Retaining Walls & Concrete Masonry

Turn Slopes Into Usable Space

If your property has slopes or elevation changes, a retaining wall can transform that challenging terrain into functional outdoor space. Retaining walls hold back soil, prevent erosion, and create level areas for patios, gardens, or lawns. At DCM Temecula Concrete, we design and build retaining walls using concrete, concrete block, and masonry that handle Temecula's soil conditions and stand up to years of pressure.

Retaining walls are more than just stacked blocks or poured concrete. They are engineered structures that must resist thousands of pounds of soil pressure, channel water away properly, and remain stable through earthquakes. A poorly built retaining wall can lean, crack, or fail completely. We build walls that meet engineering requirements and local building codes, giving you peace of mind that your investment is solid.

When You Need a Retaining Wall

Retaining walls solve problems and create opportunities on sloped properties. Here are common situations where they make sense:

• Creating level areas for patios, driveways, or building pads
• Preventing soil erosion on slopes and hillsides
• Terracing gardens and landscaping on sloped yards
• Protecting structures from sliding soil
• Managing water runoff and drainage issues
• Adding privacy or separating different yard levels

Walls taller than 4 feet typically require engineering and permits. We work with structural engineers and building departments to ensure your wall meets all requirements. Many projects combine retaining walls with concrete patios or walkways to maximize usable space.

Retaining Wall Types and Materials

We build several types of retaining walls depending on your needs, budget, and site conditions. Gravity walls use their own weight to resist soil pressure and work well for shorter walls up to 3 or 4 feet tall. Cantilever walls have a footing that extends under the soil, using the weight of the soil itself to help hold the wall in place. These work for taller walls and handle greater loads.

Material choices include poured concrete for strength and clean lines, concrete block for faster construction and lower cost, natural stone for traditional appearance, and interlocking modular blocks that combine strength with decorative appeal. Each material has advantages depending on your aesthetic preferences and structural requirements. We help you choose the best option for your specific site and budget.

How We Build Retaining Walls

Every retaining wall starts with proper foundation work. We excavate to solid, undisturbed soil and pour a concrete footing sized to support the wall height and soil load. The footing must be below the frost line and on compacted base material. Drainage is critical because water pressure behind a wall can cause failure. We install drainage pipes, gravel backfill, and weep holes to channel water away.

As we build the wall, we ensure it leans slightly back toward the soil for stability. Reinforcement goes in as specified by engineering plans, whether that is rebar in concrete walls or grid systems for modular block walls. We backfill carefully in layers, compacting as we go to avoid settlement. The final result is a wall that looks great and performs its structural job for decades.

Frequently Asked Questions