Concrete retaining walls in Hoover AL - a wall that drains and holds your slope
Soil slipping off a slope or an old wall leaning out? We build a concrete wall that holds the ground and drains the water.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- Replies within 1 business day.
What does a concrete retaining wall do for a sloped yard in Hoover?
We build concrete retaining walls in Hoover, AL, that hold back a slope and stand up to the sideways push of the soil behind them, so you get flat, usable ground and a hill that stops creeping toward your house, driveway or patio.
Most folks call us when a bank keeps washing into the yard after storms, or when an old timber or block wall has started to tip. What moves the price is how tall and how long the wall runs, which wall type suits the slope, how much digging and rock we run into, and how much drainage goes behind it. The schedule turns mostly on the city's permit and inspections, the weather, and curing, the days fresh concrete needs to gain strength before we backfill against it. I'll walk your slope with you and put it all in an estimate that spells out what's in it, so you see your own numbers instead of guessing.
How do you know your slope needs a retaining wall?
Mud washing onto the patio
After a hard rain you find dirt on the patio or driveway at the foot of the slope. That usually means water is running straight down the bank and taking soil with it, and every storm takes a little more until the ground above starts to slide.
Old wall leaning forward
A timber or block wall that tips at the top or bulges in the middle is losing its fight with the soil behind it, usually because water is trapped back there. Once a wall starts moving it tends to keep going, and it's a much smaller job to replace it before it falls into the yard.
Water seeping through cracks
Water running out of cracks or the face of a wall after rain means it has no clear way out from behind. That trapped water adds pressure the wall wasn't built for, and the longer it sits, the more it pushes.
How we build a concrete retaining wall
Most wall trouble comes back to water, so I plan the drainage behind the wall first, not last. Once I've walked the slope and seen where the water runs, our crew digs out for the footing, the wide base the wall stands on, and packs the ground under it so the wall isn't sitting on loose dirt. We set rebar, steel bars that carry the bending the concrete can't take alone, then form and pour the footing and the wall. The drainage we planned goes in behind it, gravel and a pipe that carry water out and away instead of letting it build up against the concrete, and then we backfill and clean up.
A wall usually makes flat ground for something else, and we can pour that too. Squaring off a slope by the pool often leads to concrete pool decks tied in along the top of the wall, and when the new level ground is going under a workshop or storage building, our concrete floor installation work covers the slab.
Get a price on your retaining wall
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time for me to come see your slope. The estimate is free, done at your place, with no obligation.
- estimates@concretehoover.com
- Based in
- Hoover, AL 35216
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–11 PM
What happens after you call about a retaining wall in Hoover?
Here's how a retaining wall job runs with us, from your first call to the walk-through at the end, and who does what along the way.
Call or send the form
Call (205) 325-9006 or use the form, and we'll get back to you to set a time for me to come out. If you can, pick a time when you can walk the slope with me.
I walk the slope with you
I look at the ground, where the water runs and where your property line sits. Your estimate spells out the wall type, the drainage, the digging and everything else that's in it, so nothing about the price is a mystery.
We handle permits and pour
We check with the building office for your address, handle the permit paperwork when one's called for, and leave room for the city's inspections, which come with the permit price. Then our crew digs, sets the steel and pours.
Walk the finished wall together
The city doesn't count a permit as done until the work passes every required inspection, so we see that through. Then we walk the finished wall with you, show you where the drainage comes out, and pack up.
Why Hoover homeowners call A&B Hoover Concrete Construction for walls
I come out to see your slope
I come out myself to look at the job and talk it over with you, and the work is done by our own crew with me on site. The person who sized up your slope is the one watching the footing go in.
Learned the trade one pour at a time
I started as a helper on a small concrete crew, hauling and raking, and opened this business here in Hoover in 2020. I learned early that good concrete on bad ground won't hold up, and that's how I still plan every wall.
Licensed and insured for Alabama home work
We're fully licensed and insured. Alabama's Home Builders Licensure Board licenses residential builders, and the state law covers paid work on a home that costs more than $10,000, so ask any builder about it before you sign.
Every step explained to you
I take the time to show you what goes behind the wall and why, since that part disappears for good once it's backfilled. Our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
On a retaining wall, what's behind the concrete matters more than the face you see, so the place to start is your slope itself. Ask for an estimate and I'll come take a look.
Retaining walls and footings on Hoover ground
The City of Hoover requires a building permit before any construction starts, and that goes for homeowners as much as contractors. If your lot sits in the flood zone the city maps, the Special Flood Hazard Area, Hoover also requires a floodplain development permit for work there. Before we schedule anything, we check with the building office for your address about what your wall needs and handle the paperwork when a permit's called for.
The ground is the bigger unknown on any wall. The Jefferson County soil survey describes one soil around here where bedrock generally has to be blasted for deeper structures, with limestone below where sinkholes may form, and the survey says its own information isn't site specific, so the ground still has to be checked in person. That's why I look hard at the spot where the footing will go before we settle on a design. We run into the same rocky slopes on wall jobs in Vestavia Hills and Mountain Brook, and we plan for them the same way.
Questions about retaining walls in Hoover
How much does a concrete retaining wall cost in Hoover, AL?
A poured concrete retaining wall about 3 feet high usually costs about $33 to $36 per square foot of wall in the Birmingham area, covering concrete, materials and supplies. That's the going rate around here, not our quote, and a taller wall, rock in the dig, extra drainage and tight access all move your number. Your estimate spells out exactly what's in yours.
What causes a concrete retaining wall to crack or lean?
Poor drainage is by far the most common reason walls that hold back earth perform badly, according to national research on these walls. Left alone, those water problems can turn into outright failure, which is why I plan the drainage before anything else and why you should ask any builder how their design drains.
Is a block retaining wall cheaper than poured concrete?
Often it is, since one masonry trade group says segmental walls built from concrete block units typically cost less than walls poured in place. If budget is the main concern, ask me at the estimate and I'll tell you plainly how the two compare on your slope.
How long does it take to build a concrete retaining wall in Hoover?
The time on your job usually comes down to the permit, the digging and the inspections more than the pour itself. Rock under the yard can slow the dig, and the concrete needs time to cure before we backfill behind it, so I'll tell you what your schedule turns on once I've seen the slope.
Can I build my own retaining wall in Alabama without a builder license?
Yes, if you're the owner acting as your own contractor and supervising all the work on your own one-family or two-family home that isn't for sale. Alabama's builder license law gives that exemption to the owner alone, and it can't be passed to anyone else, while the city permit still applies either way.
How do I get ready for a retaining wall estimate?
Have the wall's rough length and height in mind, a few photos of the slope, and any questions about a property line or flood zone. That lets us talk through the right wall type before I even get there, so call (205) 325-9006 or send the form when you're ready.
Concrete work that pairs with a new wall
Concrete floor installation
Need a level indoor slab for a garage, shop or addition? We prep the ground and pour floors that sit flat and drain where they should.
See the service Concrete floor installationConcrete pool decks
A pool set into a slope often needs a wall on one side and a deck around it that sheds water away from the pool and the house.
See the service Concrete pool decks
Retaining walls across Hoover and nearby cities
A&B Hoover Concrete Construction is based in Hoover, Alabama, and we build retaining walls in Pelham, Helena and the other cities listed here, 12 with their own page. We also work in Birmingham and many of the cities around it that don't have a page yet.
Hoover, AL
Get your slope looked at this season
Call (205) 325-9006 or send the form, and I'll stand on your slope with you and tell you straight which kind of wall makes sense for it.