(915) 265-1230hi@elpasoconcreteandmasonry.com
Cornerstone El Paso Concrete & Masonry
Request an estimate
(915) 265-1230

Retaining wall construction in El Paso TX - a wall that drains and stays put

Slope sliding into the yard or an old wall starting to lean? We build retaining walls with the drainage planned first, so they hold.

Request an estimate(915) 265-1230

Call

(915) 265-1230Request an estimate
A curved low stone retaining wall with a built-in cushioned bench surrounds a lit fire pit in a leafy patio garden.

What does it take to build a retaining wall in El Paso?

Retaining wall construction in El Paso means building a wall of poured concrete or stacked block or stone on a firm, compacted base, with drainage behind it, so it holds back the soil on a slope or a cut in your yard without leaning or washing out.

Most calls start the same way. Dirt keeps washing onto the patio, a cut in the yard is slumping, or an old wall has started to lean. Most of the job is the part you won't see when it's done, because the digging, the base and the drainage come before the wall goes up. If you're planning a patio up top, maybe with a fireplace installation later, it's worth building the wall with that in mind.

The price mostly follows the wall type you pick and how much wall face you need, which is length times height. The schedule turns on utility marking, any permit and, on taller walls, an engineer's design. Before work starts I check which office covers your address, since that changes from one city to the next, and when a permit is needed we handle the paperwork. Your written estimate puts your own figure on all of it.

Request an estimate

What happens when you call about a retaining wall in El Paso?

  1. Call or send a request

    Call (915) 265-1230 or use the form, and tell us roughly how long and how tall the wall needs to be. We get back to you and set a time for me to come out.

  2. I walk the slope with you

    I look at the grade, where the water runs and what the wall has to hold, and explain what I see as we go. You get a written estimate that names the wall type, the drainage and what's included, so you can compare quotes on the same terms.

  3. Our crew builds the wall

    Our crew digs out, packs the base, sets the drainage and builds the wall, with me checking on it as it goes. If something shows up once the ground is open, I show you before we change anything.

  4. We walk the finished wall

    When the backfill and grading are done, we walk the wall together and I show you where the water gets out. We don't call it done until you've seen it.

Building an El Paso retaining wall from the drain up

Most retaining walls that fail do it because water and wet soil built up behind them, so I plan the drainage before we pick the material. We set the wall on a compacted base of leveled earth or gravel, backfill behind it with gravel or run a drain pipe, and leave weep holes, small openings low in the face, in any structural wall so the water gets out instead of pushing.

On taller walls we work from an engineer's design instead of eyeballing it, and in Texas that engineer is someone licensed by the state's engineering board. We're licensed and fully insured. Before you hire anyone for a wall in El Paso, it's fair to ask about their contractor registration with the city, since the city keeps registration requirements for contractors.

What a retaining wall job covers:

  • Digging out and grading
  • Compacted gravel base
  • Gravel backfill and drain pipe
  • Weep holes in structural walls
  • Block, stone or poured concrete

Repairing or replacing a leaning retaining wall

If an old stone or block wall stands straight and only the mortar or face is worn, masonry restoration can usually save it. Once a wall leans or bulges, the cause is usually water behind it, and patching the face won't fix that, so I'd rebuild with drainage. A rotting timber or railroad tie wall I'd replace with block, because the block industry's manual says stacked concrete blocks resist cracking and won't splinter or decay the way treated wood does.

What shapes the cost of a retaining wall

The biggest choice is the wall type, since a poured concrete structural wall costs a lot more than a dry-laid wall of stacked, open-joint block or stone, so settle that before you compare quotes. After that it's the length and height, how much dirt we dig and haul, how easily we can get equipment in, and whether a taller wall needs an engineer. Good drainage adds to the bill, and it's the last place I'd tell you to save.

Cornerstone explains it before we build

We're best known for taking the time to explain a job before we start it. I'd rather you understand your own yard well enough to make a good call, even if you don't hire us, than sign for something you can't picture. So I'll point at the actual crack, the wet spot or the lean and tell you what's behind it.

We fix what caused the problem, not just the part you can see, and on a retaining wall that's usually water. Our crew keeps the work area tidy, cleans up as we go and leaves your yard graded. Your satisfaction, guaranteed.

Get your retaining wall planned right

Have the wall's rough length and height handy when you call, since price runs by the square foot of wall face.

(915) 265-1230

Get a written estimate for your retaining wall

Tell us where the wall goes and what it's holding back. We reply within one business day, and I come out for a free estimate at your property, with no pressure to book.

(915) 265-1230

Retaining wall questions from El Paso

How much does a retaining wall cost in El Paso?

Retaining wall construction in El Paso usually costs about $15 to $40 per square foot of wall face, which is the wall's length times its height. Where yours lands depends mostly on the wall type, the digging and the drainage, and your written estimate gives your own figure.

What causes retaining walls to fail?

Water and wet soil building up behind the wall cause most failures, because the push keeps growing until the wall leans or cracks. That's why we plan the drainage first, and it's the part of the budget I'd least want you to cut.

Which type of retaining wall costs less in El Paso?

Gabion walls, which are wire baskets filled with rock, along with railroad tie and cinder block walls sit at the low end of El Paso prices, while boulder and poured concrete walls sit at the high end. Cheaper isn't always the better buy, since a tie wall doesn't hold up like block, so weigh how long you need the wall to last.

How long does it take to build a retaining wall?

The wall itself usually goes up quickly, since the block industry's manual says an experienced crew of three or four typically sets 300 to 500 square feet of block wall a day, because the blocks go up without mortar. Most of the wait comes before that, from the permit check, an engineer's design on taller walls and the 811 call-before-you-dig service marking underground utilities a few days ahead of digging.

Do I need a permit to build a retaining wall in El Paso?

The City of El Paso requires a building permit to construct, alter, repair, move or demolish a building or structure, and its One Stop Shop at Planning and Inspections takes in those permits. Whether your wall needs one is something I check for your address before we start, and if it does, we handle the paperwork and keep you posted on where it stands.

How do I know if my retaining wall needs an engineer?

Start with the local code, because one block installation guide advises learning it before a wall of any size to find out what engineering the job needs. I raise it at the estimate, since an engineer's design on a taller wall shapes the base, the drainage and the price.

Retaining walls around El Paso

We're based in El Paso and build across the city and the cities around it, including Socorro and Sunland Park. Pick your area below, or call if yours isn't listed.

Call (915) 265-1230