Retaining Walls in Kansas City, Built to Hold
Segmental block and boulder retaining walls that hold a slope, reclaim usable yard, and drain properly so Kansas City clay and freeze-thaw do not push them over.
Why retaining walls fail in Kansas City
A wall rarely fails because of the block. It fails because of what is behind it and under it. Kansas City ground makes that worse.
Heavy clay
Our clay soil holds water instead of letting it drain away. Wet clay is heavy, and all of that weight leans on the back of the wall.
No drainage behind it
Without drainage stone and a pipe behind the wall, rain has nowhere to go. Water pressure builds until the wall bows or tips.
Freeze-thaw
Water trapped behind a wall freezes and expands every winter. A few winters of that and a wall built without drainage starts to move.
A weak base
A first course set on soft or uncompacted soil settles unevenly. The wall leans, cracks or steps out of line from the bottom up.
What we build
Every wall starts with what you want the slope to do: hold a grade, make a flat spot for a patio or lawn, or turn a hillside into planting beds.
Segmental block walls
Interlocking block that stacks into clean lines and curves. Our go-to for walls that hold a real grade.
Boulder walls
Large stone set into the slope for a natural look on lower walls and hillsides.
Terraced and raised beds
A slope broken into level steps you can plant, mow around and actually use.
How we build a retaining wall
The part you see is the last step. Most of the work goes underground first.
Walk the site
We look at the slope, where water comes from and where it can go, and what the wall has to hold.
Written estimate
The wall type, the height and length, the drainage plan and the price, in writing. Free and no obligation.
Dig, base and drain
811 is called before any dig. We excavate, compact a base, set the first course level, and add drainage stone and pipe behind the wall as it rises.
Build, cap and clean up
Courses stacked and backfilled in lifts, caps set, the area put back. We walk the finished wall with you.
What affects the cost of a retaining wall
We do not guess at a per-foot price over the phone. The same length of wall can be a very different job in two different yards. These are the things that move the number:
Height and length
Height matters most. Taller walls need deeper bases, more drainage and sometimes reinforcement or an engineer.
Material
Segmental block, boulders and natural stone all cost differently to buy and to set.
Access and digging
How easy it is to get equipment and material to the slope, and how much soil has to move.
Drainage
How much water the slope carries, and whether the wall needs a pipe run to a French drain outlet.
Permits and engineering
Permit rules for retaining walls depend on the city and on the wall itself: mostly how tall it is and whether it holds up a driveway, a building or a steep slope. We will tell you during the estimate if your wall needs a permit or an engineer's design, and we will not start until that is settled.
Block and stone work
Finished Gardens of Eden work from around the Kansas City metro: raised beds and block edging built on the same base-and-drainage method as our walls.
See more of our work, including full before-and-afters, on Instagram: @goekcmo
Retaining walls across the Kansas City metro
Based in the Northland, we build retaining walls in Kansas City, Gladstone, North Kansas City, Liberty, Independence and Lee's Summit. Sloped lots and settled backyards are common across the metro, and so is the clay that makes drainage behind a wall a must.
Retaining wall FAQ
How much does a retaining wall cost in Kansas City?
Do I need a permit for a retaining wall in Kansas City?
Why is my retaining wall leaning?
Block or natural stone?
How long does a retaining wall last?
Is a retaining wall covered by a warranty?
More from Gardens of Eden
Ready to fix the slope?
Tell us what the slope is doing. We'll come out, take a look, and put a real number on the wall. Free, no pressure.