Concrete retaining walls in Rock Springs WY - a wall that drains and holds the slope
A slope creeping into your yard or an old wall leaning? We check the ground and plan drainage first, then pour a wall that holds.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Fix the old wall or build a new one?
Start with whether the wall still stands straight and whether water can get out from behind it. If both are true, a repair is usually enough, and if not, I'll say so.
A repair is enough when:
- The wall still stands straight
- Cracks are thin and not growing
- No soil spills over or through
- Drain outlets are just clogged
- The footing isn't showing
A new wall is better when:
- The wall leans or bulges
- Cracks keep getting wider
- Soil washes through or over it
- There's no drainage behind it
- The footing is washed out underneath
How we build your wall
I walk the site with you
You call or send the form, and I come out myself to look at the ground, see where water runs and hear what the wall needs to hold.
A plan talked through
Your written estimate
I put the wall, the footing and the drainage in writing, so you can see what's being built under the ground as well as above it.
A written estimate
Permit, if it needs one
If the job needs a permit, we handle the paperwork with the city and don't start digging until it's issued.
A permit, if needed
Pour day
Forms, steel and drain are set and checked before the truck arrives, because once the concrete is flowing there's no time to fix a form.
A poured wall
Curing, backfill and clean-up
From here the concrete sets the schedule, so we protect it while it cures, the slow hardening that gives it strength, then backfill and clean up.
A finished wall
What a concrete retaining wall includes
Ground check and layout
We look at the soil and the slope, mark the wall's line and plan where water will leave your yard.
Digging out
We dig deep enough for the footing and haul off the old wall and extra dirt when there is any.
A reinforced footing
The wide base under the wall goes on firm, unfrozen ground and carries the weight of the wall and the soil.
Rebar in footing and wall
Rebar, steel bars set inside the forms, links the wall to its footing and helps it resist the soil pushing on it.
Drainage behind the wall
Gravel and a drain pipe behind the wall carry water out to a spot that can be reached and cleared later.
Forms and the pour
We set and brace the forms, pour the wall and finish the top so it sheds water instead of holding it.
Backfill and clean-up
Once the concrete has cured, we backfill in layers, slope the ground away from the wall and clean up the site.
What sets the price of a retaining wall?
The size of the wall drives most of it, since a taller, longer wall takes more digging, more concrete and more steel. After that it's the ground and the access. Soft or wet soil can mean a bigger footing, a tight backyard means more hand work, and an old wall has to come out first. The schedule turns on the permit, the weather and the time the concrete needs to cure.
The footing and the drain are buried by the end of the job, so they're the first place people look to save money. I won't build a wall that way, because those hidden parts are what keep it standing. Your written estimate spells out each part, so you know where the money goes.
Why Rock Springs homeowners call us for walls
We've been in business since 2017, and I come out to every job myself, write the estimate and stay on site while our crew builds it. Water is what I worry about most with a wall, so the drainage gets as much planning as the concrete does, and I look hard at the ground under it too.
If poured concrete isn't the right fit for your ground, I'll tell you straight. We bring the same prep to walls that we bring to driveways and concrete floor installation, we're licensed and fully insured, and it's satisfaction guaranteed on every job. Call (307) 209-5832 or use the form to get started.
- The owner on site while we work
- Drainage planned with the wall
- A straight answer about your ground
Get a written estimate for your retaining wall
Tell us the wall's rough length and height and any water trouble you've seen. We reply within one business day, and I come out for a free, no-obligation estimate.
(307) 209-5832Retaining wall questions we hear
How much does a concrete retaining wall cost in Rock Springs?
Across the US, hiring a contractor to build a poured concrete retaining wall usually costs about $30 to $50 per square foot. That's a national range, not our price, and the height, the soil, the drainage and the access all move your figure. I'll give you your own number in a written estimate after I walk the site.
Do I need a permit to build a retaining wall in Rock Springs?
Plan on it, because the city's permit rule has the Rock Springs Building Official issue permits for anyone who puts up a structure of any kind or digs out a lot inside the city. When you hire a contractor, the city makes the contractor responsible for getting it, so we handle the paperwork and start once the permit is issued and posted.
What causes a concrete retaining wall to lean or fail?
Poor drainage is by far the most common reason retaining walls perform badly, and left alone it can lead to the wall failing outright. Water that can't get out builds up behind the wall and pushes on it. Weep holes, small openings through the face, tend to clog over the years, while drains that can be cleaned out keep working longer, which is why drainage gets so much of our planning.
Can you pour a concrete retaining wall in winter in Rock Springs?
Yes, a wall can be poured in cold weather, because concrete placed when the air is below 40°F still performs as it should when it's mixed, placed and protected properly. The colder it gets, the more protection it needs, and it only goes on ground that isn't frozen, which can be thawed first with heaters or blankets. I'd rather move a pour date than rush one into bad weather.
How do I know if my yard is right for a poured concrete wall?
A poured concrete wall needs firm ground that can carry its weight without settling, because this kind of wall handles settling worse than almost any other. On poor soil, general design guidance calls for piles or improving the ground under it, and piles add a lot to the cost. Where ground may sink, a more flexible wall such as a reinforced soil wall or stacked modular block usually makes more sense, and I'll tell you if that's your yard.
How deep does a retaining wall footing have to be in Rock Springs?
City code puts the frost line, the depth the ground freezes to, at 42 inches below finished grade, and footings and foundations have to go below it unless a foundation investigation recommends a different depth. On properties the city has identified as prone to mine subsidence, the sinking of ground over mines, foundations also have to follow University of Wyoming specifications for ground movement. We plan the footing to those rules when we handle your permit.
Where we work around Rock Springs
We're based in Rock Springs and work in Green River and the cities around them. Pick your area below, or call (307) 209-5832 if yours isn't listed.
Get your wall quote from Rock Springs Concrete
Call (307) 209-5832 with photos of the slope handy, so we can talk it through before I come out.