Concrete retaining walls in Duluth MN - a wall that drains and holds your slope
Soil creeping onto the lawn or an old wall leaning out? We build a poured concrete wall with the drainage planned behind it.
I see every job myself
I come out to look at every job myself, so the person who walks your slope is the one who plans the wall. I also work alongside our crew on the pour, which keeps that plan from getting lost on the way to pour day.
Licensed and fully insured
We're licensed and fully insured on every job, from a short garden wall to a footing under a house. A wall holding back a hill isn't the place to guess, so ask to see both when I come out for the estimate.
Pouring concrete since 2017
I started this business in 2017 after learning on small slabs, walks and job sites. Nine years in, I'll still give you a plain answer, even when it's to wait. Call (218) 241-4178 or send us a message to set up a visit.
Poured concrete retaining walls in Duluth
A concrete retaining wall is poured from a footing in the ground up to the top of the wall, and it holds back the soil behind it. It's for Duluth homeowners and business owners with a slope that's slipping, a yard they want flat, or an old wall that's leaning.
Most calls about a wall start with something you can see. Dirt is sliding onto the driveway or patio, a slope washes out every spring, or an old wall is leaning out at the top. In a city built on hills that's common, and the wall is often only half the problem, because the ground behind it decides how it holds up. We're based in Duluth and build walls in Superior, Hermantown, Cloquet and other cities around the area.
The price moves with the wall's height and length, how deep the footing has to go, how easy it is to get equipment to the spot, and how plain or detailed the face is. The schedule turns on whether the wall needs a city permit, the weather, and the ground being thawed enough to dig. Your own numbers come in a written estimate that lists what's included, after I've seen the site.
Retaining walls, the drainage behind them and the work around them
Planning the water behind the wall
Most of my visit on a retaining wall goes to one question, which is where the water behind it will go. We trace where rain and snowmelt come down the slope, then plan the drain and the backfill, the fill packed in behind the wall, around that. Retaining wall designs almost always call for drainable granular backfill, a stony fill that lets water pass through. Our written quote names the drainage and the backfill, so you can hold other bids up against it and see what they leave out.
A footing below the frost
Minnesota's rules set the minimum footing depth in St. Louis County at five feet because of frost, unless an engineer who knows soils decides otherwise. That's a lot of digging that disappears once the yard is backfilled, and it's usually the first place people want to save money. I'd rather put the budget into the footing and the packed base it sits on than into a fancier face, because a nice finish can't fix a wall that's moving.
Picking the wall for its spot
If you're weighing block against poured, look at where the salt goes. One block maker's guide says dry-cast concrete wall blocks can break down from freezing and thawing with de-icing salt, and it calls that a concern in northern states, so a wall along a salted driveway or walk deserves that thought. A wall is also often the first step in a bigger job, like cutting a level spot for one of our concrete pool decks or a building pad that gets concrete floor installation, and planning both at once keeps the grades and drainage lined up.
Get a written estimate for your retaining wall
We get back to you within one business day to set up a free on-site estimate, with no pressure to book. It helps to have the wall's rough height and length, a few photos and any boundary survey handy.
(218) 241-4178How a retaining wall job goes
You call, I come out
Call (218) 241-4178 or send a message through our form, and we'll set up a visit. I come out, look over the slope and the yard around it, and ask what you want the wall to do.
A written estimate to compare
After the visit, I send a written estimate that lists what's included, so you can lay it next to other bids line by line. I'll also tell you whether the wall looks like it needs a permit and which city office handles it.
Permits, base, pour and care
Once you say go, we line up any permits and a pour date, dig out and pack the base, then place and finish the wall. You get care steps for the first season while the concrete cures and gains its strength.
Retaining wall questions from Duluth
How much does a concrete retaining wall cost in Duluth?
Poured concrete retaining walls in Duluth usually cost about $35 to $50 per square foot of wall face, which is the going rate in the area, not our price. Wall face is the side you see, so a taller or longer wall costs more. Your own figure comes in a written estimate after I've looked at the site.
Does my retaining wall need a permit in Duluth?
Yes, if it's over four feet, or shorter but holding back extra load like a driveway above it. The city's Construction Services measures from the footing bottom to the wall top, so the buried part counts, and it may want a site plan from a boundary survey. The owner or contractor pulls the permit, and we handle it when we're the contractor.
Why does drainage matter so much behind a retaining wall?
Because water is what usually ruins a retaining wall. Poor drainage is by far the most common cause of trouble with walls that hold back soil, and soaked soil that drains poorly pushes hard against the wall. Weep holes, the small openings that let water out, often clog with the wrong fill, plants, critters or trash, so keep yours clear.
What license should a retaining wall contractor have in Minnesota?
In Minnesota, a contractor working on a home of one to four units needs a residential building contractor or remodeler license when the job takes more than one special skill. The state lists excavation and grading as one skill, and masonry and concrete, including poured walls, footings and drain systems, as another. Ask any bidder which skills your job covers.