Retaining walls are one of our our most frequent requests. Retaining wall projects are as diverse as it gets in landscaping. Many contractors and commercial clients request retaining walls to help create distinction between areas of their landscaping, or solve drainage and grading issues. However, the potential applications of a retaining wall extend far beyond these common purposes. A retaining wall has the ability to transform a backyard into an outdoor living space, and can be built to fit any style or color palette.

From the purely practical to the distinctly decorative, retaining walls can accomplish so much for any yard. Here are a few shots of retaining wall projects we’ve done, and a little bit of background into the goals of the projects.

This is a great example of a retaining wall that accomplishes a practical goal: this customer wanted us to develop their yard into a level space for an outdoor entertainment area, with a retaining wall that would also serve as additional seating. The pathway leading to the patio area also provided easier access from the driveway down to the back yard.

This project was actually developed to create a lower maintenance yard. Removing the grass here didn’t have to detract from the attractiveness of the front yard, and with the plantings of low maintenance shrubs and easy to care for perennials, the space actually looks very clean and contemporary. Accessing and caring for their sloped yard was difficult for this client, so we used these small retaining walls to help level things out and make the space pop.

Commercial clients need retaining walls too. This was one part of over 775 feet of walls created to help flatten lots for houses in a new subdivision. These are large blocks, 8″ tall and 18″ wide– the same blocks we use on engineered retaining walls that reach over 4 feet tall.