Loading...
Serving Des Moines, IA and surrounding areas. (515) 724-6905
Des Moines clay soil and hard winters collapse walls that were not built for them. We build retaining walls with footings below the frost line, proper drainage, and permits handled so your wall holds for decades.
Retaining wall construction in Des Moines holds back sloped soil to stop erosion and create level, usable yard space - most residential projects run two to five days and a well-built wall lasts 40 to 50 years.
Without a retaining wall, a sloped yard loses topsoil every time it rains hard, and that erosion can eventually reach your driveway or foundation. In Des Moines, clay-heavy soil makes this worse because it does not drain well - water pools behind slopes and adds weight and pressure. A well-built wall gives that soil a firm boundary and routes water away from the structure so it cannot build up and push.
If your wall project is part of a larger yard renovation, we also handle concrete block walls and full masonry restoration for older walls that are past their useful life but can be rebuilt rather than fully replaced.
If bare patches appear on a hillside after a heavy storm, or mulch washes down onto your driveway, the slope is eroding. Des Moines gets intense spring and summer rain, and without something holding the soil in place, erosion gets worse every season. A retaining wall gives the soil a firm boundary to rest against.
A wall that tilts forward, shows horizontal cracks across its face, or has sections that bow outward is under more pressure than it can handle. In Des Moines, this often happens after a winter of hard freeze-thaw cycles pushing the wall from behind. Do not wait - a leaning wall can fail suddenly, and the damage can be far more expensive than the repair.
Standing water collecting near your home after heavy rain often means a poorly graded slope is directing water toward the house. A retaining wall with proper grading can redirect that water away and protect your foundation from long-term moisture damage - especially important in Des Moines neighborhoods with dense clay soil that does not absorb quickly.
If part of your yard is too steep to mow safely or simply wasted space because nothing will grow on it, a retaining wall can turn it into a level, usable area. Many Des Moines homeowners create terraced garden beds or patio spaces on lots that would otherwise be too difficult to use.
Every retaining wall project we build includes gravel backfill and perforated drainage pipe installed behind the wall before it is covered up. That drainage layer is not optional in Des Moines - clay soil holds water instead of letting it drain, and without it, even a well-built wall can fail after a few heavy storms. We work with concrete segmental block, natural stone, and poured concrete depending on wall height, site conditions, and the look you want. For walls that connect to broader structural work - like a foundation concern nearby - we can coordinate with our concrete block wall crews to make sure the approach is consistent across the whole project.
Older Des Moines neighborhoods often have original timber or dry-stacked stone walls that are 40 to 60 years old and past their useful life. Rather than simply patching them, our masonry restoration service can assess whether a rebuild is the right call or whether targeted repair can extend the wall another decade. We give you an honest assessment before any work starts.
Best for most residential retaining walls - durable, cost-effective, and available in styles that complement both newer and older Des Moines homes.
Ideal for homeowners who want a wall that fits into established neighborhoods like Beaverdale or Sherman Hill with a timeless, natural look.
Suited to taller walls or projects requiring engineered designs where maximum strength and a clean, uniform face are the priority.
Des Moines averages around 30 freeze-thaw cycles per year, and the metro sits on dense clay-heavy glacial soil. That combination creates real pressure on retaining walls. Clay holds water, expands when wet, and contracts when dry - constantly pushing against whatever is holding it back. A retaining wall built for Des Moines conditions has footings set below the frost line (around 36 inches deep), gravel backfill behind the wall, and drainage pipe that carries water away from the base before it can build up pressure. A contractor who quotes you a low price without mentioning drainage and footing depth is almost certainly cutting corners that will cost you more later. The National Concrete Masonry Association sets the design standards we work from on every segmental block project.
We regularly work in Johnston and Waukee where newer homes on sloped lots often need retaining walls as part of initial yard development. We also work throughout older Des Moines neighborhoods where original walls from the 1950s and 1960s have reached the end of their lifespan and need to be properly rebuilt rather than patched. In both cases, the approach is the same - assess the site first, build for what Des Moines soil and weather actually demand, and show you the drainage layer before it is covered up.
We respond within 1 business day to schedule a free on-site assessment. No commitment required. We ask basic questions about slope height, wall length, and whether there is an existing wall to remove so we can prepare for the visit.
We visit your property, assess the slope, check the soil, measure the area, and note whether a permit will be required. A written quote follows with materials, labor, drainage, and any permit fees broken out so you know exactly what you are paying for.
If your wall requires a permit, we submit it to the City of Des Moines and schedule the inspection. Once approved, we excavate the wall base - in Des Moines we dig to below the frost line, typically around 36 inches, so the footing stays stable through every winter.
We build the wall course by course, installing gravel backfill and drainage pipe behind it as we go. Before we finish, we walk the completed wall with you, point out the drainage outlet, and cover what to watch for in the first year. If a permit inspection is scheduled, we handle that coordination.
We respond within 1 business day - no obligation. After you submit, someone from our office calls to schedule your free on-site assessment. The estimate is written and detailed, with drainage, materials, labor, and any permit fees broken out separately before any work begins.
(515) 724-6905In Des Moines, the ground freezes about 36 inches deep in a hard winter. We set every wall footing below that depth so the wall does not shift when the ground freezes and thaws each year. This is the single biggest factor in retaining wall longevity in central Iowa, and we will not skip it to quote a lower price.
Water is the main reason retaining walls fail in Des Moines - not material, not construction technique. We install gravel backfill and drainage pipe behind every wall, and we show you that layer before it is covered up. You do not have to take our word for it - you can see it with your own eyes.
The City of Des Moines requires permits for walls over four feet tall. We handle the permit application, pay the fee (included in your quote), and schedule the city inspection. Unpermitted walls can create problems during a home sale - we make sure your wall is on record as an asset, not a liability.
We have worked on retaining walls across Des Moines - from aging original walls in Beaverdale and Sherman Hill to new construction on sloped lots in Waukee and Johnston. Understanding how local soil behaves and where older walls tend to fail is built into how we plan every project. The{" "}<a href='https://www.masoncontractors.org/' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' className='underline'>Mason Contractors Association of America</a>{" "}sets the professional standards our work is held to.
Every one of these things - frost depth, drainage, permits, local soil knowledge - directly affects whether your wall holds for 40 years or starts leaning in five. We build retaining walls the way Des Moines conditions require, not the easiest way.
For structural walls that need maximum load capacity, concrete block construction is a durable foundation-grade solution for Des Moines properties.
Learn moreOlder Des Moines retaining walls that are failing may be candidates for restoration rather than full replacement - we assess and recommend the right approach.
Learn moreDes Moines contractors book up fast in spring - reach out now to lock in your start date before the ground thaws and the calendar fills.