Concrete retaining walls in Kingsland GA - a wall that holds your yard and drains well
If your yard keeps sliding downhill or an old wall is giving way, a reinforced concrete wall that drains holds the ground where it belongs.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
What goes into a concrete retaining wall in Kingsland?
A concrete retaining wall in Kingsland is a steel-reinforced concrete wall on a footing, a wide base poured under it, that holds a slope back so the ground stays put and you get level space to use. The soil pushes sideways on the wall, and the weight of the soil sitting on that footing is what keeps most of it standing.
Usually you're looking at a yard that won't hold its shape, and you want to know what it will take to hold it. Height alone doesn't tell you what wall you need, because water behind it, a slope above it and any car or building near the top all add load, so a fair quote rests on a design for your site that sets the footing, the steel and the drainage. That design, how easy the spot is to reach and how much work the job involves are what move the price, while the schedule usually turns on any permit the job calls for and the weather on pour day. Your written estimate spells out what's included for your wall.
Is a concrete retaining wall right for your yard?
A bank that washes out
When every hard rain carries soil off the bank, a wall holds the ground in place.
An old wall that leans
A timber or block wall tipping forward is usually ready for a reinforced wall on a real footing.
A sloped lot you want level
On a sloped lot, a wall turns a hillside into flat ground you can actually use.
A drop beside the house
Where the ground steps down beside a house or drive, a concrete wall holds a clean, straight edge.
How we build a concrete retaining wall
A wall depends on its drainage, so every quote we write shows how water will get out from behind the wall as well as the concrete itself. On the job we lay out the line, dig for the footing, and set the forms and the rebar, the steel bars that keep the concrete from pulling apart when the soil leans on it, then pour the footing and the wall and build the drain in behind it before the soil goes back. Please tell us early about any driveway, pool or new fill planned near the wall, because changing the backfill, adding weight near the top or letting water build up behind it can undo what the design counted on, even when the concrete is strong.
A wall is often the first step in a bigger change to the yard. If the level ground behind it is going to hold a shed, a workshop or a covered room, we can pour that slab as part of our concrete floor installation work, and when a terraced backyard is making room for a pool, it makes sense to plan the wall and the concrete pool decks together.
Taller wall on a footing
Where the grade drops far enough that a small wall won't hold it, this is the wall most yards need. The footing and steel are sized from the design for your site, not guessed from the height.
Low terrace and garden walls
Short walls that step a yard into flat levels suit beds, lawns and walkways. They still need a footing and a way for water to get out, just less of everything.
Walls with weight above them
Where a driveway, parking area or building sits near the top, the design carries more footing and steel. That usually makes it cost more than a plain garden wall of the same height.
What happens when you call about a retaining wall in Kingsland?
Call or send the form
Call (912) 456-0139 or send the form with a few words about your slope. We'll set a time for me to come out and see it.
I measure and write it up
I come out, measure the slope and listen to what you need the wall to hold back and carry. You get a written estimate that lists the drainage, the footing and the concrete, so you can see what you're paying for.
We confirm the office first
Before we set a date, we find out which city or county office covers your address, because that's whose rules the wall has to meet.
Forms, pour and walk-through
We set the grade and forms first, and I check them myself before any concrete arrives. When the wall is done, we walk it with you before we leave.
Picking the drain for a concrete retaining wall
A drain you can keep clear is worth it.
Weep holes are the old way, small openings that let water seep out through the face of the wall, and research on retaining walls found they're likely to clog over the life of the wall. A drain built to be maintained, with outlets you can reach and check, keeps the wall draining more reliably.
The drain is the part you can't see once the soil is back, which is why it's the first thing people want to trim when the budget gets tight. I'd keep the drain and save on the look of the face instead, because a plain wall with a good drain is doing its job, and a nicer face can't make up for water stuck behind it.
Examples of concrete work
Take a look through these examples of concrete work, from walls and steps to driveways and patios, to get a feel for what's possible.
Get a written estimate for your retaining wall
Tell us the wall's rough length and height, add photos of the slope, and mention any driveway or fill planned nearby. We reply within one business day to set up a free visit, and there's no pressure to book.
Why Kingsland homeowners call Kingsland Concrete for retaining walls
The owner writes your estimate
I come out to look at the wall myself and write the estimate, and I'm on site with our own small crew while it's built. You deal with the same person from the first visit to the last day.
Forms set by a former carpenter
I framed houses and built forms as a carpenter before I started this business in 2021, and we've spent the five years since on concrete. A bad grade or a crooked form can't be taken back once it's poured, so that's the part I'm fussiest about.
Licensed and insured, plainly stated
Kingsland Concrete is licensed and insured. Our promise on every wall is your satisfaction, guaranteed.
Close by in and around Kingsland
Most of our calls come from homeowners in and around Kingsland, so getting out to see your slope is easy to fit in. When you're ready, please call (912) 456-0139 or use the form on this page.
Questions about concrete retaining walls
How much does a concrete retaining wall cost in Georgia?
A retaining wall in Georgia usually costs about $32 to $38 per square foot. That's a statewide figure for retaining walls of all types, not our price, and yours can land above or below it depending on the site, how involved the design is and how much work the job takes. Your written estimate gives your own figure, with the drainage listed beside the concrete.
Why does drainage matter so much for a concrete retaining wall?
Poor drainage is by far the most common reason retaining walls perform badly, and left alone it can lead to a wall failing outright. Water trapped behind a wall can greatly increase the push on it, so when you compare quotes, compare the drainage plan as well as the concrete. It's fair to ask whether a design includes drainage gravel, filter fabric, perforated drain outlets and good surface drainage.
How long does it take to build a concrete retaining wall?
It depends on the wall's size, any permit the job needs and the weather, and the concrete has to cure, the wait while it hardens and gains strength, before soil goes back behind it. Guidance on these walls says backfill should go in only once the wall is strong enough and braced, packed in controlled layers, because heavy packing equipment right behind a young wall can push harder than it was built to take. We'll talk through the timing for your wall when I come out.
Does a contractor need a Georgia license to build a concrete retaining wall?
Under Georgia law, a specialty contractor working for an owner within their specialty can work without a residential or general contractor license, and the state lists Concrete Cast in Place as one of those specialties. The state's list doesn't settle whether every wall falls within that specialty, so it's fair to ask any contractor about their license before you hire. I'm glad to go over ours when I visit.
How do I take care of a concrete retaining wall?
The main job is keeping the drain outlets working, so check after a heavy rain that water is still coming out of them. If an outlet stays dry while the ground behind the wall stays soggy, please give us a call and we'll take a look.
Will my new concrete retaining wall crack?
Small, fine cracks are normal in concrete and usually don't mean anything is wrong, because the steel inside holds the wall together. I'd rather you know that going in, so a hairline crack doesn't worry you, and the things worth calling about are a wall that starts tipping forward or a drain that stops running.
Have a slope you'd like to talk over?
I'll come out, measure the slope and give you a written estimate that shows plainly what's included.
Other work that goes with a wall
Building concrete retaining walls in Kingsland
Kingsland sits on low coastal plain that floods from the rivers around it, and the county also floods in hurricanes, so a wall here has a lot of water to deal with. That's the water pressure the drain is there to relieve, and it's why we plan where water goes behind and around the wall before we talk about anything else. We're based in Kingsland and work in the cities around it on both the Georgia and Florida sides of the state line, and we take the same care with drainage on walls in St. Marys and Yulee.
In Kingsland, the city's Housing and Development Department reviews plans, issues permits for residential construction, inspects work against state and local building codes and enforces zoning. Whether your particular wall needs a permit is a question for that department, and we take care of the permit paperwork when the job calls for one.