Block, segmental, and poured concrete retaining walls. Engineered for the soil and the slope — not stacked-and-hoped.
| Segmental block, under 4 ft | $25–$45 / sq face ft |
| Segmental, 4–6 ft (engineered) | $50–$80 / sq face ft |
| Poured concrete, residential | $55–$85 / sq face ft |
| Drainage system (gravel + drain) | $8–$15 / lin ft |
| Geogrid reinforcement (over 3 ft) | $3–$8 / sq face ft |
2 ft tall × 20 ft long segmental wall: $1,000–$1,800. 4 ft × 30 ft engineered wall: $6,000–$9,600.
We rebuild a wall every month or two in Pflugerville that failed for one of three reasons. They're all preventable up front:
Hydrostatic pressure behind a wall is enormous. Without gravel backfill, a perforated drain pipe, and a daylight outlet, water pushes the wall over.
Walls over 3 ft need geogrid layers extending into the soil mass behind them. Without geogrid the wall is just leaning on itself.
Pflugerville's expansive clay needs heavier base, deeper footings, and the right block type. Lightweight retaining block from a big-box store on clay = a five-year wall.
Under 4 ft: No engineering required for residential walls in Pflugerville. We design and build to manufacturer specs with proper drainage and base prep.
Over 4 ft: Pflugerville requires a permit and an engineered design with stamped drawings. We coordinate with a licensed engineer (added to the quote) and submit the permit package.
If a contractor is bidding a 5 ft wall and says "we don't need to bother with engineering" — they're either ignorant or lying. Walk away.
"Built a 30 ft, 3 ft tall segmental wall to terrace our backyard slope in Falcon Pointe. Drainage was a non-obvious extra they pushed for — glad they did."
"Original wall (built by previous owners) was bowing forward. They removed it, regraded, added drainage, and built it right. Two years in, no movement."
"Coordinated the engineer for our 5 ft wall and pulled the permit. We didn't have to chase anything."
Segmental block, under 4 ft: $25–$45 per square face foot. Over 4 ft (engineered): $50–$80. Poured concrete: $55–$85.
Yes for walls over 4 ft tall (measured footing to top). Engineering and stamped drawings also required. We handle both. Under 4 ft: no permit required.
Built right with drainage and geogrid: 40–60 years. Built without those: 5–15 years before failure.
Segmental block: most common for residential up to 6 ft, looks natural, modular. Poured concrete: stronger, more industrial, better for tall structural walls or commercial settings.
Sometimes. If the lean is from drainage failure with no structural movement of the blocks, we can re-engineer drainage and stabilize. If blocks have shifted or the base is gone, it's a tear-down and rebuild.
Under 4 ft, 20–30 ft long: 2–3 days. Tall engineered wall: 4–7 days plus permit lead time (2–4 weeks).
Free on-site assessment. We'll measure slope, check soil, and quote both block and poured options where it makes sense.