Concrete retaining walls in Redondo Beach CA - a wall that drains and stays put
Leaning wall, bulging soil or a slope washing into the yard? We build concrete walls with drainage behind them so the soil stays put.
Do I need a retaining wall, and what's involved?
A concrete retaining wall holds back the soil behind it, and that soil presses sideways on the wall, so the wall has to be built to take that push while it levels a sloped yard or keeps a hillside off your patio. In Redondo Beach we build them as reinforced poured concrete or as stacked block, depending on the site.
Most calls start with an old wall that's leaning, cracking or weeping mud at the bottom, or a slope that slides onto the patio every rainy season. The price turns on how long and tall the wall is, whether an old wall has to come out first, which we handle with concrete cutting, whether the wall curves, whether you want stamped or colored concrete on the face, and how hard the soil is to work. The schedule turns on whether a permit is needed, how easily we can get equipment and concrete to the spot, and the curing time, the days the concrete needs to harden before soil goes back against it. When I come out, I walk the site, measure it and write down what's included, so you have your own figure to work from.
How we build a concrete retaining wall
Wet soil is what pushes a wall over, so drainage in the backfill, the rock and soil that go back in behind the wall, is the first thing I plan. From there we dig out for the footing, the wide base the wall stands on, and pack the ground under it so it doesn't settle. We set rebar, the steel that ties the wall to its footing and keeps it from cracking apart under the soil's weight, then form and pour the wall in an L or upside-down T shape. Drain rock and a perforated pipe go in behind it to carry water out the ends, and once the concrete has cured we backfill in layers and pack each one. The footing and the drain end up buried, so they're the first thing people want to trim from a bid, and they're the last thing I'll cut, because they decide whether the wall stays upright.
A wall often comes with other work around it. If it's cutting into a slope to make room for a shop, a studio or a concrete floor installation, we plan the floor and the wall together so the grade and the drainage line up. If it holds the ground beside a pool, we can pour concrete pool decks that meet the wall and pitch water away from it.
Poured concrete wall
This suits straight or gently curving runs where we can get forms, a truck or a pump close to the wall. You get one solid reinforced piece with a smooth face that can also be stamped or colored.
Segmental block wall
This suits narrow side yards, spots a truck can't reach and walls that bend around a planting bed or patio. The units interlock in rows, so the face reads as block rather than one smooth surface.
Building concrete retaining walls in Redondo Beach
The City of Redondo Beach's zoning rules spell out what each zone allows and the permits a home project needs, and whether your wall needs one depends on your property and the wall, so it's the city's planning department that answers it. If your job needs a permit, we tell you up front and take care of the paperwork with the city or county office, and since that office makes the call, we check with them before we start. California also maps liquefaction zones, areas where the ground can lose strength and flow like liquid in a strong earthquake, and property in a mapped hazard zone may have to be investigated and the hazard dealt with as part of local permitting. That's worth knowing before the design is set.
A lot of the walls we're asked about here hold up a backyard that steps down toward the street or a neighbor, sometimes below an older wall in a second tier. On a slope, in tiers or over softer ground, the soil past the wall can still slip even when the wall itself is sound, so on those yards the planning covers the ground around the wall as well as the wall. We see the same stepped lots on jobs in Palos Verdes Estates and the same tight side yards in Hermosa Beach.
Poured and block retaining walls
Why call us for retaining walls
I walk every site myself
I come out to look at the job myself, and I work alongside our crew when we build it. The person who measured your slope is on the wall when it goes up, so nothing gets lost between the estimate and the pour.
Trained on public works crews
I learned concrete pouring sidewalks, curbs and driveway aprons for a city crew, then started this business in 2023. That work taught me the ground under the concrete decides how it holds up, which is why I plan the footing and drain before anything else.
Based here, working the South Bay
We're based in Redondo Beach and work across the South Bay and the cities around it. Stepped backyards and narrow side yards are the kind of sites we plan walls for all the time.
Licensed and insured for walls
We're licensed and insured. The state licensing board covers poured concrete work and concrete block walls under separate license classes, so it's fair to ask any bidder which one covers the wall they're pricing.
Have the wall's rough length and height, a few yard photos, notes on the slope and access, and your zoning district handy when you get in touch or call (424) 402-3940, and I'll set a time to come out.
(424) 402-3940Request a retaining wall estimate at your property
We reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out. I walk the site, measure it and write down what's included, and the estimate is free with no obligation.
Retaining wall questions from Redondo Beach
What does a concrete retaining wall cost near Redondo Beach?
A concrete retaining wall in the Los Angeles area usually costs about $12 to $54 per square foot. That's a broad guide, because local price pages differ widely. For a firm number on your wall, I'll measure the site and write down what's included.
Why does drainage behind a retaining wall matter so much?
Soaked soil behind a wall can push twice as hard as dry soil, according to state highway design guidance, and that extra push is what tips walls over. The same guidance calls for drainage built into the backfill and a separate path for water running off the ground above. When you compare bids, ask each builder how they drain the soil behind the wall.
What is the best way to choose between poured concrete and block for a retaining wall?
Go by the site. If the run is open and fairly straight, I lean toward poured concrete, and if the yard is hard to reach or the wall bends around a tight curve, block deserves a real look. Block is stacked dry without mortar, which is why it can go where a pour can't easily get, and I'll price both on site when your yard could go either way.
How do I find my zoning district in Redondo Beach before building a retaining wall?
Look up your property on the city's interactive zoning map, which shows the district it sits in. The city's rules key off that district, so it's the first thing I'll want to know. Send it along with your yard photos and I'll have it in hand when I come out.
Will my new concrete retaining wall crack like the old one did?
It may get fine cracks, because concrete shrinks as it cures, and I won't promise you a wall that never cracks. On a long poured wall we form control joints, straight grooves that give those cracks a place to land, and I'll show you where they'll go before we pour. The rebar holds the concrete together across any crack that does show up.
How do I get underground lines marked before digging a retaining wall?
Call 811, Call Before You Dig, which a retaining wall installation guide advises doing to get underground utilities marked before anyone excavates. A wall footing goes deeper than most yard work, so you want to know where gas, water and power lines run before the first shovel goes in.
Plan your retaining wall and the yard around it
Call (424) 402-3940 any day of the week, early mornings on weekends and late evenings on weekdays, or send the form.
