Concrete Retaining Walls in Covina CA - Built to drain water and hold your slope
Leaning, cracked or bowing wall, or a slope washing into the yard? We build concrete walls that drain and hold the ground in place.
What does it take to build a retaining wall that holds up in Covina?
A concrete retaining wall holds back the soil on a sloped Covina yard so you get flat ground you can use, and drains built into it let water seep out through the face instead of pushing on the wall from behind.
Most retaining wall calls we get in Covina and the cities around it start with a slope that keeps washing into the yard, an old wall that's leaning or cracked, or a homeowner who wants flat ground for a concrete patio. The price moves mostly with the wall's height and length, how much dirt has to be dug out and hauled off, how easily a crew can reach the spot, and how much drainage the slope needs behind it. The schedule depends less on the build and more on getting plans through the city, so it pays to start that early. Modern Covina Concrete puts your own number in a written estimate once I've seen the site and measured.
What happens after you call about a retaining wall in Covina?
Call or send the form
Call (626) 412-8842 or send the form with your address and a line about the slope. We'll set a time for me to come look.
I come out and measure
I come out myself, check your address to see whether the city or LA County handles the job, and measure the slope and the wall line. You get a written estimate that spells out what's included, from the digging and footing to the drains and backfill.
We submit plans for review
Once you say go, we take care of the permit and inspection steps. In Covina the first plan check can take 4 to 6 weeks, so count that time before you pick a start date.
Our crew builds the wall
I'm on site with our crew for the build, and we keep noisy work out of the city's quiet times, which are 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. and all day on Sundays and public holidays. When it's done and inspected, I walk the finished wall with you.
How we build a concrete retaining wall and what it opens up
Water is what takes a retaining wall down, so I plan the drainage before anything else, and we use drains that can be cleaned out later instead of ones nobody can reach once the dirt is back in. Then we dig down to firm ground for the footing, the wide concrete base the wall stands on, and tie in rebar, the steel inside that carries the load the dirt puts on the wall. We set the forms, pour the wall and let it cure, the wait while concrete gains its strength, before the drain rock and soil go back in behind it. Most of that is buried by the time we pack up, which is why it's the first thing a cheap bid cuts and the last thing I'll cut, because a nice face on a wall with a thin footing or plugged drains can still lean. Every wall we build is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
A wall usually comes before something else. Once the slope is held back, that flat ground is ready for a concrete pool deck or for concrete floor installation under a shed or workshop, and planning it all at once lets us set the drainage so water off the new slab doesn't end up behind the wall.
Get a written estimate for your retaining wall
We get back to you within one business day to set a time, and I come out myself to look at the slope and measure. The on-site estimate is free and in writing, with no pressure and no obligation to go ahead.
Retaining wall questions from Covina homeowners
Does a retaining wall in Covina need city approval?
Yes, every retaining wall in Covina needs city approval, whatever its height or location. The city's planning office requires a Wall and Fence approval before the building permit is issued, the permit needs structural plans, and retaining walls also need a separate grading plan, which on a hillside lot may include a soils and geology report. We apply for the permit as the licensed contractor and set up the inspections.
What causes a retaining wall to fail?
Poor drainage is by far the most common cause. Research on retaining wall drains found that trapped water leads to poor performance that can turn into outright failure, and that traditional weep holes, small holes through the face, are likely to clog over the wall's life, while drains built to be maintained hold up better. When you compare bids, ask what the drainage plan is and whether the drains can be kept clear.
How much does a concrete retaining wall cost in Covina?
A concrete retaining wall in the Los Angeles area usually costs about $12 to $36 per square foot of wall face, installed. That's what the market runs, not our price, and where your wall lands in it comes down to the height, digging and access I measure on site. Your own number comes in my written estimate.
What do I need if my retaining wall is on the property line in Covina?
You need your neighbor's consent on a shared wall agreement before the city will give the wall planning approval. I bring that up early, because the wall can't move forward until it's signed.
Can I pull my own permit for a retaining wall on a rental property in Covina?
Not as an owner-builder. The city's checklist notes that California law limits owner-builder permits to your principal residence, so a second home or rental doesn't qualify. On those jobs, we pull the permit as the licensed contractor.
How do I check a contractor's license in California?
Look the contractor up on the Contractor State License Board's website, which shows whether the license is active and which license types they hold. Covina's permit technicians also check licenses before they issue any permit. Modern Covina Concrete is licensed and fully insured.
Work that often follows a new wall
Concrete pool decks
If the wall levels off part of a sloped backyard, that new flat ground is often where a pool deck goes, with drainage planned to match.
Concrete floor installation
When you want a shed or workshop on ground the wall leveled out, it needs a solid concrete floor poured over a well-packed base.
Get your retaining wall plan started
Call (626) 412-8842 or send the form with your address, a few photos of the slope and whether the wall would sit on the property line, so I come out ready to measure and talk plans.