Concrete retaining walls in Hawthorne CA - built around the soil it holds back
What goes into a concrete retaining wall in Hawthorne?
At Liberty Hawthorne Concrete, we build concrete retaining walls in Hawthorne and many of the cities around it, and every one starts from a design, not from its height alone. The footing, the steel and the drainage behind the wall have to work together to hold the soil back.
Most calls start with a slope that keeps slipping onto a patio, or a yard you'd like to level. Soil pushes sideways on whatever holds it, so a wall needs a footing, steel rebar tied inside to carry that push, and drainage that lets water out instead of building up behind it. A car parked above, a building nearby, groundwater or an earthquake adds to that load.
A wall often goes in so the yard beside it can be leveled, perhaps for one of our concrete pool decks or a new slab through our concrete floor installation service. The price follows the design, and the schedule follows the cure, because the soil can't go back until the wall is strong enough. I come out, look at the slope and write the estimate myself, listing what's included and what isn't.
What a sound wall takes
- Digging out for the footing
- A footing sized by the design
- Steel rebar tied before the pour
- Straight, well-braced forms
- Drainage behind the wall
- Curing before any backfill
What to weigh before booking a retaining wall
What sets the price
The price follows the wall's design, which grows with its length and height and with anything pushing on it from above, such as a driveway, a slope or a building.
What the timing turns on
The concrete has to cure and gain enough strength, with bracing in place, before soil goes back behind it, so we treat backfill as its own later step.
Drainage before decoration
If the budget is tight, I'd keep the footing, steel and drainage and skip a stamped or colored face, because the parts you can't see are the ones holding the soil back.
Retaining wall questions from Hawthorne
How much does a concrete retaining wall cost in Hawthorne CA?
Around Los Angeles, a poured concrete retaining wall 3 ft high usually costs about $50 to $54 per square foot, and that covers site prep, excavation, gravel backfill and reinforcement. Taking out an old wall, curves, a wall taller than 3 ft and difficult soil all add to it. Your written estimate prices your own wall from its design.
What is the best way to compare retaining wall quotes in Hawthorne?
Compare the design behind each price, not just the height, because the footing, the steel, the drainage and the soil assumptions come from a project design or the code that applies. Two walls of the same height can need very different footings once the ground and the loads around them differ. That's why we price a wall by its design, and I'm glad to go over ours line by line.
Can I add a driveway or change drainage near a retaining wall later?
It's much safer to plan it now, because changing the backfill, adding a driveway near the wall or letting water build up behind it can undo the design's assumptions, even when the concrete is strong. At the estimate I ask what you have in mind nearby, so those plans are part of the design from the start.
What should I ask a contractor about backfill behind a new retaining wall?
Ask what equipment the crew will use behind the wall, because heavy compaction equipment right behind a young wall can push on it harder than the design allows. Before backfilling, the crew should protect any waterproofing and drainage on the wall, then pack the soil in controlled layers. It's a fair question, and I'm happy to answer it at the estimate.
How do I get a permit for a retaining wall in Hawthorne?
I'll tell you at the estimate whether your wall needs a permit, and if it does, we handle the application with the office that issues it and arrange the inspections. California requires cities and counties to use the state's seismic hazard maps in their building permit process, so earthquake hazards are identified and dealt with on building projects. Those maps mark areas prone to ground failure, including liquefaction, when water-soaked soil gives way, and earthquake-caused landslides.
Which California license covers concrete retaining wall work?
The C-8 Concrete Contractor class covers contractors who form, pour, place, finish and install concrete, as the state licensing board describes it. We're fully licensed and insured, and it's always fair to ask any contractor which license they hold. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
Concrete retaining walls near you
We're based in Hawthorne and build retaining walls in many of the cities around it, including Inglewood and Gardena. Choose your city below, or call (424) 307-8166 if yours isn't listed.
Other concrete work
- Concrete driveway building
- Concrete patio construction
- Stamped concrete services
- Concrete sidewalk building
- Garage floor concrete
- Decorative concrete
- Concrete floor installation
- Concrete pool decks
- Concrete steps construction
- Slab foundation building
- Foundation installation
- Concrete parking lot building
- Concrete footings
- Foundation raising
- Concrete cutting
Ask for a free retaining wall estimate
Send the wall's length and height, slope photos and nearby driveway or drainage plans. We reply within one business day, and I write the free, no-obligation estimate myself on site.