Retaining wall construction in Novato CA - a wall built to drain and hold your slope
Slope sliding onto your patio or an old wall leaning out? We build a new one with the drainage behind it planned first.
What does it take to build a retaining wall in Novato?
Retaining wall construction in Novato means digging out the slope and building a wall that holds the ground back, with a planned way for the water behind it to get out.
Most people call when a slope keeps creeping onto the patio, a hillside yard has no flat ground or an old wall has started to lean. If that old wall is brick or stone and still sound at the bottom, masonry restoration may save it, and I'll tell you if it can't. For a new wall, the size and the material set most of the price, and digging out, drainage and reinforcement add to it. The material sets the schedule too, since block goes up faster than stone or poured concrete, and utility marking or a permit, if the city wants one, can push the start date. Your written estimate puts a number on your wall.
Why Novato homeowners hire us for retaining walls
You get a plain answer about your slope, a wall with the buried parts done right and a crew that cleans up before it leaves.
I look at every job
I come out to see your slope myself, and my crew of masons builds the wall with me.
In business since 2017
I learned the trade hauling block on other masons' crews before starting this company in Novato.
Licensed and insured in California
The state licensing board requires a license to offer construction work, and we're fully licensed and insured.
A straight answer first
If an old wall is worth fixing instead of replacing, or a cheaper material will do, I'll say so.
Satisfaction guaranteed
Satisfaction guaranteed on every job, from the base we pack to the last cap on the wall.
Retaining wall materials to choose from
The right wall depends on how much ground it holds, where the water runs, how it should look next to your house and how soon you need it done.
Ask about your retaining wall
Call (628) 209-1088 and I'll come look at the slope before anyone talks about block or stone.
How Optimum Novato Concrete and Masonry builds a retaining wall
Most of what matters in a retaining wall ends up buried. We plan where the water goes behind the wall as carefully as the wall itself, because a wall that can't drain is a wall that's working too hard. So before any block goes in, we work out the base, the gravel behind the wall and where the drain lets water out.
Then we dig out the site, pack the base firm and set the wall row by row, backfilling as each course goes up so the gravel and the drain end up where the plan put them. Dirt is patient. Give it a wet winter and a wall with no way to shed water, and the dirt will win.
Retaining wall questions from Novato homeowners
How much does a retaining wall cost in Novato?
Installing a retaining wall in San Francisco usually costs about $6,000 to $13,000 per job, which is the going range for the area and not our price or a Novato quote. Your own figure comes from the written estimate, once I've seen how big the wall is and what it has to hold back.
What causes retaining walls to fail?
Poor drainage is by far the most common reason retaining walls perform badly, and if nobody deals with it the trouble can grow into an outright failure. That's why, when you compare bids, the plan for the water deserves as much attention as the wall.
How long does it take to build a retaining wall?
A national cost guide puts a standard residential wall at 2 to 5 days in concrete block or timber, or 1 to 2 weeks in stone or poured concrete. Poured concrete runs longer partly because it needs time to cure, so block is the better pick when your schedule is tight.
Do I need to call 811 before building a retaining wall?
Yes, 811 is the Call Before You Dig number, and it gets underground utility lines marked a few days before anyone digs. Those days go into the start date, so we dig only once the lines are marked.
Who issues permits for a retaining wall in Novato?
The City of Novato Building Division issues building permits, and you apply online through the city's Novato Permits portal with an account, or get walk-in help with no appointment on the first and third Thursday mornings of each month. The city's Public Works permit list names grading and encroachment but not retaining walls, so whether your wall needs a permit is the city's call, and Public Works takes questions at 415.899.8246. If your wall needs one, we pull it and deal with the city for you.
How do I keep the drains in my retaining wall from clogging?
Mostly by building it right and keeping an eye on the weep holes, the small drain openings along the face of the wall. They often clog from the wrong backfill, plants, animals or trash, so we backfill with clean gravel, and it's worth pulling out anything you see growing or piling up in them.
What happens when you call about a retaining wall in Novato?
Every wall starts with me looking at the slope and the water, so the plan, the material and the start date fit your yard and your timing.
You get in touch
Call (628) 209-1088 or send the form, and tell us what the slope is doing and where you want the wall.
I come out
I come out to look at the job myself, check where the water runs and tell you what I'd do and what I wouldn't bother with.
Your written estimate
You get a written estimate for the wall we talked about, with the material and the drainage spelled out so you can compare bids.
We build and walk it
The crew and I do the work, from digging out to backfill and cleanup, and I walk the finished wall with you when we're done.
Retaining wall construction in Novato and nearby
We're based in Novato and build retaining walls across Marin and the cities around it, up through Petaluma and beyond. Pick your city below or call us about your slope.
Get your Novato retaining wall estimate
Our phone is on every day from 8 AM to 9 PM, so call (628) 209-1088 or use the form when it suits you.