Retaining Walls That Hold, Drain and Look Finished
A retaining wall has one job: hold back soil and water for decades without leaning. In Wichita clay that comes down to drainage and base work, and that is where we spend the effort.
Request a ConsultationWhy retaining walls lean and fail
Water is the enemy of every wall. When it cannot drain out, it builds pressure behind the blocks, and Kansas clay holds water like a sponge. Add a few freeze and thaw cycles and the wall starts to tip.
Most failed walls we replace were built without drain stone, without a perforated drain pipe, and on a base that was too shallow. The blocks were fine. The install was not.
What you get with Bluestone
A wall sized for the soil and the height, with a compacted base, drain stone, drain pipe and geogrid where the height calls for it. Taller walls get an engineered design.
Unilock wall systems with caps and corners that look finished from every angle, installed to ICPI standards by one of two Unilock Authorized Contractors in Wichita.
Walls we build
From a garden border to a terraced slope, the method scales with the height.
Garden and planter walls
Low walls that define beds, hold soil and add a seat edge. Under two feet, no engineering required.
Terraced slopes
Two or three stepped walls that turn an unusable hill into flat, plantable or buildable space.
Structural retaining walls
Walls over four feet with geogrid reinforcement and an engineered design, built to carry real loads.
Seat walls and patio edges
Walls that double as seating around a patio or fire pit, planned with the hardscape.
How we build it
The block is the visible part. What is behind it and under it is what makes it last.
Site review and grades
We look at where water comes from, where it needs to go, and how much soil the wall has to hold.
Excavation and base trench
We dig below the finished grade and build a compacted aggregate base so the first course is dead level.
First course and drainage
The base course is set and checked. Perforated drain pipe and clean drain stone go in behind the wall.
Courses, geogrid, backfill
Courses stack with the proper setback. Geogrid ties taller walls into the soil. Backfill goes in compacted lifts.
Caps and finish grading
Caps are glued, soil is graded to drain away, and the site is cleaned up.
What comes with every project
- Drainage behind every wall, no exceptions
- Compacted aggregate base below grade
- Geogrid reinforcement where height requires it
- Engineered design on walls over four feet
- Unilock wall block with caps and corners
- Utility locates and permits handled
Bluestone is one of two Unilock Authorized Contractors in Wichita. Every hardscape we install is built to ICPI standards, the industry guide for interlocking concrete pavement.
What a retaining wall costs in Wichita
Height drives cost more than length. A wall twice as tall needs more than twice the base, drainage and reinforcement.
A 40 foot wall at 3 feet tall is about 120 face feet, so roughly $5,500 to $11,000. Walls over four feet add engineering and geogrid. Replacing a failed wall includes removal.
Every yard is different. The consultation gives you a real number for your property, not a guess.
Questions homeowners ask us
Does my wall need an engineer?
Walls over four feet, or any wall carrying a driveway, pool or structure, get an engineered design. Lower garden walls do not.
How long will the wall last?
Built with drainage and a proper base, 30 years and more. The block itself carries a Unilock warranty.
Can you fix my leaning wall instead of replacing it?
Usually not. A leaning wall has already lost its base or drainage, and rebuilding is the honest fix. We will tell you either way after we look.
Timber or block?
Timber rots in Kansas soil within 10 to 15 years. Segmental block does not rot and can be repaired piece by piece.
How long does it take?
Most residential walls take three days to two weeks on site, depending on height and access.
Have a slope or a wall that is giving up?
Jose will walk the site with you, explain what the soil and water are doing, and give you a real plan and number.
Request a ConsultationServing Wichita, Andover, Derby, Maize, Goddard and the surrounding area.