Leveling a sloped backyard
A wall across the slope turns a hill you can't use into flat ground for a patio, lawn or play area, and it keeps soil from washing down toward the house.
Retaining wall construction in Rialto CA - a wall that drains and stays standing
Slope sliding into your yard or an old wall leaning out? We build block retaining walls that let water out and hold the soil back.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
What goes into a retaining wall in Rialto
Retaining wall construction in Rialto means building a wall that holds back the soil on a slope or bank and takes the steady push of the earth behind it, so your yard stays where you want it.
Most retaining wall calls we get at Fieldstone Rialto Concrete and Masonry start with a slope that's creeping, an old wall that's leaning or a backyard someone has wanted to level for years. We're based in Rialto and build in Rialto, Fontana, San Bernardino and the other cities around it.
The price turns on the kind of wall, how long and tall it runs, how easy your yard is to get into, how complex the design is and how much digging it takes. The schedule turns on the wall's size, any city review if it needs a permit, and getting underground lines marked through 8-1-1, which takes a few days before anyone digs. Your written estimate spells out what we'll do and why.
The person who bids runs the job
I'm the one who walks your yard and writes the estimate, and I'm on site running our crew while we build, so what we agreed on is what gets built.
A straight answer, fast
If your wall isn't worth building the way you pictured, or an old one can still be saved, I'll tell you. Nobody should sit around wondering where their project stands.
Built once, built right
A wall that has to be redone costs a family twice. We'd rather spend the extra time on the base and backfill than come back later to a wall that's leaning.
How we build a wall that drains
Every retaining wall bid we write shows how water gets out from behind the wall, with drain rock packed behind the block and an outlet at the base, because trapped water is what pushes a wall over. If a bid doesn't say where the water goes, you're guessing how long that wall will stand.
On the build, our crew digs out to firm ground and packs a level base so the first course sits true, then sets the block course by course. Drain rock goes in behind as the wall rises, and we backfill, compact and clean up so your yard is ready to use.
If you have an older stone or brick wall that's still sound, our masonry restoration work can often bring it back instead of tearing it out. And once a slope is leveled, a lot of homeowners want a patio up there, and an outdoor fireplace on it is our fireplace installation work.
Where a retaining wall makes sense
Holding a cut by the driveway
When a driveway or side yard was cut into a bank, the soil keeps creeping toward it. A short wall holds that edge so dirt and rocks stay off the concrete.
Replacing a leaning old wall
When an old tie or block wall is leaning, cracking or bulging, patching it usually doesn't last. I'll tell you straight whether it can be saved or should come out and be rebuilt.
Terraced beds and planters
Two or three shorter walls stepped up a slope give you planting beds you can actually reach, and each wall holds back less soil than one tall wall would.
Get a written estimate for your wall
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I'll walk the slope with you, measure, take photos and give you a written estimate, free and with no obligation.
Rough length and height
Pace off how long the wall would run and guess how tall it needs to be. Rough numbers are fine, and they tell me what kind of wall we're likely talking about.
A few photos of the slope
Snap the slope, the spot where water runs after a rain and the way into the yard. Access and water both change the job, so the photos help me come prepared.
What the estimate covers
The written estimate says what we'll build, how it drains and why, so you can line it up against other bids and see exactly where they differ.
Retaining wall and block work examples
Look over block faces, wall caps, terraced layouts and patio edges, then point out what you like when I come out.
Common retaining wall questions in Rialto
Here's what homeowners usually ask about cost, drainage, materials and permits before they build a retaining wall in Rialto.
How much does a retaining wall cost in Rialto?
Retaining wall construction in the San Bernardino area usually costs about $41 to $45 per square foot, which is the area's going rate and not a quote from us. Your own figure comes in the written estimate once I've measured the wall and seen how your yard is reached. Every wall we build is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Why does drainage behind a retaining wall matter?
Water trapped behind a retaining wall adds its own pressure on top of the soil's push. Engineering guidance favors keeping it from building up, with surface drainage and free-draining backfill plus weep holes, small openings near the base that let water out, or pipe drains. Ask every bidder how their wall drains, and ours shows it right on the bid.
Is a block retaining wall better than timber or railroad ties?
Block usually holds up better, because the block industry's design manual says block wall units resist cracking and don't splinter or decay the way treated timbers and railroad ties do. If you've got an old tie wall going soft, replacing it with block is usually the better money, since a wood wall tends to get built twice.
Do block retaining walls hold up in an earthquake?
Well-designed ones have, since reviews after earthquakes found block walls more robust than conventional retaining walls when they were properly designed for seismic loads. That edge comes from the design, not the block alone. So ask any builder, us included, whether the plan for your wall accounts for earthquake forces.
Do I need a permit to build a retaining wall in Rialto?
Rialto's Building Department is the office to ask, since it handles plan check, permits and inspections, and the Engineering Department's permit list names grading, not retaining walls. Height or engineering questions go to the Building Department. When a job needs a permit, we handle the application and show up for inspections. We're licensed and insured.
How long does retaining wall plan review take in Rialto?
The city's permit portal lists review at 30 days while plans sit with the reviewing departments, so build that wait into your start date. Planning a block wall on top? The city's forms page has a handout for a 2-foot retaining wall with a freestanding block wall on top, plus a neighbor agreement form for block walls and fences, so ask the city if it applies.
Related masonry work around your wall
Tell us about your slope today
We're open seven days a week, until 10 PM on weekdays, so call (909) 546-5001 or send the form whenever it suits you.