Retaining wall repair
Most walls give warning before they fail. Here's what can be fixed, and when a fix isn't enough.
A wall that's starting to move rarely stops on its own. Every soaking rain adds weight behind it, and every freeze works into the cracks. Catching it early usually means fixing a section instead of replacing the whole thing.
What can usually be repaired?
- A short run of block wall that has shifted or bellied out, which can often be taken down and relaid with new stone backfill and a drain
- Loose or missing caps, and a few blocks or stones that have fallen out
- Cracked or crumbling mortar in a stone wall that's otherwise standing straight
- Washouts at the base where water has undercut the bottom course
- Clogged or crushed drain outlets and weep holes
When is repair not enough?
If the whole wall leans along its length, if it was built with clay backfill and no drain, if timbers have gone soft, or if the ground above the wall is cracking in a long arc, patching won't hold. That points to replacement, and in some cases to a slope problem that needs an engineer. More on failing wall replacement.
What will a contractor check?
Expect them to look at how far the wall has moved, whether there's any drainage at all, what's sitting above the wall, and where runoff from the street, roof or neighboring lots ends up. On a rental or older house near campus, ask whether a past owner added fill or parking above the wall, since that's a common cause of new movement.
Is it safe to wait?
Not if the wall is moving quickly, has fresh large cracks, or sits above a house, sidewalk, parking area or road. Keep people and vehicles off and away from it and get it looked at soon.
The contractor sets the price after seeing the slope, the soil, how equipment can reach the spot and what the wall has to hold back. We don't quote prices, and any figure you hear over the phone before someone has walked the site is a rough guess at best.
Where we connect you with help
Common questions
Can a bowed block wall be pushed back into place?
Not really. The usual fix is to take the bowed section down, add stone backfill and a drain, and relay it.
Will homeowners insurance pay for wall repair?
It depends on your policy and what caused the damage. Many policies exclude earth movement and landslides, so call your insurer before work starts.
Related services
More background: Morgantown retaining wall guide.
Wall bowing out, or the hillside behind it slipping?
Call now and a local retaining wall contractor will come look at it and quote the fix.