Retaining walls that hold the hill.
Engineered systems for slopes over 4 ft. Geogrid reinforcement, daylighted French drains, frost-line footings, batter calculated for the soil and load. Stamped drawings included for any wall over 4 ft.
— Why retaining walls fail
Walls don’t fall — water pushes them.
Retaining walls fail almost always for one of three reasons: water pressure, footing failure, or geogrid failure. All three are preventable with proper engineering and construction.
No drainage behind the wall.
Hydrostatic pressure builds, the wall bows out, eventually fails. The most common retaining wall failure mode in Vermont.
Footings above frost line.
Wall heaves with each freeze-thaw cycle. Three winters and the wall is out of plumb.
Geogrid wrong or missing.
Walls over 4 ft in residential applications need geogrid mesh extending into the backfill, locking soil and wall together. Without it, the wall topples in 5–10 years.
Backfill compaction skipped.
Loose fill behind the wall settles over time, creating voids that pull the wall backward. Properly compacted lifts are critical.
— Retaining walls, by the numbers
— What’s included
An engineered retaining wall.
Every retaining wall over 4 ft includes engineering, drainage, and proper construction sequencing.
Engineering review
For walls over 4 ft, we engage a Vermont structural engineer to review the design and stamp the drawings.
Frost-line footing
48″ deep concrete footing with rebar reinforcement, sized for wall load and surcharge.
Geogrid reinforcement
Heavy-duty geogrid mesh laid into compacted backfill in horizontal layers, extending 8–12 ft back.
Daylighted drainage
Perforated French drain in gravel envelope behind the wall, daylighted to a low point on site.
Compacted backfill
Backfill placed in 8″ lifts, each lift compacted before the next layer goes in.
Stone or block face
Choice of dry-laid stone, mortared stone, or engineered block (Versa-Lok, Allan Block) depending on aesthetics and engineering.
Stamped drawings + permits
Stamped construction documents and permit submission included for walls requiring municipal review.
— How a retaining wall gets built
Four steps. Eight to sixteen weeks.
Retaining walls take longer than garden walls because of engineering review, permitting, and the structured backfill process. Total project: 8–16 weeks.
Site visit
Two-hour walk with the architect. We listen, you talk. We measure light, slope, drainage, and existing material. No PowerPoint.
Design
Hand-drawn schematic, then full construction documents. Material specs, sections, footing detail. Two reviews built in.
Quote
Fixed-price proposal, line-itemed by trade. You see the math. Change orders signed before any change happens.
Build
Our in-house crew, on site every working day. Weekly progress photos. Architect at every milestone. We don’t leave until punch list is empty.
— Recent retaining walls
Three recent stone projects.
Lakefront master plan, 2½ acres.
Three terraced rooms stepping down to Lake Champlain. 240 ft of dry-laid stone wall, cedar pavilion, native pollinator beds.
Read project →
Seven-terrace hilltop garden.
Re-grading a north-facing slope into seven dry-stone-walled terraces of perennials, fruit trees, and a 60-foot meditation walk.
Read project →
1,400 sq ft contemporary courtyard.
Bluestone paving, cedar slat screening, a small reflecting pool, and three Japanese maples for autumn color.
Read project →Under 6 ft, under 80 linear ft
$28K–$80Kengineered scope
Most residential retaining walls 4–6 ft tall and under 80 ft long fall in this range. Includes engineering, drainage, geogrid, and stone or block face.
Over 6 ft, over 80 linear ft, terraced systems
$80K–$280K+complete scope
Tall walls, long runs, or multi-tier terraced systems require additional engineering and drainage complexity. Lakefront and shoreline retaining is typically here.
— Retaining wall questions
What clients ask.
When do I need engineering?
Required by Vermont code for any retaining wall over 4 ft tall. Strongly recommended for walls 3–4 ft if there’s significant surcharge above (driveway, building foundation, parking). Below 3 ft, engineering is rarely necessary.
Stone or engineered block?
Stone (dry-laid or mortared) is more beautiful and what we lead with for visible residential walls. Engineered block (Versa-Lok, Allan Block) is more cost-effective for large structural walls and often hidden behind plantings or in less-visible areas. We design for both, often combining.
How long does a retaining wall last?
Built right with proper drainage, geogrid, and footing: 100+ years for stone walls, 50+ years for engineered block. Walls fail when drainage fails or geogrid is missing.
Can you tier multiple shorter walls instead of one tall one?
Often yes — and often preferable. Two 3-ft walls with a 4-ft planted bench between them are usually more beautiful, more buildable, and easier to permit than one 6-ft wall. We’ll evaluate the slope geometry during the site visit.
What about lakefront or shoreline walls?
Specialized work. Vermont state shoreline permits required, plus often Army Corps review for Lake Champlain. We’ve done this and have the permitting expertise. Adds 8–16 weeks to the timeline.