Concrete Retaining Walls in Huntington Beach CA - a wall that drains and stays put
Slope creeping into the yard or an old wall leaning out? We pour concrete walls that hold the soil and let the water out.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- Replies within 1 business day.
What does it take to build a retaining wall that lasts?
A concrete retaining wall is a poured wall that holds back earth. We build concrete retaining walls in Huntington Beach and across Orange County so a slope stays where it is and a sloped yard becomes flat ground you can use.
Most people call when a slope keeps washing onto a patio or an old wall has started to lean, and they want to know what it costs and how long the yard will be torn up. The price mostly follows the wall's height and length, what the ground under it is like, how much drainage it needs and how easy it is to get a crew and a concrete truck to the spot. The schedule turns on the digging, the weather and curing, which is the wait while concrete gains strength before we fill dirt in behind it. Your written estimate lists what's included and what isn't, so you can lay it beside anyone else's and compare.
How do you know you need a retaining wall, or a new one?
Wall leaning at the top
If the top of an old wall sits farther out than the bottom, the soil and water behind it are pushing harder than it was built to handle. A wall that's moving usually keeps moving, and it's easier to replace before it drops dirt onto your patio or walkway.
Wet base or stained face
Damp ground along the bottom, white stains on the face or water running out of cracks means water is stuck behind the wall with nowhere good to go. That trapped water keeps adding pressure, so the repair usually gets bigger the longer it waits.
Soil washing down a slope
Mud on the walkway after rain, or a bank that slumps a little more every winter, usually means the slope needs something to hold it. Each storm carries off more soil, and that can undercut a fence, a slab or a planter sitting above it.
How we build concrete retaining walls
Most of my time on a wall bid goes into the water behind it, because that's what decides whether the wall stays put. I work out where it'll drain, where that water ends up and how you'll keep those drains clear over the years, and I'll tell you what the footing, the wide base the wall stands on, will sit on and why. On the job our crew digs out for the footing, sets the forms and the rebar, which is steel inside the concrete that keeps it from pulling apart, and pours the footing and then the wall. Once the wall has cured, we place clean gravel against the back face so water has a path down to the drains instead of building up behind it, then fill in the soil and clean up.
A wall often comes with other work. Cutting into a hill for new concrete pool decks usually means a wall to hold the slope above them, and when a wall turns a bank into a flat pad for a shed or workroom, we can plan the concrete floor installation alongside it so the levels and the drainage line up.
Get a written estimate for your retaining wall
We get back to you within one business day to set up a visit. I walk the slope with you and give you a free written estimate, no pressure and no obligation. Have photos of the slope handy.
- info@huntingtonbeachconcretecompany.com
- Based in
- Huntington Beach, CA 92648
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–9 PM
What happens when you call about a retaining wall in Huntington Beach?
Here's how a wall job runs from your first call to the day we go over curing, so you know what you'll get at each step.
Call or send the form
Reach us at (657) 329-2092 or through the form, and we'll set a time to see the slope. Tell us where the wall goes and its rough length and height, and send photos if you can.
I walk the site with you
I look at the slope, the ground and where the water runs, and ask what the wall has to hold back and how you'll use the yard. Then you get a written estimate that spells out what's in and what's out, so there's no guessing about what the number covers.
We prep and review the plan
Once you say go, we handle any permit the job needs and the prep. Before the pour, we walk you through the plan so you can see where the footing, the steel and the drains will go.
Go over curing and care
When the wall is done, we go over curing with you and what to keep off the top while it gains strength. We also show you where the drains come out and how to keep them clear.
Why Huntington Beach homeowners call M&K Huntington Beach Concrete Company for retaining walls
I write every estimate myself
I come out, walk the job and write the estimate, and our crew does the work with either me or my lead finisher running the pour. The person who heard what you need is the one making sure it gets built that way.
In business since 2013
We've been in business since 2013, and I learned the trade from library books and product sheets before working on other people's crews. I still start by explaining why before what, so you'll understand what goes behind and under your wall.
Licensed in California, fully insured
We're licensed and fully insured. California excuses contractors with no employees from carrying workers' compensation, but concrete contractors are among the exceptions, so it's fair to ask anyone bidding your wall about their coverage.
The water behind a wall and the ground under it decide how long it lasts, and that's where I'd rather spend your estimate visit. When you're ready, send us your wall's details or call (657) 329-2092.
Retaining walls, patios and pool decks around Huntington Beach
California lets someone without a contractor license take on a job only when it's under $1,000, needs no permit and they have no one working for them on it. Our walls are built under our license, but if anyone quotes your wall without one, those three conditions are the ones to check.
Around here, most wall calls come from yards with a change in grade beside a patio, a pool or a side yard, where sprinklers and downspouts send water straight at the slope. We see the same setups on jobs in Costa Mesa and Fountain Valley, so we trace where that water goes before we draw the wall. A drain that empties onto a neighbor's yard or back toward the house just moves the problem, and it's much easier to plan the outlet now than to dig it in later.
Questions about retaining walls in Huntington Beach
How much does a concrete retaining wall cost in Orange County?
A poured concrete retaining wall in Orange County usually costs about $35 to $50 per square foot of wall face, and that's a county-wide guide, not our price. Ground that can't carry the wall well may call for piles, deep supports under the wall, and those raise the cost a lot. Your written estimate gives you the figure for your slope.
What causes a concrete retaining wall to fail?
Poor drainage is by far the most common reason retaining walls perform badly, and left alone those problems can end with the wall failing. Water that builds up behind a wall pushes on it, and even a moderate rise in that water sharply raises the chance it tips over or slides. That's why it pays to ask every bidder how water will drain from behind your wall.
Are weep holes enough to drain a retaining wall?
Often not over the long run, because weep holes, the small openings through the face of a wall, are likely to clog during the wall's life. One research report found drains built to be cleaned more reliable than traditional weep holes, so if you plan to stay in the house a long time, ask for drains you can clean.
What license covers concrete work in California?
The C-8 Concrete classification from California's Contractors State License Board covers contractors who form, pour, place, finish and install concrete. When you compare bids for a wall, ask each contractor what license they hold and what it covers.
How do I check if my Huntington Beach property is in an earthquake hazard zone?
Type your address into the California Geological Survey's EQ Zapp tool to see whether your property sits in a mapped earthquake hazard zone. It also tells you when the state hasn't evaluated the hazards in your area yet, so you'll know whether the answer is a no or simply not checked. Bring what it shows to the site visit and we'll talk it through.
What should a retaining wall footing sit on?
Industry guidance for block retaining walls says the footing should rest on firm undisturbed soil or properly compacted fill. Poured walls stand on a footing too, so ask in any bid what yours will rest on and how that was checked.
Related services that often go with a wall
Concrete floor installation
If your new wall turns a slope into a flat pad, a poured floor gives you a solid base for a shed, workshop or storage room on that ground.
View service Concrete floor installationConcrete pool decks
A pool on a sloped lot usually means cutting into the hill, and the deck around it has to shed water away from the pool and the wall.
View service Concrete pool decks
Service areas for retaining walls in Orange County
M&K Huntington Beach Concrete Company is based in Huntington Beach, CA, and builds retaining walls across Orange County, including Irvine and Newport Beach. The 12 cities below have their own pages, and we work in many others around them too.
Huntington Beach, CA
Plan your retaining wall before winter rains
A wall that's leaning or seeping is easier to plan and build in dry weather than after another season of rain has pushed more water and soil behind it.