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Cornerstone Tampa Concrete and Masonry
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Retaining wall construction in Tampa FL - a drained wall that holds your yard in place

Soil sliding down your slope or washing onto the patio? We build walls with the drainage planned first, so they keep standing.

Request an estimate(813) 471-5857
Stone retaining walls and broad steps border a raised patio beside a building, with black metal handrails and lanterns.

What does building a retaining wall in Tampa involve?

Retaining wall construction in Tampa means building a wall that holds back soil, called backfill, that would otherwise slide down your slope, so a sloped yard gets level ground and stops washing out.

Most calls start with soil washing onto a patio, a slope too steep to mow or an old wall starting to lean. The wall's height and length, the material, how much soft ground has to come out and how much drainage your lot needs set the price, while the permit, the digging and the weather set the schedule. If you have an older brick or stone wall that's cracked but still standing straight, masonry restoration may be the right fix instead, and I'll tell you that on the spot. Either way, I follow up with a written estimate for your wall.

Why Tampa homeowners pick us for retaining walls

You get a wall sized and drained for your slope, not a bigger job than you need, and straight answers from the person who builds it.

  • I look at it myself

    I come out to see your slope, write the estimate and then work on site with our crew to build it.

  • In business since 2013

    I learned masonry beside my father, and new block and stone work built to plan is much of what we do.

  • Drainage planned first

    We plan where the water goes behind the wall before we set a block, because trapped water pushes walls over.

  • The fix fits the slope

    If a lower wall or a simple repair does the job, I'll say so on the spot so you can decide.

  • Licensed and insured

    Ask for the paperwork before we dig, because you should check that on anyone building on your property.

Retaining wall options for a Tampa yard

The right wall comes down to how tall it is, where it sits on your lot and how wet the ground gets, so we pick the type after seeing your slope.

  • Segmental block wall

    Factory-made concrete blocks stacked without mortar, holding the soil back mainly by their own weight. It's the usual choice for lower yard and garden walls.

  • Reinforced block wall

    The same blocks tied into flat layers of soil reinforcement that reach back into the backfill, which makes the wall act wider and heavier than the blocks alone. It suits taller walls.

  • Terraced walls

    Two or more shorter walls stepped up the slope instead of one tall one. The City of Tampa may allow terracing if it's properly designed and built, and each step gives you a level bed.

  • Pressure treated wood

    Wood works only on some Tampa walls, depending on the height and how close the wall sits to a property line or street. The wood question below explains the city's rule.

Planning a retaining wall? Let's talk.

Call (813) 471-5857 or send the form for an estimate, and we'll start with what your slope actually needs.

Request an estimate(813) 471-5857

How Cornerstone Tampa Concrete and Masonry builds retaining walls

I start at the base, because a wall is only as steady as the ground under it. One block maker's guide says the trench bottom must be firm, and that heavy clay, wet soil or ground dug before should come out. When we hit soft or wet ground, we dig it out and pack in stone before the first block is set.

As the wall rises, we pack the backfill behind it and keep a path open for water to get out instead of building up. If the wall is the first piece of a backyard with a patio or a fireplace, tell me early, because the grade and drainage should be planned around all of it. Every wall is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.

Retaining wall questions from Tampa homeowners

How much does a retaining wall cost in Tampa?

A retaining wall project in Tampa usually costs about $4,000 to $6,000 per job, which is what the work runs in the area and not a price of ours. Where your job lands depends on the things covered above, like height, material, base work and drainage. Your written estimate puts a number on your wall.

Can my retaining wall in Tampa be made of wood?

Yes, if it's 3 feet or under, or if it sits away from property lines and public land along a street. The city requires any home wall taller or deeper than 3 feet that runs beside other private property or a public right-of-way, meaning public land like a street or sidewalk, to be poured concrete or reinforced block. A wall away from both can be pressure treated wood, concrete or masonry, so I measure the height and check where the wall falls on your lot.

What causes a retaining wall to fail?

Water trapped behind it is the usual cause, because even a moderate rise in groundwater behind a wall can double or triple the sideways push on it and sharply raise the risk of it tipping or sliding. In parts of Tampa where the water table may be high, the city calls for soil information and a drainage system of rock and perforated drainpipe, a pipe with small holes, behind the wall. One block maker's guide also requires a drain pipe in any reinforced wall, in gravity walls, the kind held up by their own weight, over 4 feet tall, and on sites that drain poorly, which is why drainage comes first on our jobs.

Do I need a permit to build a retaining wall in Tampa?

The city issues permits for home privacy and retaining walls, and any work in a public right-of-way or easement needs a right-of-way permit too. I check what your wall needs when I look at it, and when there's a permit, we pull it, handle the paperwork and line up the inspections.

Who can build a retaining wall in Hillsborough County?

In Hillsborough County, construction work regulated by the State of Florida needs a contractor licensed by the state Department of Business & Professional Regulation or by the county. Ask anyone you're considering for their license and check it before work starts, and that goes for us too.

How long does it take to build a retaining wall?

Setting the blocks is usually the quick part, since one block industry guide says an experienced crew of three or four typically puts up 300 to 500 square feet of block wall a day, and stacking without mortar is what keeps it fast. The digging, base work and drainage take their own time, and a permit adds the city's review before we start, so the schedule depends on your site.

What happens when you call about a retaining wall in Tampa?

Every wall starts with me looking at your slope in person, so the plan fits your yard, your soil and the city's rules before anything gets dug.

  1. You call, I answer

    Call (813) 471-5857 and I pick up myself, and we set a time for me to come look at your slope.

  2. We walk the slope

    I walk the job with you, check the height, the soil and where the water runs, and tell you right there what I'd build and why.

  3. Your written estimate

    I follow up with a written estimate for the wall we talked about, so you have it in hand before you decide.

  4. The build and final walk

    Once you say go, we take care of the permit when there is one, my crew and I build the wall, and I walk the finished job with you.

Retaining wall construction in Tampa and nearby cities

We're based in Tampa and build retaining walls in the cities around it on both sides of the bay, from Brandon to St. Petersburg. Pick your city below, and if yours isn't listed, call and ask.

Plan your Tampa retaining wall with us

Call (813) 471-5857, seven days a week until 11 PM, or send the form and tell us about your slope.

Request an estimate(813) 471-5857