Concrete retaining walls in Forest Lake MN - a wall that drains and holds the slope
Is your hillside slumping, or an old wall leaning out? We plan the drainage first, then pour a wall that holds the soil back.
Is a poured concrete wall the right fix for your slope?
A poured concrete retaining wall is a solid wall cast in place on your lot to hold back a slope, and in Forest Lake we build them so you get flat, usable ground that stays put instead of creeping toward the house.
Maybe the slope behind your house washes onto the patio every spring, or an old timber wall has started to lean and you're not sure how long it'll last. What a new wall costs comes down mostly to how tall and long it is, how much dirt has to move, what you want the face to look like and how close we can get a concrete truck. The schedule turns on whether the city needs plans and a permit, and on curing, which is the wait while the concrete hardens enough to take the soil's weight before we fill behind it. When I come out, I walk the slope with you and write down what the price covers, so you know what you're paying for before we start.
How we build a concrete retaining wall
I start with the water. Water behind a wall is what gets it into trouble, so drainage is the first thing we plan and the first thing I walk you through, before we ever talk about how the face will look. Then our crew digs out for the wall and its base, packs the ground underneath so it won't settle, and builds the forms, the wooden molds that hold the wet concrete in shape. We set rebar, steel bars inside the wall that help it carry the push of the soil without cracking apart, then pour and finish the face you'll see. Once it's cured, we strip the forms, backfill with gravel and a way out for the water, and clean up. If the budget gets tight, the fancy face is where I'd trim, not the drainage or the base, because those are hidden on day one and can't be fixed later without tearing the wall out.
A wall is often the first step in a bigger project, because it's how a sloped yard turns into flat ground you can use. If that ground is getting a shop or an outbuilding, we can handle the concrete floor installation too, and if the wall is making room for a pool, we build concrete pool decks as well. Planning them together lets the wall's drainage and the slab's slope work with each other instead of against each other.
Why Forest Lake homeowners call Forest Lake Concrete for retaining walls
The owner plans and pours
I come out to look at the job and write the estimate myself, then I work on the crew that builds your wall. The person who drew up the drainage plan is standing there when it goes in.
City and watershed checked first
In Forest Lake the City Engineer reviews every retaining wall, so before we set a date I check with the city and any other office the job touches. If your wall needs a permit, we help you sort it out and tell you who we've talked to.
Ask what a bid's license covers
Minnesota requires a license for contractors who work in more than one skill area, and a wall job usually takes both grading and poured concrete, which the state counts as separate areas. We're fully licensed and insured, and it's a fair question to ask any bidder which areas their price covers.
Plain answers, however many questions
We've been in business since 2023, and I came to concrete after years in another line of work, so I still remember not knowing the words. I'd rather spend an extra half hour on your questions than leave you guessing what you paid for.
On a retaining wall, the part that matters most is the part you won't see once it's backfilled, so ask to see the plan for it. We're based in Forest Lake and work across the cities around it, so tell us about your slope or call (612) 448-0764.
Get a free on-site estimate for your retaining wall
We reply within one business day, and the estimate is free with no obligation. After you send the form, I'll set a time to walk the slope with you and write down exactly what the price covers. If you can, have the wall's height, length, spot on the lot and a few photos ready.
A look at poured retaining walls
Questions before you build a retaining wall
How much does a poured concrete retaining wall cost in the Forest Lake area?
A poured concrete retaining wall in the Minneapolis area usually costs about $15 to $45 per square foot of wall face, installed, which is the height times the length of the side you see. Tearing out an old wall, curves, stamped or multi-color finishes, brick work, walls taller than 3 feet and hard soil all push it higher. I'll measure yours at the walk-through and write down what the price covers.
When does a retaining wall need a permit in Forest Lake?
Forest Lake requires a building permit for a retaining wall taller than 4 feet, and that includes stepped walls that add up to more than 4 feet together. Walls that tall are built to plans from a registered engineer, so leave room for that design in your budget and schedule. Every wall, whatever its height, has to stay out of the public right-of-way and can't block drainage, and the city's Building Department answers questions about your project.
What causes a retaining wall to fail?
Poor drainage is by far the most common cause, because a wall with no way to shed the water behind it will fail, so when you compare bids, look first at how each plan drains the wall. Frost is the other one, and Cornell's extension guide says the base has to sit below the frost line so the wall doesn't heave, so ask each contractor how far below ground the base will sit. On an existing wall, deal with drainage problems when you first see them, because they can turn into a wall that gives out.
Can I build a retaining wall in a drainage and utility easement in Forest Lake?
Only with the city's approval. A wall in a drainage and utility easement, the part of your lot set aside for water flow and buried lines, needs sign-off from the City Engineer and the City Council plus a signed encroachment agreement or certificate of compliance. Check your survey before you settle on a spot, because shifting the wall a few feet can sometimes keep it out of the easement.
How do I choose between a block retaining wall and a poured concrete one?
If cost matters most, price both, because the block industry's own manual says segmental block walls typically cost 25 to 40 percent less than poured concrete walls. When budget is the main thing, I'll suggest you get a block wall priced too. If I think poured is the better fit for your slope, I'll tell you why and let you decide.
Do I need a watershed district permit for a retaining wall in Forest Lake?
You do if your lot is in the Comfort Lake-Forest Lake Watershed District and the job moves or stockpiles 50 cubic yards or more of earth, and no permitted work, concrete included, starts until the watershed district approves it. Sites in the district also put in erosion controls such as silt fences, fabric barriers that catch loose soil, whether a permit is required or not. A tall wall with a lot of digging is the kind that can reach that amount, so it's worth knowing early.
Other concrete work that goes with a wall
- Concrete floor installation
If your project also needs a new floor in a basement, shop or outbuilding, we pour it flat and solid so it's ready for whatever you put on it.
- Concrete pool decks
A pool deck has to stay flat and shed water away from the pool and the house, and it's easier to plan that while the yard is already open.