Retaining wall construction in Gardena CA - a wall that drains and holds your slope
Slope washing out or an old wall starting to lean? We build retaining walls with the drainage planned in from the start.
What goes into building a retaining wall in Gardena?
Retaining wall construction in Gardena means building a wall that holds back the soil behind it, called the backfill, so your slope stops washing out and the ground above it stays put.
Most calls start with dirt sliding onto a patio after a rain, a planter wall bowing out, or an old wall that's finally crumbling. The price mostly moves with the wall's height and length, how much digging and drainage it takes, and whether the city wants engineered plans, and the schedule turns on what the city has to review before we dig. Gardena requires a building permit for most home construction, and its list doesn't say where retaining walls fall, so we check with the city's building services for your address and take the permit out under our license if the wall needs one. Once I've seen your slope, the written estimate tells you what I'd build and why.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Retaining walls and yard masonry
How we handle retaining wall construction
We dig out along the line of the wall, pack a firm base so it sits level, and set the first course of block dead straight, because every course above it follows that one. A common choice is segmental block, concrete units stacked without mortar that hold the soil back with their own weight, and when the design calls for it we lay soil reinforcement into the backfill as we go so the wall acts wider and heavier than it looks. Every wall we build has a way for water to get out from behind it, and the quote shows how, because I'd rather plan the drainage up front than watch a wall lean later.
A new wall often brings up other work around the yard. Older brick or stone walls, planters and steps that are worn but still sound are a job for masonry restoration, and once a slope turns into level ground, plenty of people want a spot to sit by a fire, which is where fireplace installation comes in.
Why Gardena homeowners call Liberty Gardena Concrete and Masonry for retaining walls
I measure every job myself
I come out to look at every wall job myself, and my own small crew and I do the building. The person who measured your slope is on site when the first block goes down.
Licensed and insured for wall work
We're licensed and insured. On a job that means digging into a slope next to your house or the property line, that's the first thing you should ask any contractor to show you.
New-build standards at your house
I learned the trade laying block and brick on new construction sites, and I started this business in Gardena in 2023. A wall at your house gets built the way it would be checked on a new build, so it's done once and done right.
Ready for Gardena's plan check
Before any grading or building, the city reviews plans for structural strength and earthquake safety, many projects need them from a licensed architect or engineer, and plan check can bring requests for structural calculations or shoring on cuts over 5 feet. We plan for that from the first visit, along with a separate permit from the Public Works Engineering Division if your wall touches a sidewalk, alley or street, so none of it catches you halfway through.
If your slope is already slumping, contact us with a few photos and a rough length and height, and I'll set up a time to come measure it.
Get a written retaining wall estimate for your slope
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set up a time. I'll come out, measure the slope and give you a free estimate on site, with no obligation.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
What happens after you call about a retaining wall in Gardena?
Call or send the form
Call (424) 528-1318 or use the form, and if you can, have a few photos of the slope plus a rough length and height for the wall. That helps me show up with the right questions.
I come out and measure
I come out with a tape and a few questions about where the water goes and what you want the level ground for. I look at the slope, the soil and how the crew will get in.
Get your written estimate
You get a written estimate that says what I'd build and why, so you know where the money goes before anything starts. If the wall needs a permit, we take care of it from there.
We build, clean up, walk it
My crew and I build the wall, and on a permitted job the city's Building Division inspectors check it at stages against the approved plans, which we book through the city's inspection request line at (310) 217-9510. When it's done we clean up and I walk the finished wall with you.
Retaining wall questions from Gardena homeowners
How much does a retaining wall cost in the Los Angeles area?
Building a retaining wall in the Los Angeles area usually costs about $2,700 to $11,800 per job, which is the going rate across the market, not our price. Height moves it most, since taller walls cost more per linear foot, and a wall up to 6 feet tall costs far more per foot than a 2-foot wall. Your written estimate gives you the number for your own slope.
Does every retaining wall need drainage?
Yes, every retaining wall needs drainage, whether that's pipes, gravel, weep holes, which are small openings low in the wall that let water out, or a criblock design. That's why any plan or quote for a wall should say which method it uses, and ours does.
Who can take out a building permit for a retaining wall in Gardena?
In Gardena, a contractor with a valid state contractors license and a current City Business License can take out permits, and so can the property's owner-builder by signing the declaration on the permit. If you hire us, we pull it under our license, so you don't have to sign on as the builder.
How do I know how much engineering my retaining wall needs?
The local code requirements for your wall decide how much engineering it needs, which is why one industry installation guide says to learn them before a project of any size. The final design can also call for other professionals to look at water sources, soil strength, settlement and compaction, earthquake conditions and overall stability. I'll tell you at the estimate if I see signs your slope needs that kind of look.
When should I call 8-1-1 before building a retaining wall?
Call 8-1-1, the Call Before You Dig line every state has, a few days before anyone digs so the underground utilities in your yard get marked first. That same installation guide says to leave time for the marking and then dig carefully around the marks.
How do I keep my yard from getting torn up during a retaining wall job?
You mostly don't have to, because protecting the rest of the yard is part of how we work. There's real digging on a wall job, so we keep it to the wall line, keep the dirt off your lawn and plants, and clean up, because someone lives at the house.
Other masonry work that goes with a retaining wall
Masonry restoration
Brings back older brick and stone around your property, so worn walls and steps next to your new retaining wall look like they belong together.
Fireplace installation
Once the wall gives you level ground, an outdoor fireplace built from matching masonry turns that space into somewhere you'll actually sit on cool evenings.