Retaining walls · Sarasota & Manatee County
Retaining walls that level the yard and hold the grade.
Walls for grade changes, raised beds, and the edges of driveways and patios, including matching block that is already on the property.
Common wall jobs
- 01Holding back soil where the yard changes level
- 02Raised planting beds
- 03Walls along a driveway, parking area, or patio edge
- 04Extending an existing wall with matching block
- Sarasota & Manatee County
- Free on-site estimate
- You deal with the owner
What we build
A retaining wall holds soil in place where the ground changes height. Done well, it turns a slope into level, usable space and keeps beds, drives, and patios from washing out in heavy rain.
Grade-change walls
Walls that hold back soil so a sloped area becomes flat enough to use or plant.
Raised beds
Low walls that define planting areas and lift them above the surrounding grade. They give palms and shrubs a clean edge and keep mulch where it belongs. See privacy planting for what goes in them.
Walls with pavers
Walls built alongside a new driveway, parking area, or patio, so the hardscape is finished as one job.
Matching existing walls
When a property already has wall block, new sections can be matched to it, along with the pavers.
Taller walls can require engineering or a permit depending on the site and local rules. That gets talked through at the on-site look.
How a wall job runs.
- Step 01
Call or email
Phone is fastest. Photos of the slope or the existing wall help. - Step 02
On-site look
Free visit. Grade, drainage, access, and what the wall needs to do. - Step 03
Build
Base prepared, block set and leveled, drainage behind the wall, caps finished. Same crew, Craig on the job, site kept clean. - Step 04
Walkthrough
You see the finished wall before we leave it.
Materials
Common choices for landscape retaining walls. The right one depends on the height, the look, and what is already on the property.
- 01
Segmental wall block
Interlocking concrete block, the most common choice for landscape walls.
- 02
Natural stone
Stacked or set stone for a more natural, textured look.
- 03
Wall caps
Finished caps that complete the top of the wall and can double as seating.
- 04
Matching block
Block chosen to match a wall or pavers already on the property.
Worth thinking about before the visit
Most of the work in a wall is below ground and behind it, so the on-site look matters more here than for almost any other job. It helps to know:
- What the wall is for. Holding a slope, making a raised bed, edging a drive, or a place to sit.
- Rough length and height. Even a guess helps, along with where it starts and ends.
- Where water goes now. Where it runs or puddles after a heavy rain, and where downspouts empty.
- What it should match. Existing wall block, pavers, or the house.
- What is nearby. Trees, fences, irrigation lines, and property lines close to the wall.
Retaining wall questions
Straight answers. The specifics for your wall come from the on-site look.
01Do I need a permit for a retaining wall?
It depends on the height of the wall, what it is holding back, and the rules where the property is. Low landscape walls and taller walls are treated differently, and taller walls can require engineering. That gets talked through at the on-site look.
02How tall can a landscape wall be?
That depends on the soil, the slope, what sits above the wall, and local rules. Height is one of the first things Craig looks at on site, along with whether the job is better handled as one wall or as a pair of lower, stepped walls.
03Why does a retaining wall need drainage?
Water that builds up in the soil behind a wall pushes against it. Drainage behind the wall gives that water a way out, which is why drainage is planned as part of the wall rather than added afterward.
04Can you match my existing wall block?
Matching existing walls is one of the wall jobs we take on, along with matching pavers next to them. If you know the original block, that helps. Older block that has weathered can look different from new, so we will talk through how close the match will be.
05Can a low wall double as seating?
Yes. A low wall finished with caps can work as extra seating along a patio or around a raised bed. Say so at the visit, so the height and cap are planned for sitting.
Related work
Walls often come with one of these.
- 01
Paver driveways
Drives and parking areas with walls along the edge.
Read more - 02
Patios & walkways
Patios with raised beds or a seat wall.
Read more - 03
Privacy planting
Palms and hedges planted in raised beds.
Read more - 04
Service areas
Sarasota, Manatee County, and the coast from Siesta Key to Venice.
Read more
Free on-site wall estimate.
Tell us the city, roughly how long and how tall the wall needs to be, and whether it should match something already there.