Prestige Rocklin Concrete and Masonry
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Retaining wall construction in Rocklin CA - a wall that drains well and stays put

Hillside creeping into the yard, or an old wall leaning out? We build a retaining wall that holds the dirt and lets the water out.

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Gray block retaining walls frame a set of broad stone steps leading up to a higher, mulched garden area.
  • Licensed and insured.
  • Free on-site estimates.
  • We reply within 1 business day.

Retaining walls we build in block or concrete

  • Segmental block walls

    Concrete blocks that stack and lock together without mortar. They suit most backyard slopes, garden terraces and stepped walls, and they're easy to extend later.

  • Poured concrete walls

    Concrete cast in forms on site into one solid wall. It suits tight spots and clean straight runs, and it can be faced with stone for a softer look.

What does it take to build a retaining wall in Rocklin?

Retaining wall construction in Rocklin means building a wall that holds back the earth on a slope, so you get flat ground you can use and a bank that stops sliding into your yard. Most of the real work is out of sight, in the base under the wall and the drain behind it.

Dirt has one direction it likes to go, and it isn't up, so most folks call when a slope keeps dropping onto the patio or an old wall has started to lean. The first thing I sort out is whether you need a new wall at all, because a tired brick or stone wall that's still standing may only need masonry restoration, and if you'd like a fireplace on the new terrace, we can plan fireplace installation along with the wall. The price moves with the wall's height and length, the material, how much dirt has to come out, how easy it is to get equipment in and what sits above the slope. The schedule turns on whether the city wants a permit and when the underground utilities get marked, and my written estimate puts your own number down in plain words.

Retaining wall work, from dig to backfill

I look at the wall's height, how long the slope runs, what sits above it and where the water goes. If you're weighing block against poured concrete, we'll price both so you can compare.

  • Digging out and the base

    We dig to firm ground and pack the base in layers, because a wall only stays level if the ground under it does.

  • Setting the first row

    We set the first row of block, or the forms for a poured wall, dead level, since everything above follows it.

  • The drain behind the wall

    We plan the drain as carefully as the wall, with gravel and pipe behind it and a way to reach the pipe later.

  • Backfill and cleanup

    We fill and pack behind the wall in layers, haul off the extra dirt and show you how the drain gets cleaned out.

Why neighbors hire Prestige Rocklin Concrete and Masonry

I grew up on a farm where anything that broke got fixed at home, and I learned masonry beside other masons before starting this business in 2021. I'd rather fix the cause than patch what you see, and I'll tell you when a job can wait.

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  • I look first, my crew builds

    I look the job over myself, and the same small crew I work beside does the digging and building, so the person who planned your wall is there when it goes up.

  • Licensed and insured in California

    California's Contractors State License Board requires a license for anyone doing or offering construction contracting, and we're licensed and insured.

  • You'll know what you're paying for

    No question is too small, and if an old wall can wait a season, I'll tell you so. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job, and the next step is a call to (916) 666-6314.

What happens after you call about a retaining wall?

We fit the visit around your schedule, and we plan the job around your yard, what sits above the slope and whether the city wants a permit before we dig.

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or call (916) 666-6314

  1. Call or send a message

    Call (916) 666-6314 or use the form and tell us about the slope and the wall you have in mind, and we'll get back to you.

  2. I come out and look

    I walk the slope, see what sits above it and where the water runs, and answer every question you've got while I'm there.

  3. Your written estimate

    I leave you a written estimate in plain words. When you say go, the crew and I build, keep you posted and walk the finished wall with you.

White stone masonry retaining wall and broad steps border a landscaped garden with tropical red plants.

Get a free on-site estimate for your retaining wall and drain

Send the wall's planned height, the slope's length and photos of what sits above it, and we'll reply within one business day. The on-site estimate is free and comes with no obligation.

(916) 666-6314

Retaining wall questions we hear

How much does a retaining wall cost near Rocklin, CA?

A retaining wall in the Sacramento area usually costs about $15 to $60 per square foot of wall face, installed. That's figured on the face you'll see, so a taller wall adds up as fast as a longer one, and the material, the digging and the drain decide where yours lands. The written estimate gives you your own number.

Is a block retaining wall cheaper than poured concrete?

Usually, yes. The concrete masonry trade group says segmental walls, the stacked interlocking block kind, typically cost 25 to 40 percent less than walls of poured-in-place concrete. How tight your site is and how tall the wall runs can narrow that gap on your job.

What causes a retaining wall to fail?

Poor drainage is by far the most common reason retaining walls perform poorly, because water trapped behind a wall adds pressure the wall has to hold. One geotechnical engineer traces that water to groundwater seeping in, surface water that isn't handled, or leaky water and sewer lines, so we look for all three when we walk the slope.

How do I keep the drain behind a retaining wall from clogging?

Start with a drain built to be cleaned, because national research on wall drains found maintainable drains more reliable than old-style weep holes, the small openings through the face of a wall, which are likely to clog over the wall's life. When you're comparing bids, ask each contractor how the drain will be kept clear over the years.

How long does a block retaining wall last compared to a wood one?

Block holds up better, because the same trade group says segmental units resist cracking and, unlike treated timbers or railroad ties, don't splinter or decay. If you're replacing a timber wall that's gone soft, you're trading a material that rots for one that resists it.

Do I need to call 811 before building a retaining wall?

Yes, plan on it. Every state has a Call Before You Dig service at 8-1-1 that marks underground utilities a few days before digging, so leave those days in your schedule, and our crew digs carefully around the marked lines.

Retaining wall construction in Rocklin and nearby

Rocklin requires a building permit for most residential construction, but a wall no more than 4 feet from the bottom of its footing to the top, without a surcharge, may be exempt. Whether yours qualifies depends on its height and what sits above it, and "surcharge" is the city's own term, so Rocklin's Building Division at 916-625-5120 is the place to ask what it covers on your lot. Even an exempt wall still needs its own plumbing, electrical or mechanical permits for that work unless otherwise exempted, say if you want lights wired into it, and it still has to meet the city's code. The Building Division handles the plan review and inspections when a permit is needed, and when your wall needs one, we find out which city or county office covers your address and handle the paperwork with them.

Plenty of yards here sit on a slope, and the calls we get are often an old timber wall going soft or a bank that sheds dirt every rainy season. We see the same on jobs in Roseville and Granite Bay, and we build those walls the same way. We're based in Rocklin and work in the cities around it, so if you don't see yours listed, just ask.