Concrete retaining walls in Newton MA - a wall that holds your slope and drains well
Soil washing down the slope or an old wall leaning out? We build a new concrete wall on a solid footing, with drainage behind it.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
What does a concrete retaining wall do for a sloped yard?
A concrete retaining wall holds back a slope so the soil stays where you want it. In Newton we build these walls on a concrete footing that keeps the wall from tipping over or sliding, with steel set upright through the wall to take the push of the dirt behind it.
Most people call us when an old wall has started to lean, or when a slope keeps sending dirt onto the walk and they want flat ground they can actually use. The price mostly follows how long and how tall the wall is, how deep the footing has to go, how much drainage it needs, whether an old wall comes out first and how easily machines can reach the spot. The schedule turns on permits, the weather and curing, the wait while fresh concrete gains strength before the next stage, and the written estimate gives you your own figure, laid out so you can compare it with other quotes.
How do you know your retaining wall needs work?
Wall leaning at the top
If the top of the wall has tipped out past the bottom, the footing has usually moved or water is building up behind it. A lean doesn't stop on its own, and the further it goes, the harder and costlier the wall is to take down safely.
Soil washing over the edge
Dirt and mulch spilling onto the walk or driveway after a rain usually means the slope needs holding back or the wall is too short for the grade. Every storm takes a little more, and the runoff can start to undercut the walk below.
Water pooling at the base
Wet patches along the bottom, or water seeping through cracks, tell you the water behind the wall has no good way out. Trapped water is heavy, and when it freezes in winter it pushes on the wall even harder.
How we build a concrete retaining wall
A wall is only as good as what's under it and the water behind it, so the footing and the drainage are the first things I plan, along with where the machines will sit during backfill so we disturb as little of your yard as we can. Then our crew digs out for the footing, sets the rebar, the steel bars that let the wall resist the push of the soil, pours the footing and builds the wall on it, puts in the drainage and fills back in behind it. The footing and the drain are buried by the end of the job, which is why they're the first thing a cheap quote cuts, and I'd rather put your money there than into a nice face on a wall that tips.
A wall is often the first step toward something else. Once a slope is held back, the flat ground you gain can take a concrete pool deck, and when the wall is part of opening up a lower level, we can handle the concrete floor installation inside so the footing, drainage and floor get planned together.
Poured concrete wall
Formed and poured in place with steel inside, this suits a wall along a driveway or one holding back a taller grade. You end up with a smooth, solid face that reads as one piece.
Concrete block wall
Block laid on a poured footing, with steel and concrete filling the cores, suits yards where a big pour is hard to reach. It goes up course by course, so it works well on tight lots.
Replacing an old wall
When an old wall is leaning or crumbling, we take it out and build new on a fresh footing. Patching a wall that sits on a bad footing usually just buys you a season or two.
A written retaining wall estimate you can compare
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I'll come out to look at your slope in person, and the estimate is free, with no pressure and no obligation.
Call (617) 644-7325What happens after you call about a retaining wall in Newton?
From your first call to the last walk-through, here's who you'll deal with and what happens at each stage of a wall job.
Call or send the details
You call or fill out the form, and I set a time to come see the slope myself. Think about how you use that part of the yard, because a wall beside a play area plans differently than one along the drive.
Walk the slope together
I look at where the water runs, where the footing can sit and where machines can reach, and I walk you through your choices right there. Your written estimate spells out the mix, the prep, the cleanup and who handles any permits, so you know what you're paying for line by line.
Dig, pour and build
Our crew protects your lawn, plantings and house as we go, and we leave the site safe to walk past at the end of each day. In Newton, construction noise generally runs 7 AM to 7 PM Monday to Friday and 8 AM to 7 PM Saturday, and Sunday or holiday work needs the Mayor's approval, so we schedule inside those hours.
Walk the finished wall
When we're done, I walk the wall with you and point out where the drains come through. I show you how to keep them clear, because a wall that can shed its water holds up far better.
Why Newton homeowners call Excel Newton Concrete for retaining walls
*On a wall, the parts that matter most end up underground, so ask anyone you talk to how they'll handle the footing and the water. When you're ready, send us your details or call (617) 644-7325.*
I come out to see it
I look at the job myself, and my crew does the work with me on site. The person who planned your footing is standing there when it gets dug.
Since 2017 on lived-in homes
We've been in business for 9 years, and I moved from new construction to homes where families are living. That's why we think about the kids, the dog and the path to your door while the yard is open.
Fully licensed and insured
We're fully licensed and insured for the work we do at your house. The state says certain construction projects need oversight from a licensed construction supervisor, and you can check any supervisor's license with the state before you hire anyone.
Retaining walls, drainage and permits in Newton
Before we dig, we sort out what the city needs. Newton's Inspectional Services Department issues permits for building and repairing structures and enforces the city's Retaining Walls ordinance, so that's the office to ask about the ordinance's terms for your wall. When the job needs a permit, we pull it in our name and set up the inspections, and if we aren't sure, we check with the city before we start. Where the wall sits matters too, because the Conservation Commission has to review and permit grading and construction within 100 feet of a vegetated wetland, an intermittent stream or a pond, within 200 feet of a stream that runs year-round, or in a FEMA or city floodplain.
A lot of the walls we're called about hold up a sloped front yard beside a driveway or square off a backyard so there's flat ground to use, often on lots where the house, the drive and the neighbor's line leave little room to work. We plan that tight space the same way on jobs in Brookline and Watertown.
Questions about retaining walls in Newton
How much does a concrete retaining wall cost in Massachusetts?
A retaining wall in Massachusetts usually costs about $40 to $50 per square foot, and that's the going rate across the state, not our price. Height, footing depth, drainage and access push a job toward one end or the other, and your own figure comes from the written estimate after I've seen the slope.
Why does the footing depth matter for a retaining wall?
The footing is what keeps the wall from tipping or sliding, so it has to sit on ground that won't move. One industry guide says footings should rest on firm undisturbed soil or well compacted fill, and below the frost line where winters freeze, as they do here. Ask any contractor where your footing will sit and how deep it goes before work starts.
What is the best way to drain water behind a retaining wall?
Give the water a way out so it can't build up behind the wall, since trapped water pushes on the wall and gives frost something to work on. Guidance calls for drainage that does that, and where heavy, long rains are expected, a continuous drain along the back of the wall may be added to the drains through it. Compare how each quote handles drainage, because it's easy to leave out and hard to add later.
Is a cantilever or gravity retaining wall better for a backyard?
A reinforced cantilever wall is usually the better use of your money, because it uses much less concrete than a solid gravity wall. The catch is that it needs more design and careful building, so ask how your wall will be designed before you sign.
How long does it take before the soil goes back behind a new wall?
The soil goes back only once the wall has gained enough strength to hold it, or once it's been braced, so backfill comes later in the schedule than most people expect. That means an open trench behind the wall for a while, and we keep it marked off so nobody steps into it.
How much yard space does a retaining wall job need?
Plan on open room behind the top of the wall, because guidance keeps heavy equipment back from it during backfill by at least a distance equal to the wall's height. On a tight lot that decides where the machines sit and which way they come in, so we look at it together at the estimate.
Related concrete work that often follows a wall
- Concrete pool decks
Leveling a sloped backyard with a wall often makes room for a pool, and the deck around it has to drain water and stay comfortable underfoot.
- Concrete floor installation
When a wall lets you open up a lower level or a walkout, the room behind it needs a flat, solid floor that's ready to finish.
Service areas for retaining walls near Newton
Excel Newton Concrete is based in Newton, Massachusetts, and we build retaining walls in Newton and the cities around it. The 12 cities listed here, from Wellesley to Belmont, each have their own page, and they aren't the only places we work.
Newton, MA
Get your retaining wall estimate started
Call (617) 644-7325 or send the form with your address, a few photos of the slope, a rough length and height, and whether you're near a wetland, stream or floodplain, so I come out ready.