Concrete retaining walls in Apopka FL - a wall that drains and holds your yard in place
Soil washing down a slope or an old wall leaning out? We plan the drainage first and build a concrete wall that holds the ground.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
What does a concrete retaining wall do for a sloped yard in Apopka?
A concrete retaining wall holds back the earth on a slope so the ground behind it stays put. In Apopka we build them poured or in block, depending on your property line, your ground and where the water runs.
Most folks call us when a slope sheds dirt with every storm or an old wall has started to lean, and they want to know what a fix costs and how long the yard will be torn up. The price moves with the wall's length and height, how far we have to dig and what the ground is like under the footing, which is the concrete base the wall stands on. The schedule turns mostly on the permit question and on giving the concrete time to cure, the wait while it hardens, before we pile dirt back against it. If the slope runs down to a door or a walkway, we can build concrete steps into the same job, and your estimate spells out what the price covers.
How can you tell your slope needs a retaining wall?
Dirt washing off the slope
After a summer storm you find dirt and mulch on your patio, driveway or lawn. That usually means the slope is too steep to hold itself, and every storm takes a little more until the bank starts undercutting whatever sits at the top.
An old wall leaning out
The top of the wall tips forward, or a section bulges out in the middle. That's usually water pushing from behind with no way out, and if you wait it can go from leaning to falling, so you pay to clear a collapse before you pay to build new.
Wet ground at the base
There's a soggy strip along the bottom of the wall or chalky white stains on its face. Water is getting through or around the wall because the drains are clogged or were never there, and the push on the wall keeps building until it gets somewhere to go.
How we build concrete retaining walls
I start with the water, because drainage is what keeps a wall standing, so we plan where it will go behind the wall before we settle anything else. Then I look at where your property line sits, since that can decide whether poured concrete or block fits better. On the job we dig out, pack the ground and pour the footing with rebar, the steel bars that give concrete the pulling strength it doesn't have on its own, then set the forms that shape the wall and pour it. Gravel and drain pipe go in behind it, and once it has cured we fill the soil back in packed layers and clean up. If the budget gets tight, I'd rather keep the money in the footing and the drainage than in a fancy face, because nobody sees what's under the dirt but it decides how the wall holds up.
A new wall often makes room for flat work around it. Once the slope is held back, we can pour concrete pool decks on the leveled ground, and if you're putting up a shed, workshop or addition there, we handle the concrete floor installation too.
Poured concrete wall
One solid wall with steel inside gives a smooth, clean face and suits tight spots where there's little room behind it. It's what I usually point people to when the wall holds up the edge of a driveway or patio.
Concrete block wall
Interlocking concrete blocks stacked in rows give a textured face and suit a lot with open room behind the wall. They work well for lower garden walls and terraced beds.
Get a free estimate for your retaining wall
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set up a visit. I'll come out and measure, and the estimate is free, obligation-free and spells out what the price covers.
(407) 358-0192- Based in
- Apopka, FL 32712
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–9 PM
What happens after you call us about a retaining wall?
Here's how a wall job runs from your first call to the final walk-through, so you know who does what along the way.
- +01
Call or send a message
Call (407) 358-0192 or use the form, and we'll get back to you to set a time to come out. A few photos of the slope help me picture it before I get there.
- +02
I measure and ask questions
I walk the slope, measure and ask where the water goes after a storm and where your property line runs. Your estimate spells out what's in it, so you can see what the drainage, the digging and the wall itself each add.
- +03
We sort permits and build
Once you say go, we sort out the permit question, then our crew preps the ground and pours. We let the wall cure before we backfill against it, so it's ready before it takes the load.
- +04
Walk the finished wall together
When the soil is back in and the site is cleaned up, we walk the wall together. I'll show you where the drain lets out so you know what to keep clear.
Why Apopka homeowners call Custom Apopka Concrete for retaining walls
On a wall, the drainage and the ground under the footing matter more than anything you'll see on day one. Ask for an estimate and I'll come walk the slope with you.
The owner comes out first
I usually come out myself to look at the job and talk it through, and our own crew does the work. The person who measured your yard and heard what you want is the same one answering for how it's built.
Building in Apopka since 2021
We've been in business since 2021, five years now, and we're known for flatwork where the ground prep gets real attention. A wall is the same idea standing up, because the part under the dirt decides how it holds.
Licensed and fully insured
We're licensed and fully insured. Florida law requires a contractor to be licensed in the state and to list license numbers on permits and contracts, so look for that on every bid you compare.
Retaining walls and yard work in Apopka
Apopka's zoning division lists structural permits, fences and additions, and retaining walls aren't on that list, so the list alone doesn't settle whether your wall needs a permit. The city's Building-Safety Department asks owners to check with it before starting a project, and that's where the question goes. Before we start, we check with the city or county building office that covers your address, and when a permit is needed, we file it as the licensed contractor and keep you posted.
Florida's Department of Environmental Protection counts sinkholes as a hazard to property and says the risk depends partly on what people do to the ground, like reshaping it and loading it. A wall and the dirt behind it are a lot of weight, so I want to know what's under the footing before we pick a design, and if the ground raises a question that belongs to an engineer, I'll tell you so. We see the same sloped backyards and storm runoff on jobs in Ocoee and Winter Garden.
Questions about retaining walls in Apopka
How much does a concrete retaining wall cost in Apopka FL?
Concrete retaining wall installation in the Orlando area usually costs about $17 to $38 per square foot of wall face, installed. Tearing out an old wall, curves, a stamped or colored face, walls taller than 3 feet and hard ground push it up, and ground that needs piles, deep supports under the footing, raises it a lot. Your estimate spells out what our price covers.
Is a poured concrete or block retaining wall better for my yard?
Poured concrete usually fits better near a lot line, and block can fit better on ground that may settle. A block wall needs geogrid, a mesh laid back into the soil behind it, so where that mesh would run into a neighbor's yard, a poured wall built as a cantilever, an L-shaped wall braced by its own footing, suits the spot. A materials guide notes a rigid poured footing can crack on unevenly settling ground while block flexes with minor settling, and a Wisconsin highway design manual says poured cantilever walls want firm ground and may need piles or ground improvement where settling is a problem.
What causes a retaining wall to fail?
Poor drainage is by far the most common reason earth retaining walls perform badly, and left alone those problems can turn into outright failure. Water that builds up behind a wall keeps pushing on it, so the drain path belongs in the plan from the start.
How do I apply for a retaining wall permit in Apopka?
You apply for Apopka building permits online through the city's OpenGov portal. The Building-Safety Department asks you to call it at 407-703-1713, or reach the Building Official, before you start, so you can confirm whether your wall needs one.
Can I build my own retaining wall in Apopka?
You can, but under Florida's owner-builder disclosure you become the responsible party of record on the permit. Hiring a licensed contractor who files the permit in their own name may protect you from that financial risk.
What is the best way to drain a retaining wall?
One research report found drains that can be maintained more reliable than traditional weep holes, the small openings through a wall that tend to clog over its life. When you compare bids, ask which kind each one includes.
Related concrete work around a new wall
Once a slope is held back, the flat ground above or below it is the spot for a pool deck sloped so rain runs away from the house.
If you're adding a shed, workshop or room on ground the wall has leveled, we pour the floor on a packed base so it stays flat.
Service areas for retaining walls around Apopka
Custom Apopka Concrete is based in Apopka, FL, and builds retaining walls in the cities around it across the Orlando area. The 12 areas below have their own pages, including Orlando and Altamonte Springs, and we work in other nearby cities too.
Tell us about your slope and wall
Have the wall's rough length and height, a few photos of the slope and where your property line runs, and I can start sizing up the job on the first call.
Apopka, FL