If you need to build a retaining wall, no matter what the reason, you have to keep several things in mind:
- It is time consuming, back breaking work
- There are some tool requirements that the average person does not have
- The sheer volume of materials needed can be enough to cause problems for the average homeowner.
- This is not a one man job.
Hiring a professional retaining wall contractor would seem to be the only real logical thing to do, especially if the wall that you want to build is going to be over three feet high and will stretch over three feet long. The taller the structure, the more carefully it must be built to be safe. The longer it is, the more work that will be involved in building it. To find the right retaining wall contractor you must carefully interview several. Allow them to bid on the job at hand. If the low bid and the high bid are quite some distance apart, try to find out the reasons for why. It might actually be wiser in this case to take the middle bid and be on the safe side. The retaining wall contractor should be:
- Licensed to do contracting in Los Angeles, California
- Bonded and insured
- In possession of the right tools and equipment to complete the job
- Knowledgeable of the zoning laws in the Los Angeles, California area
- Able to properly design and erect the wall for safety and beauty.
- Staffed with a trained crew that can complete the job in a timely manner.
Remember, a retaining wall is generally not built just because it looks good- it is actually meant to hold something back- as in a hillside or other large amounts of soil so it must be strong enough to accomplish the task. An improperly built retaining wall could fail and sent stones, soil and other debris crashing down to where you want it the least. It is not as simple as stacking some stones, bricks or cinderblocks in a row, after all. There is actually some planning and engineering that has to go into the process.
You should also keep in mind that blocks or stone get heavy after you have lifted so many of them- leaving you with a partially completed retaining wall and a large pile of unused materials.