Retaining Wall Construction in Eugene OR - a wall that holds your slope and drains
Soil slumping onto the patio or an old wall leaning out? We build a wall sized to your slope, with drainage planned in.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
What does it take to build a retaining wall in Eugene?
Retaining wall construction in Eugene means building a wall that holds back the soil behind it, so a slope stops creeping and you get level ground you can use. Most of the work happens below grade and behind the wall, where you'll never see it.
Most calls start with a slope that won't stay put, a bed sliding toward the fence or an old wall tipping forward. The price moves with the wall's height and length, the material, whether an old wall has to come out first and how hard the ground is to dig. The schedule mostly turns on whether a permit is needed and what we find once the digging starts. If the old wall is stone or brick and still sound at its base, masonry restoration may save it, and I'll tell you if that's the better call. Either way, the estimate tells you what we'd build and why.
How do you know your slope needs a retaining wall?
Soil washing onto your patio
You keep sweeping dirt off the patio or path, or a planting bed is slowly creeping downhill. That usually means nothing is holding the slope, and every season it moves a little more soil and makes the eventual wall bigger.
An old wall leaning out
Timber that's gone soft, block that has tipped forward or a stone wall bulging in the middle all mean the soil behind it is winning. A leaning wall won't straighten itself, and once it falls you pay to haul out the wreck before anything new goes in.
Wet ground at the base
A soggy strip, standing water or staining where the slope meets flat ground means water is collecting behind or under whatever holds the soil. Water pushing from behind is a common reason walls tip, so a wall built there with no way to drain starts out behind.
What our retaining wall construction includes
Height, slope and where the water goes decide what kind of wall you need, so that's where we start, and on a hillside I come look before I price anything. Once the plan is set, we mark the line, dig out for the base, pack a gravel footing and set the first course dead level, because every course above it follows that one. We build the wall up with drainage behind it as we go, so water has a planned way out, then backfill, cap the top and clean up.
A new wall often sits beside older stonework or brick, and if an existing wall is worth keeping, masonry restoration can bring it back instead of tearing it out. If the wall is part of a bigger plan for the house, our same masons also handle fireplace installation.
Get a free on-site estimate for your retaining wall
Tell us the wall's rough length, height and slope. Expect a reply within one business day, then I'll come out for a free estimate that says what we'll do and why, with no obligation.
- info@eugeneconcreteandmasonry.com
- Based in
- Eugene, OR 97401
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–10 PM
What happens when you call about a retaining wall in Eugene?
Here's how it goes from your first call to a finished wall, and who does what along the way.
Call or send a message
Tell us roughly how long and how tall the wall is and how steep the slope runs. We'll set a time for me to come out.
I look at the site
I walk the slope, ask what you want the wall to do and write up what we'd build and why. You see what it will take before you decide anything.
We handle permits and build
If you go ahead, we sort out any permits first. Our own masons and laborers build the wall, and I check it as it goes.
We clean up and walk it
We haul off the spoil and leftover material. Then we walk the finished wall with you before we call it done.
Why Eugene homeowners hire us for retaining walls
I write every estimate myself
I come out, look at the slope and write the estimate, and our own masons and laborers build the wall while I check it as it goes. The person who priced your wall is the one making sure it gets built that way.
Commercial training, own business since 2017
I learned on commercial jobs where an inspector checked everything and shortcuts got torn out, then started this business in Eugene in 2017. Nine years in, we build to that same standard, because a house deserves no less.
Licensed and fully insured in Oregon
We're licensed and fully insured, so you aren't carrying the risk of a heavy wall going up near your house. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
To get started, send the wall's rough length, height and slope through our contact page, or call (541) 225-4006.
Retaining walls, permits and hillsides in Eugene
The City of Eugene lists retaining walls among the typical projects that need a building permit, and state code requires one for any wall that supports a building or protects the people using it. Whether yours needs one depends on what it holds up and where it sits, so if it's at all unclear, we check with the city before we start, not after. If it needs a permit, we pull it and handle the inspections.
A state geology study found markedly more landslide hazard in the hills south of Eugene than on the flat ground of north-central and western Eugene. On slopes prone to slides, the state's geology agency advises controlling the water that reaches the slope, adding no weight to the top and not digging away the base, which is right where a wall goes, so whether your lot is one of those is something I'd only judge in person. We plan walls the same way on jobs in Springfield and Junction City, starting from the slope in front of us.
Questions about retaining walls in Eugene
How much does a retaining wall cost in Eugene?
Retaining wall construction in Eugene usually costs about $20 to $50 per square foot of wall face, the area you see from the front. Where a wall lands in that range depends a lot on the material, from wood and railroad ties to block, concrete, stone or boulders, and one local price report leaves out removing an old wall, curves, extra height and difficult soil, so those add to it. Your firm number comes from the estimate, after I've seen the site.
What rules does a small retaining wall in Eugene still have to follow?
In Eugene, work that doesn't need a permit still has to meet building code and local rules such as setbacks and height. If you're not sure where your wall falls, the city's Residential Plan Review answers questions at 541-682-5611.
How do I keep water from building up behind a retaining wall?
Free-draining gravel placed right behind the wall carries groundwater away and keeps water pressure from building against it. That's why drainage belongs in the plan from day one, and why it's worth asking every contractor who quotes you how they handle it.
How tall can a block retaining wall be before it needs reinforcement?
One block maker's guide says block walls taller than about four feet should usually be tied back into the soil with reinforcement. The same guide says lower walls need it too when the ground slopes up above them, something heavy sits behind them or the soil under them is poor, so height alone doesn't settle it.
Who can build a retaining wall in Oregon?
Oregon's Construction Contractors Board lists retaining walls as work that either a CCB license or an LCB license allows, so whoever builds yours should hold one of the two. The board also says Oregon law calls for a written contract on projects over $2,000, so expect one for most walls.
How long does it take to build a retaining wall in Eugene?
Build time comes down to the wall's length, height and material and how much digging and drainage the site needs, which is why I look before giving you a schedule. Before anyone digs, underground utilities get marked through 811, the Call Before You Dig service, which takes a few days, and a wall that needs a permit also waits on the city's review.
Other masonry work around your yard and house
Masonry restoration
An old stone or brick wall with loose joints or missing pieces may be worth saving, and restoring it can keep the look a new wall would lose.
See the service Masonry restorationFireplace installation
If you're adding masonry to the house or yard anyway, a fireplace built by the same crew gives you one plan, one schedule and one person to call.
See the service Fireplace installation
Service areas for retaining walls around Eugene
Stonecraft Eugene Concrete and Masonry is based in Eugene, Oregon, and builds retaining walls across the 8 cities listed here, including Springfield and Cottage Grove. If your city isn't named, call and ask.
Eugene, OR
Have your slope looked at first
A rough length, height and slope is all you need to start, and I'll work out the rest on site.