Retaining wall construction in Clarksville TN - a wall that holds the hill
Soil sliding onto the patio or an old wall leaning out? We build block and concrete walls that hold the slope and send water away.
Get your retaining wall planned right
A wall is easier to plan while the slope is still where it is, so call (931) 272-0045 or use the form below before the next few storms move it.
What goes into building a retaining wall in Clarksville?
Retaining wall construction in Clarksville means building a wall that holds back a slope, so you get level ground you can use and soil that stays off your patio, walk and driveway. On most lots the planning matters as much as the building, because height, soil and water decide what kind of wall will hold.
Most folks who call me have a bank that keeps washing down after storms, a slope they can't mow, or an old timber wall that's starting to lean. Your price moves with how long and how tall the wall is, what the ground is like, how much drainage it needs and whether an old wall has to come out first. The schedule mostly turns on whether the height or soil calls for an engineer's design, whether a permit is needed and how easy it is to get equipment to the spot. When I come out, I look at the slope with you and go over what I see before you decide anything, and that's where you get your own number.
Why Clarksville homeowners call us about retaining walls
I write every estimate myself
I learned the trade beside an experienced mason and started here in 2021, and I still write every estimate myself. Our own crew builds your wall, and the person who priced it checks the work.
Licensed, insured and guaranteed
We're licensed and fully insured, so you're not carrying the risk of an accident on your property. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job, and if something about the wall bothers you, I want to hear it.
We plan around karst ground
Montgomery County has big stretches of karst, ground prone to sinkholes and caves that shapes how water drains on top and moves underground. We look at where your water goes before we place a wall.
Most wall trouble starts with water, so that's where I start too. Send us a message or call and I'll come look at your slope.
How we handle retaining wall construction
Before anything else, I ask where water runs on your lot and how tall you want the wall, because both shape the plan, including whether we bring in an engineer for the design. Then our crew digs out the footprint, packs a leveling pad, the flat base the first row of block sits on, and builds the wall up course by course. Behind it goes drainage stone and a pipe that carries water out and away from the wall, and on taller walls the design may call for layers of soil reinforcement, sheets laid back into the fill so more of the soil behind works with the wall. We backfill and pack in layers as we go, set the cap and clean up before we leave.
A yard with an aging slope often has other masonry showing its age too. If a brick wall, steps or chimney near the wall has crumbling joints or loose brick, masonry restoration puts it back in sound shape, and if you've been thinking about a hearth inside, ask me about fireplace installation while I'm out.
Segmental block wall
These are concrete blocks stacked dry, without mortar, that lock together with keys or connectors and hold the soil mostly by their weight. An industry manual notes the block resists cracking and stays free of the splintering and rot you get with treated timbers or railroad ties, so for most homes it's the one I'd point you to.
Poured concrete wall
This is a solid wall poured in forms with steel inside, and it suits a tight spot or a wall where you want a plain, smooth face. It takes forming and curing time, so it's a bigger job to set up than block.
How can you tell a slope needs a retaining wall?
Soil washing onto the patio
After a hard rain you find mud on the patio, walk or driveway. That usually means the slope has nothing holding it, and every storm carries a little more of your yard downhill.
An old wall leaning out
The top of a timber or block wall tips toward you, or it bows in the middle. Usually water is building up behind it, and once a wall starts moving it rarely stops.
Water standing at the bottom
Puddles sit at the foot of the slope or against the house for days. The water has nowhere to go, and left alone it softens the ground and can work toward your foundation.
A slope you can't use
The bank is too steep to mow, plant or set a table on. That's usually a flat spot waiting for a wall, and the longer it erodes, the more fill it takes later.
What happens after you call about a retaining wall?
Show me the slope
You call or message us, and I come out to walk the slope with you, answer your questions and write the estimate. Point out where water runs after a rain while I'm there.
We permit, then build
Once you say yes, we sort out any permit with the office that covers your address. Then our crew digs, sets the base, builds the wall and handles the drainage behind it.
Walk the finished wall
When the wall is done, I walk it with you, from the cap down to where the drain lets water out. It's your chance to ask anything before we pack up.
Retaining wall questions we hear
These are questions we hear a lot about retaining walls around Clarksville. If yours isn't here, call (931) 272-0045 and ask me about your own slope.
How much does a retaining wall cost in Clarksville, TN?
Retaining wall installation in Clarksville usually costs about $20 to $35 per square foot of wall face, which is the going rate around here, not a quote from us. The standard rate for poured concrete walls leaves out tearing out an old wall, terraces, curves, decorative concrete, extra height and added landscaping, and each of those adds to the price. At the estimate I'll tell you which ones your wall involves.
How do I know if my retaining wall needs an engineer?
It mostly comes down to how tall the wall is and what it sits on. Industry guidance says block walls up to 4 ft from the leveling pad at the base to the top of the wall can follow the block maker's design chart, and walls over 4 ft should have their design reviewed or prepared by a registered professional. The same guidance calls for engineering help on soft, organic or peat soils, high plasticity clay or silt, or fill, so if your ground is like that we plan for it from the start.
Can I get the permit for my own retaining wall in Clarksville?
You can if you're building the wall yourself on the single-family home you live in, because the City of Clarksville issues residential permits and asks homeowners acting as their own contractor for a notarized Homeowner Affidavit. When we build the wall, we find out which office covers your address and handle any permit as part of the job.
How do sinkholes affect building a retaining wall in Clarksville?
A sinkhole near your wall changes the plan, because the county prefers that sinkholes stay undisturbed, since a repaired one may fail later. A landowner may repair one after the right geophysical surveys, which study the ground below the surface. If I see one near your slope, I'll tell you, and we'll lay out the wall with it in mind.
Does a retaining wall contractor need a license in Tennessee?
Tennessee requires a Home Improvement license before a contractor offers work costing $3,000 or more, and a contractor license before bidding on or contracting for projects of $25,000 or more. The city also requires contractors working inside city limits to register, so it's fair to ask anyone you're comparing about both.
How long does it take to build a retaining wall in Clarksville?
It depends mostly on the wall's length and height and what's under it, and I'll walk you through the schedule at the estimate. Before anyone digs, the 811 Call Before You Dig service marks underground utilities a few days ahead, and an engineered design or a permit can add time before we start. Once the lines are marked, our crew digs carefully around them.
Get a free retaining wall estimate
Tell us where the wall would go, how tall you want it and where water runs, and we'll reply within one business day. Then I come out for a free on-site estimate, with no pressure and no obligation.
Examples of retaining wall work
Other masonry work around your home
Masonry restoration
Older brick and stone around the house can lose mortar and loosen over time, and restoration brings walls, steps and chimneys back to solid, good-looking shape.
Learn moreFireplace installation
A new fireplace adds warmth and a gathering spot indoors, and our masonry crew can build one sized and laid out to fit the room you have.
Learn more