How can you tell if your property needs a retaining wall before you build? Rolling, hillside landscapes offer beauty, but can also present significant challenges, both in construction and ongoing maintenance and safety. Fisher Construction’s experienced residential design-build company has you covered, helping you understand when you might need a retaining wall for a sloped yard.
Signs you need a retaining wall:
- Your property has a steep slope exceeding a 2:1 or 3:1 incline
- The ground shows signs of active soil erosion
- You’re building a foundation on moisture- or clay-heavy soil
How to Tell If Your Property Needs a Retaining Wall Before You Build
Retaining walls enhance function, safety, and aesthetics, holding back soil, managing water flow, protecting against erosion, and providing new possibilities for outdoor living and gardening, when thoughtfully integrated into your landscape. Washington State and your local government may require a retaining wall for your construction project depending on your property’s unique slope and soil characteristics.
When You Need a Retaining Wall for Steep Slopes
We recommend retaining wall construction in Central Washington anytime a landscape slope meets or exceeds a 2:1 or 3:1 incline, or 2-3 units of vertical rise for every 1 unit of horizontal run. To ensure safe, long-term use, we conduct thorough soil and slope assessments for every new home and building we construct to determine whether a retaining wall is necessary. This is especially important when building on a steep slope and when driveways and other structures are placed above retaining walls.
When You Need a Retaining Wall to Prevent Soil Erosion
If you notice these common signs of soil erosion, your property could benefit from a retaining wall:
- Small channels or gullies resulting from runoff after heavy rain
- Dirt deposits on driveways and walkways from nearby hills
- Voids under paved surfaces and subsequent cracks/sinking
- Bare patches, unhealthy vegetation, and tilting trees
- Standing water or spongy soil
Our experienced groundwork contractors know how to mitigate these issues by integrating retaining walls and drainage, backfilling with gravel, and properly sloping your property to channel water safely away, preventing erosion and puddling issues that can impact foundation stability.
When You Need a Retaining Wall for New Construction
If you’re building a new home or structure on a property with clay or moisture-heavy soil, you may need to include a retaining wall as part of your foundation and grading plan. Downhill pressure from soil and moisture on sloped lots can exert incredible force on a foundation, causing it to shift and crack, increasing the probability of structural and water damage. Integrating a retaining wall and drainage ensures the proper support and distribution of soil weight and water, protecting your foundation.
In addition to safeguarding your foundation, retaining walls and terraces also offer opportunities to create level, stable surfaces for roadways and driveways, and to add more usable yard space for outdoor living, workshops, gardens, kids’ play areas, and more.
Find Out If You Need Retaining Wall Installation in Yakima Valley
How can you tell if your property needs a retaining wall before you build? Schedule a retaining wall site assessment in Yakima, Selah, Moxee, Naches, Sunnyside, Toppenish, Wapato, or Zillah with Fisher Construction. Contact our groundwork experts at 509-424-6072 today.
