TToni Bolyard
“Marcus does a great job. Fast, not expensive quality work. Does extra work without charging more.”
Retaining Walls in Aurora, OH
A retaining wall is any wall that holds ground back, from a two foot planter wall to a tiered wall system taming a twenty foot drop. I love building them, and we build them to last.
“Marcus did a wonderful job painting a mural on my children's bedroom wall. He is detail oriented, and he finished the project with a perfectionist's eye.… He was punctual and respectful, and I will definitely hire him for future projects.”
Kara Jackowski
What is behind a retaining wall in Northeast Ohio?
The face you see is the easy part. Behind our walls goes drainage stone, drainage fabric and a way for water to get out, because water pressure is what pushes walls over in this climate. Our clay soil holds water, the water freezes, and a wall built without drainage heaves in a few winters. The photos on this page show what our walls look like mid build for exactly that reason.
The Aurora wall
The biggest wall system we have built started with a backyard that dropped twenty feet. We designed a multi-tiered wall with proper drainage and tiered planting beds, and turned a slope you could not stand on into usable yard. The clients had us back a couple of years later to build a large patio on top of it.
Another customer we built a wall and then a patio for wrote this:
“I would definitely recommend Marcus. I am very particular and Marcus is also particular so it worked out well. Does Absolutely great work.He built me a 14 x 16 paver patio and it’s absolutely gorgeous. Marcus is very easy to talk to and you’re able to reach out at any time. Definitely would… recommend him.”
Denise Pekar
Block walls, boulder walls, or both?
Block wall systems are engineered, tight and clean. Boulder and outcropping walls are natural sandstone, hand picked at the quarry. Plenty of our projects use both, block where the engineering calls for it, boulders where you want the yard to look like the stone grew there.
Seat walls, steps and planting tiers
A lot of the walls we build are not holding back a hillside. Seat walls wrap patios and fire pits and add seating without buying furniture. Steps run through grade changes with block or stone cheek walls on either side. Tiered walls turn a slope into planting beds, which is what the Aurora project became. If a wall is going in anyway, the design should make it do a second job.
This service is right when
- Your yard slopes and you are losing usable space to it
- An old railroad-tie or timber wall is rotting and leaning
- You want planting beds terraced into a grade instead of a mow strip you cannot stand on
When it is the wrong call
- The wall is holding back a structure or a road. That is engineered work at a different level, and we will tell you on the phone if your project needs an engineer
- You want the cheapest possible wall. Walls without drainage are cheaper and they fail
What is behind one of our walls
Walls fail from water pressure building up behind them, so ours carry:
- A compacted base trench cut below the wall, sized to the height
- Drainage stone and fabric behind every course, so water never builds pressure
- A path out for the water at the bottom of the wall
- Geogrid tied back into the slope on taller builds
- Caps set last, after the wall has been run for line and level
Where we build it
Most of this work lands in Kent retaining walls, Aurora, Hudson, Mantua and the rest of the towns on the service area page, all inside the circle we keep around our Mantua yard.
What you get on every project
- Every project is warrantiedThe structure carries a structural warranty, because we stand behind all of our work.
- Lawn repair warrantied six monthsOur machines can tear up grass during construction. We repair the lawn to its original condition, and the lawn repair is warrantied for six months.
- Permits and HOA approvals handledWe work with the city, the township and the engineers, sit in the meetings, and present the 3D drawing with locations and setbacks to the HOA board. You do not chase any of it.
- The price you approve is the priceYou see preliminary pricing with the design and final pricing before anything is ordered. Nothing starts until we have a plan and budget that you are comfortable with.
Walls questions, answered
Do I need a permit for a retaining wall in Ohio?
It depends on the town and the height of the wall. We handle the permits and work with the city and the engineers when a project calls for it, so the approvals are our job and not yours.
How long does a retaining wall last?
Built with proper base and drainage, decades. We put a structural warranty on our work, and I have gone back years later to handle little things for clients because I stand behind what we build.
Can you replace a rotting railroad-tie wall?
Yes, and it is one of the most common calls we get. We tear out the ties, cut the grade properly, and rebuild in block or natural stone. The before and after photos on our projects page show exactly this job.
How much does a retaining wall cost?
Height, length and drainage set the price, and height matters most because a taller wall is engineering, not stacking. A planter wall and a tiered system holding a hillside are different projects by an order of magnitude. The site visit gets you a range for your slope.
How tall can a block retaining wall be?
Short walls stack; tall walls get engineered, with geogrid, proper base and drainage designed in. Past a certain height the right answer is often tiers instead of one tall face, which is also better looking and gives you planting beds. We design to the grade, not to a maximum.
What towns do you cover for retaining wall work?
The same circle as everything we build: Hudson, Streetsboro, Aurora, Mantua, Stow and the rest of the list on our service area page. We stay close to the Mantua yard so Marcus can be on every site.
Does retaining wall work pair with anything else you build?
Usually. Most projects that include retaining wall work also touch natural stone work, and designing the two together is cheaper and cleaner than bolting one on later.
Reviews from Aurora Area Customers
PPamela LeRose
“Terrific job. Lowered the price once on the job, unheard of. Best communications of any contractor I've ever dealt with. Highly recommend .”
DDoug Johnson
“Marcus and his team were terrific, from our first meeting to the end of the project. They were friendly, efficient, professional, knew what they were doing, did it well, and more important, they cared! What a refreshing experience! We would recommend Marcus and his team for any landscaping and design work you might need.”
Ready for a yard that leaves a Lasting Impression?
Ready to talk retaining wall work? Marcus answers the phone himself, Monday to Friday, 7am to 6pm.
Monday to Friday, 7am to 6pm · Or send it in writing from the contact page.