We Build, Repair, and Replace Retaining Walls
We are your Bel Air, Maryland retaining wall specialists!
Retaining walls are a great addition to any landscape, especially if your property has an existing slope. Building a retaining wall allows you to reclaim some of that lost space by carving out usable outdoor spaces on sloping ground that would otherwise not be usable. Retaining walls can hold back earth and soil which helps to create new level areas for the construction of a new garden bed, a new lawn, a patio or an outdoor cooking area, a parking area, and more. Retaining walls can be built using a variety of materials including rock, brick, block, boulders, or even wood.
Why Do You Need Retaining Walls On Your Property?
- Do you need to prevent soil erosion on your property?
- Do you have an existing retaining wall that has failed and needs repair or rebuilt?
- Do you have a sloped property you’d like to landscape?
- Do you want to create a new outdoor living space?
- Do you want some raised garden beds around your home or property?
Harvest Outdoor Living is a landscaping contractor based out of Bel Air, Maryland and serving Harford County. We provide our services in Aberdeen, Abingdon, Bel Air, Churchville, Fallston, Forest Hill, Havre De Grace, Jarrettsville, Perry Hall and White Marsh.
We specialize in designing and building functional retaining walls for property owners looking to landscape their naturally sloped property. From a 60′ foot long curved block retaining wall to hold back earth around the edge of your home to larger, more complicated, retaining walls for your terraced property. The team at Harvest Outdoor Living will be able to provide you with a retaining wall solution that will benefit your specific property.
Construction Of New Retaining Walls
We specialize in the construction of new segmented retaining walls. The benefits to segmented retaining walls are many. Segmented retaining walls are aesthetically pleasing, they offer design flexibility, they are economical, easier to install, and durable.
They are also pre-engineered, meaning the wall can be built to your project specifications without having to have an architect or engineer design the wall itself. We can build the wall to the engineering specifications and have a qualified engineer sign off on the project if the height or size of the wall requires it.
Retaining Walls & Building Permits in Harford County, Maryland
In most of Harford County (your municipality could be different) retaining walls that are under 3 feet in height generally do not require permits or design plans. There are some specifics that may or may not apply to your situation. If retaining walls are 3 feet in height or over than a permit is generally required. Any retaining walls over 6 feet in height will require a permit and additionally an engineered design to ensure the structure is sound. This information does not account for any covenants that might be on your property.
When we view your property we’ll be able to let you know any specific building codes that might apply to your circumstance depending on the height/length of your wall and what it’s specifically being installed for and whatever surcharges (weight) might be applied to the soil above and behind the wall.
Proper Drainage For Retaining Walls
We are often contacted by potential customers who have an existing retaining wall that has failed, it’s either falling down, bulging, or collapsing. One of the most common reasons for retaining wall failure is that the original wall was built with poor drainage in place.
Retaining walls are designed to hold back earth from erosion. This also makes them excellent at holding back water too. The water that builds up behind a retaining wall is referred to in the industry as “hydrostatic pressure” and the external force of the soil or fill held behind your retaining wall coupled with the weight of the water held behind it is often enough to seriously compromise the integrity of your wall which can lead to failures such as bulging and even a total collapse.
Well-built retaining walls must incorporate good drainage if it’s going to last for many years. Depending on the type of material being used to build your retaining wall there are a variety of ways to integrate sufficient drainage such as lateral drains, french drains, weeping drains, blanket drains and also the use of very granular soil or fill behind the wall can also work to disperse rather than hold the water.
Understanding Retaining Wall Surcharges
A "surcharge" when it comes to a retaining wall is the weight on top of or behind the wall. For example, if you're building a retaining wall to create a new parking area for a boat or an RV we need to consider the weight of the boat or RV and it's impact on the retaining wall.
If your wall is going to have a surcharge it must be built with this in mind if it's going to last. This would also include tiered retaining walls or retaining walls with a fence on top or any other weight other than the earth it's holding back.
Geo-grid is often used to provide extra tensile strength to each course of your retaining wall so it's anchored to the ground behind it. Proper use of geo-grid will ensure that your retaining wall will be built to last and won't collapse or buckle under the excess weight.
Failure to properly stabilize retaining walls is another very common failure.
What Materials Do We Use For Retaining Walls?
There are many different materials to build your retaining wall out of. Below are some of the more popular materials in our area because of their availability.
- Block retaining walls
- Natural stone retaining walls
- Large boulder retaining walls
How Our Retaining Wall Construction Process Works
When building a retaining wall on your property that is designed to hold back soil and earth from erosion there is very little margin for error so when required we work directly with engineers if your wall is over 6 feet in height. There are many pre-engineered systems we can use as well that can eliminate the need for detailed building plans.
- We start with our initial consultation.
- We determine how many feet of retaining wall you need.
- We determine the height of the wall and if a building permit or engineer will be required.
- We take into account any surcharges (weight) the wall might be exposed to.
- We consult with you on the materials you’d like your retaining built with.
- We’ll provide you with an accurate written estimate for the work.
The amount of work required to build a retaining wall can vary widely from project to project. The slope of your property, the amount of earth your retaining wall must hold back and the overall accessibility of your property will all contribute to the final cost. We’ll be able to offer you an accurate estimate only after a site visit.
What Does It Cost To Build Retaining Walls?
Retaining walls can vary in price depending on the size, scope, length, height, and the materials chosen. Larger walls will need to be engineered which can add to the cost.
Smaller Garden Walls
$3000 - $5000
This would be for a small garden wall (under 2 feet high) to surround a small garden or to surround a small landscaping bed.
Large Retaining Walls
$30,000 - $100,000+
This would be a ballpark cost for a very large or tiered retaining wall or multiple wall with courses that are 4 feet or higher
Retaining Wall Projects Can Include
A beautiful retaining wall isn't just for looks. They have an important job to do. Whether we're building a brand new retaining wall or replacing an existing retaining wall that has failed, there are a number of things we do.
These prices do not include stairs. If you need stairs built within your retaining wall there will be an additional cost. These price ranges are for a typical wall built using readily available landscape block. There are a wide variety of styles and patterns available and we'll be able to provide you with a selection during our consultation. The price can vary significantly depending on the specific material you choose.
These prices are ball park figures to give you a rough idea as to what you should expect. Your particular project may vary depending on site accessibility, materials chosen, and the overall scope of work. If you need a firm price please request a consultation so we can view your potential project, listen to your ideas, and determine the actual scope of work required to complete your project. After our on-site consultation we'll be able to provide you with a firm estimate to complete your project.
Retaining Wall Repair Or Replacement
We specialize in rebuilding retaining walls that have failed and/or collapsed.
Retaining Wall Repairs
It's pretty common for us to get called out to repair an existing retaining wall that has collapsed or failed in some way. This could be an old wood retaining wall that is rotting away or a block wall that is bulging or on the verge of collapse if it has not collapsed already.
Typically we don't recommend "repairing" retaining walls. The wall has failed for a reason and that reason is typically poor construction or a poor choice of materials. When a wall has failed we will usually recommend tearing the wall out and replacing it. This would include demolition of the old wall, re-excavating the area to allow for proper base materials, installation of proper drainage, and proper backfill. Building it right is the more cost effective option in most situations.
Rebuilding Failed Retaining Walls
If your existing retaining wall has failed and needs to be replaced it's usually more cost effective to demolish the old wall, remove the materials, re-excavate the site, install a proper base, geo-grid if necessary, install drainage, and build the retaining wall properly.
We specialize in rebuilding retaining walls that have failed and would be happy to provide you with a consultation if you have a wall that you believe needs to be replaced.
It was a great experience working with Tom Riley and his crew from Harvest. He was very accommodating and patient. A big thank you and shout out to them
Our family is so happy that we hired Tom Kiley- Harvest Outdoor Living to design and create two major hardscaping projects to enhance the established landscape of our home this Summer. The entirety of our projects were handled with knowledge and expertise from conception to execution. The craftsmanship displayed in every aspect of the creation is the combination of experience and great skill. Tom Kiley is a Hands - On business owner, ensuring that the entire project was completed flawlessly ,exceeding both his and our expectations. Despite the extreme heat, the Harvest Outdoor Living crew worked long hours from early morning until evening, always respectful, friendly and pleasant, keeping the work site neat and tidy after each shift. God Bless the Three Amigos ! While we were looking for a simple sidewalk solution, Tom's inspired vision of a bi-level enclosed garden, featuring large boulders and flowering trees and plants ,illuminated at twilight intrigued us. We asked for a curving, hand cut heated bluestone sidewalk across our front yard that wraps around our existing front porch. This sidewalk, combined with another constructed with Cambridge Paving Stones adds a luxurious curb appeal. The second, more difficult project involved a combination of many skilled professionals ,including demolition experts, engineering plans and permits and a tremendous amount of hard physical labor. This project was also completed above and beyond our expectations and has solved our water issues. All plantings and replanting's were professional and successful. Ultimately, we have been given the landscaping improvements we always needed and wanted, yet never imagined could possibly exist ! Everyone comments on how beautiful our new landscape looks. We could not be happier with the results.
Tom and his crew transformed the empty space left in our backyard after the pool delete into a beautiful patio that we love to use, and that all our neighbors admire. Job started on time, completed within our budget, and perfect in every detail!
We were looking to do a complete backyard overhaul. The main problem was water sitting and the grass always felt like mush days after it rained. The project included a paver patio for better outdoor living space, regrading the yard, burrying some down spouts, and installing two French drains. Along the way we added In a tree removal, sectioning off the tree line with some mulch, and redoing the broken lattice under the sunroom. Last night's rain was an ultimate test of his work. There's no standing puddles and the water was rivering away during the rain like it was supposed to. Additionally the patio looks great. During the initial estimate Tom really took his time, asked the right questions and appeared to genuinely care about our problems and how to fix it. The other two who came out weren't as personable and didn't truly listen. Additionally, Tom's prices were fair for the work that was being asked. I'd highly recommend talking to Tom about an estimate if you're looking to do any type of outdoor project.
I was extremely happy with this company. They were respectful, knowledgeable, and did an amazing job. Thank you again for fixing the problem and much more.
Harvest Outdoor Living did a terrific mulching gardens, providing new storm design system and constructing new paver sidewalk. Job started on date stated in contract and completed on time and no change orders. Tom’s attention detail was so good you would think his team was working at his home.
We would highly recommend Harvest Outdoor Living for all of your landscaping needs. Our yard was overgrown and more high maintenance than we wanted or had time to deal with. We reached out to Tom for a quote and he responded quickly with a fair estimate. After we agreed to the quote, Tom scheduled our job for a week after. He and his team are professional and highly skilled. He took our mess of a yard and made it look spectacular. It’s better than we imagined. We could not be happier with the results.
Harvest Outdoor Living did a miraculous job on my landscaping design and requirements despite having many challenges. I found Tom Kiley to be the ultimate professional who patiently answered my questions and designed a solution that is perfect for our environment. Tom’s experience and expertise made the renovation a success. Tom earned 5 Stars for the work at my home. HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION.
Quality of work outstanding. Harvest Team pleasant, courteous, and professional. Delivered 100% on all agreed upon services. Communication flawless. Five star rating well deserved and earned. If you have landscaping needs, do not miss the opportunity to work with the Harvest Team! They are best in class!
without question this was a wonderful experience working with this company from beginning to finish. it was an effort to remedy a major drainage issues we have been having for years, with various slopes and terrain features to contend with. i interviewed the owner Tom, and as an engineer and former contractor the solutions seemed plausible. His price was fair and the work was completed within the timeframe he says it would. There was a spotless cleanup afterwards and as importantly his crew Saul and Carlos worked extremely well with Tom and their experience was evident. Honestly, i’ll be shocked if this doesn’t fit the bill as stated. Incredible company.
I am very happy with the work done by Harvest Landscape. Everything went as planned and the project turned out beautifully! I would definitely recommend.
I would absolutely recommend Harvest Landscape! Tom was extremely nice, professional and polite throughout the entire project. He worked with us to come up with the exact design we wanted within our budget and was so patient throughout the whole process. He was always on time and even started the project earlier than expected. He pays close attention to detail and him and his team work quickly and were very efficient. We will definitely be hiring Harvest landscape again for future landscape and hardscape projects. We are extremely satisfied and just love our new patio and fire pit so much!
Tom and team did a fantastic job on our patio. Totally changed the look and use of our backyard. Quality work from beginning to end. Highly recommend.
I had asked Tom about cutting back our mulch bed out front and adding a stone retaining wall - was very happy with the results! I also love that he used the plants we had and rearranged them to make them feel new - it helped frame the space while also helping us to keep within our budget. Will definitely be reaching out to him and his team again.
Tom really listens to what you need done and his expertise is evident. He's done an excellent job with the yardwork and helped me out twice. He's a keeper!
Tom was great to work with! He worked with me quite a bit to come up with a plan for my landscaping and used 3D rendering to show me example photos of what the work would look like! He built a beautiful retainer wall and put in lovely plants to spruce up the look of my home. There was excellent communication throughout the entire project. Thanks so much Tom! Will absolutely recommend you to others!!
Very professional and dependable. With an eye for detail, my yard has never looked better! Looking forward to future projects with Harvest!
Our neighbor recommended Tom and we are happy we called him. He stopped by our property and give us great ideas on how to create new garden beds and installing trees, as well as regrading and establishing our lawn. He was very diligent in his work and even came back to fix some issues that was caused by heavy winds. We will definitely use his services again and will recommend Tom to anyone we know.
I have used Harvest Landcare for 2 years now for my spring clean up and mulching. He also trimmed bushes in the fall. Very attentive and responsive and does great work. Highly recommend.
Harvest Landcare has done several mulching and landscape projects around my house. He is reliable, priced right and has a lot of attention to detail. I highly recommend.
Request Your Retaining Wall Consultation