Concrete retaining walls in Pomona CA - a wall that drains and holds the slope
A leaning wall, a slipping slope or mud washing out at the base? We build a concrete wall with drainage behind it, on firm ground.
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Do you need a concrete retaining wall in Pomona?
A concrete retaining wall holds back soil that presses sideways against it, so a slope stays where it is and the flat part of your yard stays usable. Here in Pomona, we form, pour and finish these walls on a footing, the wall's base, with drainage built in behind them.
Usually the call comes because a slope keeps sliding onto a walkway, an old wall has started to lean, or you want a level spot cut into the hill for a concrete patio. The price moves with the height and length of the wall face, how far we dig to reach good ground, how much drainage it needs, which wall type fits and how easy it is to get a crew and concrete to the spot. The schedule turns mostly on any city paperwork and on the cure, the wait while new concrete gains strength, before soil goes back behind the wall. The written estimate I send after seeing your ground lays out what your wall needs and what it costs.
How do you know a retaining wall needs work?
Wall leaning or bulging
The top of the wall tips toward the yard or the middle bows out, which usually means the soil and water behind it are pushing harder than it was built for. It won't straighten itself, and the longer it goes, the more it can take with it, like a fence, a planter or the patio below.
Water or mud at the base
After a rain you see wet streaks, seeping cracks or mud washing out at the bottom, which means water is trapped behind the wall with nowhere to go. Wet ground pushes harder than dry ground, so every storm adds to the problem.
Cracks that keep opening
A crack that gets wider each year, or one end of the wall sitting lower than the other, usually points to a footing that's moving. Patching the face hides it for a while, but the movement underneath keeps going.
How we build a concrete retaining wall
Most walls that fail had a water problem, so I start with where the water goes behind the wall and under it. If the wall sits close to a property line, we sort out the footing layout next, because that decides where everything else goes. Then my crew digs out for the footing, ties the rebar, the steel inside that keeps the wall from cracking and tipping under the soil's push, sets the forms and pours. A drain and drainable gravel go in behind the wall before any soil goes back. The face is what you'll look at every day, but the footing and the drainage are what keep it standing, so if the budget gets tight, those are the last places I'd trim.
A wall often makes room for more concrete. Leveling a sloped backyard can open up space for a pool and concrete pool decks, and a flat pad behind a new wall is a common spot for a workshop or studio that needs concrete floor installation.
Reinforced cantilever wall
A steel-reinforced wall on a wide footing that uses much less concrete than a solid wall, but it takes more design work and a careful crew to build right. For most walls of any real height it's the one I'd pick, because the care it asks for is where we'd spend the effort anyway.
Solid gravity wall
A thick wall that holds the soil back with its own weight, so it's simpler to lay out but uses a lot more concrete. It suits a short wall, where the extra material doesn't add up to much.
Your retaining wall, priced in writing
Send the address and a few photos, and we'll reply within one business day to set a visit. I'll come out, look at the slope and where the water runs, and send you a free written estimate. There's no pressure to book.
(909) 729-4086Planning a concrete retaining wall in Pomona
The city decides whether your wall needs a permit, and Pomona's Building & Safety Division publishes a Retaining Wall handout with the rules for walls like yours, so read it before anyone sets a date. When a wall needs a permit, we pull it and handle the paperwork with the city. The state also maps Seismic Hazard Zones, places where it has found weak soil or rock is likely under the property and can fail in an earthquake, and it says that ground can damage structures unless proper precautions are taken during grading and construction. You can type your address into the state's EQ Zapp tool to see whether your lot is in one or hasn't been evaluated yet, and if it is, tell me before I write the estimate.
J&K Pomona Concrete Contractors is based in Pomona and works in the cities around it. Most of the walls we look at hold back a backyard slope behind a patio or pool, or run along a side yard where the lot steps down toward the neighbor's, and we see the same layouts on jobs in Diamond Bar and Chino Hills. We plan them the same way, with the water first and a footing that fits the lot.
What happens after you call about a retaining wall?
Call or send a message
Call (909) 729-4086 or fill out the form with your address and where the wall would go. We set a time for me to come out and look.
I look at the ground
I check the soil, where the water runs and how close the property line is, measure the wall's length and height, and ask how you'll use the space. You get a written estimate that spells out the wall type, the drainage and the price, so you know what you're paying for before you decide.
My crew forms and pours
If you go ahead, we take care of any permit first, then my crew digs, sets the steel and forms, and pours. Pomona allows construction Monday to Saturday, 7 am to 8 pm, with no work on federal holidays, so your job runs inside those hours.
Cure, backfill and walk through
We let the concrete cure before any soil goes back behind it. When it's done, we walk the finished wall with you before we pack up.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a concrete retaining wall cost in Pomona?
A concrete retaining wall in the Los Angeles area usually costs about $20 to $45 per square foot of wall face installed, including materials, labor and site prep. That's nearby market pricing, not a Pomona quote, and a tall wall with tough access lands differently than a short one beside the driveway. I'll put your number in writing after I see the site.
What causes retaining walls to fail?
Most retaining walls fail because water wasn't managed and the plans didn't make it to the crew intact, according to an engineer who investigates failed walls. Groundwater seepage, surface runoff and leaking water or sewer lines all build pressure behind a wall, and clay that's soaked is hard to drain and pushes harder, which is why wall designs almost always call for drainable gravel fill behind the wall. Ask any contractor how their plan handles each of those and how the plans get to the people pouring.
Can a retaining wall be built near my property line?
Yes, there's a layout made for walls close to a property line. Some cantilever walls put the footing on one side only, for spots where a typical footing would cross onto the neighbor's lot. Ask whether it fits your wall, and I'll look at the line on the estimate visit.
Who do I contact in Pomona about a retaining wall permit?
Call the city's Building & Safety Division at 909-620-2371, or go in at City Hall. It's the office that publishes the city's Retaining Wall handout, so it's the place to ask about the rules for your wall before work starts.
What is the best way to keep water from building up behind a retaining wall?
Give the water a planned way out before it collects. A trade group's guide for concrete block walls says the design has to keep water from collecting behind the wall, and where heavy, long rains are expected, a continuous drain along the back can be added to the drains through the wall. We work out that path for your wall before anything gets poured.
What should a retaining wall footing sit on?
A footing should sit on firm, undisturbed soil or fill that's been properly compacted, as one trade group's guide advises for concrete block walls. Loose dirt under a footing settles, and a wall that settles starts to lean. It's a fair question to ask any contractor, and it's the first thing I look at when I come out.
Pomona, CA
Get your retaining wall priced
Have the address, where the wall would go, its rough length and height, and a few photos of the slope and drainage handy, and I can tell a lot before I even get there.