
Gracey Excavating
Camden, NYLewis County
excavation, grading, land clearing, pond water management, retaining walls, septic systems

Retaining Walls in New York
Segmental block, poured concrete, timber and boulder walls built with the base, drainage and reinforcement that keep them standing.
Project guide
Retaining walls hold back soil where a grade change is too steep to slope, and they fail for one reason far more than any other: water. A wall that lasts has a compacted crushed-stone base, a perforated drain pipe at the heel, clean gravel backfill behind the wall face, and geogrid layers tied into the backfill on anything tall. Segmental concrete block is the most common residential system and can be built by a landscape contractor up to about four feet; above that, or wherever a driveway, slope or structure sits above the wall, an engineer's design is required by most codes and the wall becomes structural work. Poured concrete and reinforced masonry walls are used for tall cuts and tight sites, boulder walls for rural and natural-look projects, and pressure-treated timber for budget walls with a shorter life.
GradeLine lists 77 retaining walls contractors that serve New York.Compare their work and equipment, then confirm availability and service area before requesting a quote.
Listed businesses are based in Camden, , Mount Hope, Ransomville, Seneca Falls, Northville, though most crews travel well beyond their home city.
Segmental block walls typically cost $25 to $50 per square foot of wall face installed, poured concrete $30 to $60, timber $15 to $30 and boulder walls $20 to $40. A four foot tall, 50 foot long block wall therefore commonly runs $5,000 to $10,000, and engineered walls above that height climb quickly once geogrid, engineering and larger equipment are involved.
Ranges are national and approximate; regional labor rates, material prices and site conditions move them in both directions.
Segmental block walls typically cost $25 to $50 per square foot of wall face installed, poured concrete $30 to $60, timber $15 to $30 and boulder walls $20 to $40. A four foot tall, 50 foot long block wall therefore commonly runs $5,000 to $10,000, and engineered walls above that height climb quickly once geogrid, engineering and larger equipment are involved.
Send the height and length of the grade change, a photo of the slope, what sits above and below the wall, where water comes from, and the look you are after.
The main cost items are wall height and length, and whether a surcharge such as a driveway, pool or slope sits above it; engineering, excavation, base preparation, drainage and geogrid the design requires; block or material type, backfill stone, spoil haul-off and restoring the grade above and below. A site visit helps the crew see which ones apply.
Most building codes exempt walls under four feet measured from the bottom of the footing with no surcharge, and require a permit and stamped engineering above that. Walls near a property line, a public sidewalk or a stream can trigger additional setback, drainage and environmental review.
Directory
77 contractors found

Camden, NYLewis County
excavation, grading, land clearing, pond water management, retaining walls, septic systems

driveways, erosion control, excavation, pond water management, retaining walls, septic systems

erosion control, excavation, foundations, grading, land clearing, retaining walls

Mount Hope, NY
demolition, erosion control, excavation, grading, hauling trucking, land clearing

Ransomville, NYNiagara County
excavation, foundations, grading, land clearing, paving prep, pond water management


Seneca Falls, NYSeneca County
demolition, driveways, erosion control, excavation, grading, hauling trucking



Lafayette, NY
demolition, erosion control, excavation, grading, hauling trucking, land clearing
No reviews yet

demolition, erosion control, excavation, grading, land clearing, pond water management
No reviews yet

demolition, erosion control, excavation, grading, land clearing, pond water management
No reviews yet

Armonk, NYWestchester County
excavation, foundations, hauling trucking, paving prep, retaining walls, site prep
No reviews yet

New Hartford, NYHerkimer County
concrete flatwork, demolition, erosion control, excavation, foundations, grading
74 years in business

Gardiner, NYUlster County
demolition, driveways, excavation, grading, hauling trucking, land clearing
No reviews yet

Huntington, NYSuffolk County
excavation, foundations, grading, land clearing, retaining walls, trenching underground
No reviews yet

Trumansburg, NYSchuyler County
excavation, retaining walls, septic systems
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