Concrete retaining walls in Hilo HI - a slope that stays put through the rain
What goes into building a concrete retaining wall in Hilo?
Mainstay Hilo Concrete Construction builds concrete retaining walls in Hilo that hold back a slope and let the water behind them drain out. I come out to see your yard and write the estimate, then I'm on site with the crew that builds the wall, from the footing to the last of the backfill.
A wall job usually starts with a slope creeping onto a driveway, a yard too steep to use, or a level spot you want for a concrete pool deck or a new concrete floor. One common design is a block wall on a concrete footing, which keeps it from tipping or sliding, with rebar, steel bars set upright in the block cores, taking the strain of the soil pushing on it.
With a wall, the water behind it matters as much as the concrete, and around Hilo the rain doesn't take a season off. Trade winds bring heavy rain to the coast just north of town, and the soil there washes away easily when it's bare, so we plan where the water drains and you'll want the dug-up ground near the wall planted soon after.
What a wall takes
- Digging out and packing the base
- A concrete footing under the wall
- Steel set upright inside the wall
- Drain rock and a filter behind it
- Outlets where the water can leave
- Backfill only once the wall's ready
What to weigh before a retaining wall
What moves the price
Height, length, design and how easy the site is to reach set the price, along with the digging. Your written estimate shows what's included and what isn't.
What sets the timing
Timing turns on how much digging the slope needs, whether a grading permit is involved, and the weather, since heavy rain can stop work on an open slope.
Waterproofing and a cap
Trade guidance says waterproofing should be considered where rain is heavy, and that a block wall's top should be capped to keep water out. In Hilo, we'll talk through both with you.
Retaining wall questions from Hilo
How much does a concrete retaining wall cost in Hilo?
A national price guide puts the cost of hiring a contractor to build a poured concrete retaining wall at about $30 to $50 per square foot across the US. That's a nationwide figure, not a Hilo price, so use it as a rough starting point for your budget. Once I've seen your slope, the estimate gives you a number for your wall.
When does a retaining wall project in Hilo need a grading permit?
The county requires a grading permit when the digging or fill tops 100 cubic yards or runs more than 5 feet high, or when it changes how water drains toward a neighbor. Those permits go through the county's grading permit office in Hilo, and the application also goes through a state historic preservation review. We look into permits while we plan your wall, and when one's needed we take care of the paperwork with the county and tell you what it involves.
What is the best way to drain a retaining wall in Hilo rain?
Give the water a complete path, through a filter behind the wall and out to a proper outlet, because water held back there adds to the sideways push on the wall. Weep holes, the small openings through the face, can't make up for backfill that's clogged, so ask any contractor where your wall's water will come out. On our walls, I show you the outlets when the job's done.
How do I check my retaining wall after heavy rain?
Walk the length of the wall after big storms or any change to the yard, looking for blocked outlets, erosion, new seepage, settling or movement. A change in any of those deserves a closer look, and cracking, a wall that's moving or water building up fast means getting a professional to assess it and keeping people away. Drilling extra drain holes later can affect the wall's steel, waterproofing or stability, so that's for the professional responsible for the wall to review.
Do I need a licensed contractor to build a retaining wall in Hawaii?
Usually yes, because the state's contractor law only exempts a job when its total price, counting labor, materials, taxes and everything else, is $1,000 or less. That exemption doesn't apply when the work is part of a larger project, either. We're licensed and insured, and our work is satisfaction guaranteed.
How long does it take to build a concrete retaining wall?
A retaining wall goes up in steps that each wait on the one before, from digging out and the footing to the wall itself and then the backfill. Trade guidance holds backfill, the soil that goes behind the wall, until the block has gained enough strength or the wall is braced, and we don't backfill until the wall is ready to take the load.
Retaining walls near you
We're based in Hilo and build retaining walls in Hilo, Hawaiian Paradise Park and other cities nearby. Pick your area below, or call (808) 229-1132 if yours isn't listed.
Other concrete work
- Concrete driveway building
- Concrete patio construction
- Stamped concrete services
- Concrete sidewalk building
- Garage floor concrete
- Decorative concrete
- Concrete floor installation
- Concrete pool decks
- Concrete steps construction
- Slab foundation building
- Foundation installation
- Concrete parking lot building
- Concrete footings
- Foundation raising
- Concrete cutting
Get a free estimate for your wall
Send the wall's rough length and height, slope photos and any drainage trouble. We reply within one business day, then I come out for a free estimate, no obligation.