I'll be glad to talk it through.
How much does a retaining wall cost in Orange County?
Retaining walls in Orange County usually cost about $51 to $55 per square foot, and that figure is for retaining walls in general, not only concrete ones. Your own price depends on your slope and the choices we go over on site, and it's written out in the estimate before anything starts.
Is a block retaining wall cheaper than a poured concrete wall?
A block wall usually costs less, since one trade group's design manual says segmental walls typically come in below cast-in-place concrete walls on cost. Block is stacked without mortar, so water drains through the face, which helps keep it from building up behind the wall. A poured wall still suits some sites better.
Who issues permits and reviews plans for retaining walls in La Habra?
La Habra's Building and Safety Division reviews plans, issues permits once they're approved and inspects the work, and structural work needs detailed plans and calculations. Your plans also go to the city's planning, engineering, public works and traffic departments, and the division can help you work out whether your wall needs a permit. When it does, we handle the application.
What kind of fill should go behind a retaining wall?
Granular fill like gravel or sand is the preferred backfill, because expansive soil swells when water soaks in and can push hard against the wall. Hauling in granular fill typically carries high trucking costs, so the fill behind the wall is one of the things that moves the price.
What drainage should a retaining wall have behind it?
The wall should have a main drainage path, because installation guidance for block walls says the clean gravel behind the units catches stray water but isn't meant to be the main drain on its own. Ask every bidder what that main path is, and we spell ours out whichever wall you choose.
Tell us about your wall and slope
Send the slope's rough height and length and where your property lines and utilities run. We reply within one business day to set a free, no-obligation estimate on site.
La Habra, CA 90631