Retaining Walls in Sandy Springs, GA
Retaining walls built to handle the water
We design, build and repair retaining walls for sloped yards in Sandy Springs and nearby. Every wall starts with a compacted base and a drainage plan, because water behind a wall is what pushes it over.
- Drainage behind every wall
- Base compacted in lifts
- Written estimate with a drawing
What We Do
Walls, repairs and concrete leveling
Retaining Wall Installation
New walls engineered for the slope, with drainage and compacted base, in block, stone, timber or concrete.
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Retaining Wall Repair
Leaning, bulging or cracked walls assessed and rebuilt from the failed section out.
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Block Retaining Walls
Segmental concrete block walls with geogrid where the height calls for it.
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Boulder Retaining Walls
Natural stone set with an excavator for slopes, creek banks and large yards.
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Timber Retaining Walls
Treated timber walls for gardens and terraces, deadmen tied back into the slope.
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Concrete Leveling
Sunken slabs, steps and walks lifted back to level instead of replaced.
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Mudjacking
Slurry pumped under settled concrete to raise it and fill the void beneath.
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Sidewalk Repair
Trip edges and broken sections lifted, ground or replaced.
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Emergency Retaining Wall Repair
When a wall starts leaning, cracking or shedding soil after a storm, we come out quickly during business hours and tell you plainly what has to happen first.
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How We Work
Most failed walls fail for the same few reasons
A retaining wall holds back soil, and wet soil is heavy. When a wall leans, bulges or cracks, the cause is usually water with nowhere to go, a base that was never compacted, or a wall too tall for how it was built.
We build to avoid those problems from the first trench. If a wall needs more than we can responsibly offer, such as an engineered design, we tell you before any work starts.
- We plan for the water. Walls fail from water pressure more than from weight. Gravel backfill, a drain pipe and a way for water to leave are part of every wall we build.
- We build on a real base. We cut the trench, compact the base and set the first course level and below grade. A rushed base is where most failed walls went wrong.
- We say when it needs an engineer. Tall walls, walls holding up a driveway and walls on steep slopes need a stamped design. We tell you that up front.
Our Process
What a wall project looks like
Every job follows the same three stages, whether it is a short garden wall or a full rebuild.
Site visit and drawing
We look at the slope, the soil and where the water goes, then draw the wall with its height, length and drainage.
Excavate and set the base
We cut the trench, compact the base in layers and set the first course level.
Build, drain and backfill
We lay the courses, add reinforcement grid where the height calls for it, place drain pipe and gravel, and backfill in compacted lifts.
Service Area
Sandy Springs and the towns around it
We are based in Sandy Springs and work in Dunwoody, Brookhaven, Roswell, Alpharetta, Buckhead, Chamblee, Johns Creek and Marietta. If you are close by and not sure we cover your street, call and ask.
Questions
What homeowners ask us
Almost always because water builds up behind the wall and pushes. Missing drainage, clay used as backfill, or a base that was too shallow are the usual causes. Any repair that ignores the drainage will likely fail again.
Rules vary by city and county, but walls over roughly four feet, or any wall holding up a driveway, pool or slope above it, usually need a stamped design and a permit. We check the requirements for your address before quoting.
Block suits most yards and handles height well when built with grid. Boulders work on large slopes and give a natural look. Timber costs less up front for low garden terraces but has the shortest life of the three.
A bulge in one section can sometimes be taken down and rebuilt on its own. A wall leaning along its whole length usually needs a full rebuild with a proper base and drainage. We tell you which after looking at it.
The lift holds as long as whatever caused the settling is dealt with. That is usually water washing soil out from under the slab, so we look at gutters, downspouts and grading at the same time.
Where a permit is required, we tell you at the estimate and can handle the application and inspections as part of the job.
We walk the area with you, measure the slope, check the soil and look at where water runs. You get a written estimate with the wall drawn out, including height and drainage.
Retaining Wall Installation in Sandy Springs
A new retaining wall usually starts with a problem: a slope that keeps washing into the yard, a driveway cut into a hill, or a backyard that is too steep to use. On many Sandy Springs lots the ground falls toward a creek or the street, and the soil is dense red clay that holds water after every storm.
Installation begins with a site visit. We measure the grade, check where runoff comes from and where it can go, and draw the wall. Then we excavate, compact a gravel base below grade, set the first course level, and build up with drain pipe and clean gravel behind the wall. Backfill goes in lifts, compacted as we go, so the soil does not settle and pull the wall with it.
If the wall is tall or holds up something heavy, we will tell you it needs an engineered design before we price it.
Retaining Wall Repair in Sandy Springs
Signs a wall needs attention: a lean you can see from the end of the wall, a bulge in the middle, cracked or shifted blocks, soil or water seeping through the face, or a gap opening between the wall and the ground above it.
Most of these come back to water. When we look at a failing wall, we dig behind it if needed to see whether there is gravel, a drain pipe and an outlet. A local bulge can often be taken down and rebuilt on a proper base. A wall leaning along its full length is usually a rebuild. We explain what we found and why before recommending either.
Block Retaining Walls in Sandy Springs
Segmental concrete block is what we build most often. The blocks interlock, set back slightly with each course, and can be tied into the soil with reinforcement grid when the wall gets taller. That makes block a good fit for the terraced backyards and driveway cuts common around Sandy Springs.
Block also gives you choices in colour and texture, and it handles curves and steps well. The part that matters most is under and behind the blocks: a compacted base and a drainage layer that keeps clay from pressing against the back of the wall.
Boulder Retaining Walls in Sandy Springs
Boulder walls suit larger slopes, wooded lots and yards where you want the wall to look like part of the landscape. Each stone is set by machine, with the heavier stones at the base and each course stepped back into the hill.
Boulder walls still need drainage. We place gravel and fabric behind the stones so soil does not wash through the gaps. Because boulders vary in size, we walk you through how the finished wall will look before we start, and we check that equipment can reach the work area without damaging the rest of the yard.
Timber Retaining Walls in Sandy Springs
Timber is a practical choice for low garden beds and short terraces where cost matters more than a long service life. We use treated landscape timbers, anchor them back into the soil with deadmen, and include drainage behind them like any other wall.
Many older homes in the area have timber walls that have rotted or bowed. If yours is soft at the base or leaning, it is often a good time to decide whether to replace it with timber again or move to block for a longer life. We will give you both options.
Concrete Leveling, Mudjacking and Sidewalk Repair in Sandy Springs
Sunken walkways, patios and driveway slabs are common where clay soil shrinks in dry spells and washes out under heavy rain. A slab that has dropped can create a trip hazard or send water back toward the house.
Mudjacking lifts the slab by pumping material underneath it through small holes, which are then patched. For sidewalks that are badly broken rather than sunken, replacing the damaged sections may make more sense. Either way, we look for the water source that caused the settling, such as a downspout emptying beside the slab, so the problem does not return.
Emergency Retaining Wall Repair in Sandy Springs
If a wall has partly collapsed after a storm or is moving quickly, keep people and cars away from both the top and the bottom of it. Call us during our business hours and describe what you see. We prioritise walls that are actively failing, and our first step is usually to stabilise the area and control the water before planning a proper repair.
Get Started
Tell us about your slope or wall
Call us or send a short note with a photo of the area. We will set up a visit, look at the soil and drainage, and give you a written estimate.