Concrete retaining walls in Temple City CA - a wall that drains and holds the slope
Slope washing onto the yard or an old wall starting to lean? We build one that drains and sits on solid, packed ground.
What does it take to build a retaining wall that holds?
A concrete retaining wall holds back a slope or a raised part of your yard so the soil stays put, and here in Temple City, Meridian Temple City Concrete builds them on a solid footing with a plan for the water behind them. We're based in Temple City and work across the cities around it.
Most people call when a slope keeps washing dirt onto a walk or patio, or when an old wall has started to lean or crack. The common concrete kind is a cantilever wall, one that stands on a wide footing so the soil can't tip it or slide it, and that footing is where I put most of my attention.
The price moves mostly with the wall's height and length, then with the extras, like tearing out an old wall, a curved line, a stamped or colored face, or ground that's hard to dig. The schedule turns less on us than on the city's plan review, and your written estimate spells out the work and what the price includes. We're fully licensed and insured, and if you're comparing builders, the state contractor board's concrete class is the license that covers forming, pouring, placing and finishing concrete.
- We set the footing on firm, undisturbed soil or well-packed fill, not loose dirt that settles.
- Rebar, the steel inside the concrete, runs up through the wall to resist the soil.
- Tearing out an old wall and hauling the broken concrete away, when there's one in the way.
What happens after you call us about a retaining wall?
From the first call to the final walk-through, I'm the one you deal with, and our own small crew does the work. Here's how a retaining wall job usually runs with us.
Call, write or send the form
Call (323) 471-6288, use the form or email hi@concretetemplecity.com, and we get back to you by phone or email. We set a time for me to come out and look at the slope.
I measure and write it up
I come out to every estimate myself, measure the wall's line and height, and take photos of the slope. You get a written estimate that spells out the work and what the price includes, so you know what you're paying for before you decide.
Check the city, then pour
Before we pick a start we find out which office covers your address, and Temple City puts its average plan review at two weeks, which usually sets the start date. On pour day I check the forms one more time, and our crew does the work with me running the pour.
Walk the finished wall together
When we're done I walk the wall with you and go over how to care for it, including what to keep an eye on after the first heavy rain. Your satisfaction, guaranteed.
Concrete walls, footings and flatwork from around the trade
These photos show the kind of concrete work this trade does, from wall forms and footings to finished faces. They're here to help you picture the parts of a wall we talk about on this page.
New concrete patio of large rectangular slabs extends along the back of a brick house.
Stamped concrete driveway in mottled tan tones leading to a two-car garage, bordered by lawn and trees.
Concrete pool deck of large light-gray slabs surrounding a rectangular backyard pool beside patio furniture.
Wide concrete steps cross a landscaped garden, joining textured concrete walkways beside a house.
Broad gray concrete steps with embedded lights lead to a covered porch with a red door, bordered by flowering shrubs.
Large pale concrete patio slabs with dark pebble-filled joints lead to terracotta steps at a white house.
Get a written estimate for your retaining wall
We reply within one business day by phone or email, then I come out for a free on-site estimate with no obligation. Have your address, the wall's rough length and height, and a few photos of the slope ready.
(323) 471-6288Questions Temple City owners ask about retaining walls
These are the questions I hear most when someone in Temple City is planning a wall. The answers come from what the city and the state require and from how these walls are built.
How much does a concrete retaining wall cost around Los Angeles?
A concrete retaining wall in Los Angeles usually costs about $12 to $54 per square foot installed, a wide range because the reports behind it price the work in different ways. Where your wall lands depends on its height, its shape and the extras covered up top, and your written estimate gives you your own figure.
What causes a concrete retaining wall to lean or fail?
Water trapped behind the wall is the most common cause, because soggy soil pushes harder than dry soil and has nowhere to go. Trade guidance for these walls says water has to be kept from collecting there, and in long, heavy rains a drain along the back can add to drains through the wall, so compare how each quote handles it. Whether the back face also needs waterproofing depends on the climate, the soil and the exposure, and it's worth a look where the backfill lets little water through.
Does a retaining wall in Temple City have to go through plan check?
Usually yes, because the city offers over-the-counter plan check only for some minor improvements and sends most projects through full plan check. Whether your wall needs a permit at all is the city's call, so we ask before we set a start, and the review time is in the steps above.
How much can a contractor ask for up front on a retaining wall in California?
Under the state contractor board's rules, the down payment on a home improvement job is capped at $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less. After that, payments are listed in the contract and tied to work already done or materials delivered, so you pay as the job moves along.
How do I know if my Temple City lot is in an earthquake hazard zone?
Look your address up on the state's EQ Zapp map, which shows whether it sits in a mapped hazard zone such as liquefaction, where soil briefly turns to quicksand in a quake. A mapped zone triggers geologic and engineering investigations before construction begins, and that design work belongs to an engineer, not to us.
Will my new concrete retaining wall crack?
It may show a few fine cracks, and that's normal for new concrete, so I tell people up front instead of letting it surprise them. What we work on is keeping those cracks tight, with rebar through the wall and a proper cure, the stretch when the concrete is kept damp and protected while it gains strength.
Concrete retaining walls in Temple City and nearby cities
Temple City's Building & Safety division issues permits and inspections once Planning has approved the project, so we ask the city whether your wall needs one and help gather what it wants before we set a start. We build the same walls in Arcadia and San Gabriel, mostly to hold a raised planter, a grade change at the property line or a slope behind the house.