Retaining wall construction in Lafayette LA - a wall that holds your yard in place
Slope washing out or an old timber wall leaning? We build block walls with drainage behind them so they stand straight.
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What goes into building a retaining wall in Lafayette?
Retaining wall construction in Lafayette is building a wall of block, brick or stone that holds back the soil behind it, so a sloped yard stops washing out and you get level ground you can use.
Most people call us when dirt washes onto the driveway every storm, a timber wall is leaning out, or they want a steep yard cut level. What moves the price is the wall's height and length, the material, how much digging and fill the slope takes and whether an old wall has to come out first. The schedule turns on permits with your city, whether the wall is tall enough to need an engineer's design, and wet weather. At K&D Lafayette Masonry and Concrete we work across Lafayette and the cities around it, and I'll put your own numbers in a written estimate after I've seen the slope.
Is a retaining wall right for your yard?
Soil washing off a slope
Every heavy rain carries dirt down onto your patio or driveway, and a wall holds it back.
A timber wall giving out
Railroad ties and boards that are bowing or rotting won't come back, so it's time to rebuild.
A slope you can't use
A steep yard you can't mow or sit on can be cut into flat ground behind a wall.
Raising part of the yard
If you're raising part of the yard with fill, a wall keeps that soil where you put it.
How we build a retaining wall
I start by walking the wall's line with you and checking where the water runs. We dig out, pack a firm base so the first course sits level and stays there, and stack the wall with a slight lean back into the slope. Behind it we build drainage into the gravel so water doesn't push on the wall, then we pack the soil back in and clean up. If your wall is big enough to need an engineer's design, I'll tell you that straight at the estimate rather than build past it.
A retaining wall often comes up alongside other masonry on the same property. If there's an old brick or stone wall that's worth keeping, masonry restoration can bring it back instead of tearing it out, and if the new wall is part of a bigger backyard plan, we handle fireplace installation too, so one crew does the whole job.
Gravity block wall
A gravity wall holds the soil back with its own weight and a slight lean into the slope, called setback. It's the usual pick for a short wall around a bed or a gentle grade.
Reinforced block wall
For a taller wall, layers of geogrid, a flat grid sheet laid back into the fill, tie the block and the soil into one mass. That's the kind of wall that usually comes with an engineer's design.
Brick or stone wall
If the wall faces the house or a patio, brick or natural stone gives you a finished look in place of plain block. It costs more to build, and I think it's worth it where you see it every day.
What happens when you call about a retaining wall in Lafayette?
Call or send a message
Tell us roughly how tall and long the wall needs to be, and we'll set a time for me to come out. Photos of the slope help me show up ready.
I walk the slope with you
I look at the grade, where the water goes and what's in the way, then tell you what I'd do and what I'd skip. You get a written estimate with the size, material and drainage spelled out, whether it needs an engineer, and what would raise or lower the price.
We handle permits and build
If you go ahead, we take care of the permit side with your city, and our crew builds the wall with me on site running it. Wet weather is the usual thing that moves a start date.
We walk the finished wall
Once the backfill is in and the site's cleaned up, we walk the wall together. I'll show you where the water drains out so you know what to keep clear.
Block or timber for a retaining wall?
Block, when the wall's holding real weight.
The block industry's design manual says concrete wall blocks resist cracking and hold up without the splintering and decay you get with treated timbers or railroad ties. That's the main reason I steer most homeowners toward block when they're replacing a wood wall.
Wood costs less to put in, and it can look fine around a garden bed. For a wall holding up a real slope, I'd still pick block, and if you want a finished look, we can build it in brick or stone. Whatever we use, the work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Masonry and concrete work examples
Look through these examples of masonry and concrete work, from block and stone walls to brick, pavers and patios, to get ideas for your yard.
Get a retaining wall estimate for your slope
Send the wall's rough height and length and a few photos of the slope, and we'll reply within one business day. I'll come out myself and write up a free on-site estimate, with no obligation.
Why Lafayette homeowners call K&D Lafayette Masonry and Concrete for retaining walls
I price and run every job
I come out to look at your slope and write the estimate myself, and I'm on site running the crew while we build. The person who told you what the wall needs is the one making sure it's built that way.
Trained on inspected public work
I learned masonry on a municipal crew, laying block and setting brick on public work that had to pass inspection. I started this business in 2020, and we've held to that standard for 6 years.
Licensed in Louisiana and insured
Louisiana requires a Residential license for construction over $50,000, labor and materials included, on a home or a structure next to it. We're fully licensed and insured.
A small fix when it'll do
If your old wall only needs a section rebuilt, I'll tell you that instead of selling you a new one. Call (337) 216-1882 or use our estimate form and I'll come take a look.
Retaining wall questions we hear
How much does a retaining wall cost in Lafayette, LA?
A 3 ft. high poured concrete retaining wall in Lafayette, installed with site prep and backfill, usually costs about $35 to $38 per square foot. That figure leaves out removing an old wall, stamped or colored concrete, curved walls, brick, walls above 3 ft and yards with challenging soil, so any of those push it up. Your own number comes from the estimate once I've seen the slope.
How do I know if my retaining wall needs an engineer?
One wall maker's guide says walls higher than 36 inches above grade, terraced walls and walls on weak soil need a qualified engineer and a professional contractor. If yours falls in that range, plan for the design work and check the code requirements with the city before you set a start date.
What causes a retaining wall to lean or crack?
Water building up behind the wall can cause it, because that water adds pressure the wall has to fight. A wall maker's guide says gravel backfill and a perforated drain pipe help prevent that buildup, so when you compare quotes, look for that drainage layer behind the wall.
Who issues retaining wall permits in Lafayette, LA?
The city's Development & Planning Department permits all development in the city and the unincorporated parish. Its commercial permits exempt retaining walls not over 4 feet, but that's the commercial rule and doesn't settle a wall at a house, so that office makes the call on yours. We check with it before work starts and take care of any permit the job calls for.
Do I need to call 811 before building a retaining wall?
Yes, call 8-1-1, the Call Before You Dig line, so underground utilities get marked a few days before digging starts. Leave time for the marking in your plans, and the crew then digs carefully around the marked lines.
What should I have ready when I ask for a retaining wall estimate?
Have the wall's rough height and length and a few photos of the slope, because that tells me what kind of wall we're talking about before I come out. Call (337) 216-1882, use the contact form or email hi@lafayettemasonryandconcrete.com.
Got a slope that needs holding back?
Ask for an estimate and I'll come walk the slope, then write up what I'd build and what it'll take.
Other work that goes with walls
Planning retaining wall construction in Lafayette
Before a wall goes into a Lafayette yard, there are two city permits to know about, because the city's permit list includes a Floodplain Development Permit and a Land Disturbance Permit. If your lot sits in the floodplain, the city requires no net loss of flood storage, so storage lost to the fill dirt a new wall holds back has to be replaced with an equal volume. That can change how high we raise the ground or where the wall goes, so we work it out with the city before anyone digs.
A lot of the walls we build around here hold back fill on lots raised for a new house or patio, or keep a sloped bed from washing out in heavy rain. We do the same work on jobs in Broussard and Scott, and every one starts with a look at where the water goes.