Concrete Retaining Walls in Dixon CA - Walls That Drain and Stay Upright
Leaning wall, soggy slope or a yard that won't hold its grade? We build concrete walls with drainage planned behind them, so the ground stays put.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
What goes into a concrete retaining wall and the drainage behind it?
A concrete retaining wall holds back the dirt on a slope or a raised part of your Dixon yard, so you get level ground you can use. It usually comes with digging out a footing, the wide base the wall stands on, plus drains and gravel behind it so water pressure doesn't build up and push the wall over.
Maybe your yard drops off toward the fence, a planter bed keeps washing onto the patio, or the old wall beside your concrete pool deck has started to lean. The price moves with the wall's height and length, how easy the site is to reach, how involved the design is and what else comes with it, like tearing out an old wall. The schedule turns on whether the wall needs a permit, the ground we dig into and the weather around the pour. If yours needs a permit, we pull it and set up the inspections, and if we're not sure, we ask the city or county before we start. You get your own number at the estimate, once I've seen the slope.
How can you tell a retaining wall has a water problem?
Wall leaning or bowing
If the face tips forward or bellies out in the middle, water or soil is usually pushing harder than the wall can take. It won't straighten itself, and the longer it goes, the more of the wall ends up needing to come out.
White chalky streaks
That white staining, called efflorescence, is mineral salt left behind by water moving through the concrete. It means water is getting into the wall where it should be draining out, and this is the cheap stage to fix the drainage.
Wet ground at the base
Seepage or a soggy strip along the bottom means water is finding its own way out instead of going through the drains. Left alone, it keeps softening the soil the footing sits on.
Often built alongside a wall
Concrete pool decks
A pool on a sloped lot often needs a wall to hold the grade, and the deck and the wall both have to shed water away from the pool.
Concrete floor installation
When you cut into a hillside for a shop, shed or extra room, the wall holds the dirt back and a new floor slab finishes the space.
How we build a concrete retaining wall
I start by looking at where the water on your lot goes, because most of our planning on a wall goes into getting water out from behind it. We dig out and pack the base for the footing, set the rebar, the steel that holds the concrete together, then form and pour the wall. Behind it we lay drains and clean backfill, since the city requires drains behind the wall plus weep holes, small openings through the wall, or solid outlets to carry the water off. That water can't land on a neighbor's yard or a walkway, so we plan where every outlet empties. If the budget gets tight, I'd rather spend on the footing and drains than on a fancier face, because nobody sees the drains on day one and they're what keeps the wall standing. When we're done, I show you where the outlets are so you can keep them clear.
A wall is often one piece of a bigger change to the yard. If you're leveling ground for a pool, we can pour the concrete pool deck so its runoff and the wall's drains work together, and if you're cutting into a slope for a shop or a room, concrete floor installation finishes the level space the wall makes.
Low garden and planter walls
These suit a terraced bed or a small step in the yard where you want a clean edge that holds soil. They still need a way for water to get out, just less of it.
Taller walls on a slope
These suit a yard that drops off hard or a cut into a hillside, and they hold back more dirt and more water. The wall's height and any nearby slope decide whether the city wants a permit, which the questions below cover.
Replacing a leaning wall
This suits an old wall that's tipping, cracking or weeping at the base. We take it out and build the new one with the drainage the old one usually didn't have.
Get a free estimate for your retaining wall
We'll reply within one business day and set a time for me to see your site. The estimate is free, with no obligation, and calling (707) 640-8084 works too.
Call (707) 640-8084Why Dixon homeowners call Premier Dixon Concrete for retaining walls
I see every wall myself
I come out to look at every job myself, and I'm on site running our crew when the wall goes in. The person who walked your slope is the one making the calls on pour day.
Back in concrete since 2023
I poured flatwork, the slabs and sidewalks, when I was young and started this business in Dixon in 2023. I came back to this trade because it's what I'm good at, and I know a pour can't be undone once it sets.
Licensed and insured, every job
We're licensed and insured. Ask me about it at the estimate, before you decide anything.
Planned for Solano County clay
Much of Solano County's soil is expansive clay that swells when it's wet and shrinks when it dries, and swelling soil pushes up and out on a wall and can bend it. We're based in Dixon and work across the cities around it, so I check the ground at every site before we plan the footing.
On a retaining wall, what matters most is the drainage you can't see once the dirt goes back. Call or send us a message and I'll come look at your slope.
What happens after you call about a retaining wall?
Call or send a message
Call (707) 640-8084 or use the form and tell us a little about the slope. We get back to you and set a time for me to come out.
I walk the site with you
I look at the slope, the soil and where your water runs, and ask how you'll use the ground behind the wall. You get an estimate built on what I saw, so you know what's driving the price before anything starts.
We handle permits and prep
Once you say go, we take care of any permit steps, then dig out, set the footing and drains, and pour. You don't have to chase the city or the inspections yourself.
Curing walk-through before we leave
We backfill, clean up and walk you through curing, the wait while the concrete hardens before it takes its full load. You'll know what to watch for and when the wall is ready for work.
Common questions
Do I need a permit to build a retaining wall in Dixon, CA?
You need one if the wall is over 4 feet tall counting the footing, or over 30 inches and within 10 feet of a slope of 20% or steeper, going by the city's current retaining wall handout. Dixon's Planning and Building Divisions set separate requirements, and every applicant checks with the Planning Division first, so that's where we start. Questions about your own project can go to the Building Division.
How much does a concrete retaining wall cost in California?
A retaining wall in California usually costs about $35 to $65 per square foot. That's the going rate across the state, not our price, and your number moves with the height, the site and how much the job includes, as covered above. I'll give you yours at the estimate after I've seen the slope.
What causes a concrete retaining wall to fail?
Poor drainage is by far the most common cause. Water that can't get out builds pressure behind the wall, and if nobody deals with it, the problems can grow into outright failure. That's why the drain plan is the first thing I'd compare when you look at bids.
How do I keep the weep holes on my retaining wall from clogging?
Keep the outlets clear of plants, mulch and trash, and check them on a regular schedule. Weep holes often clog from poor backfill, plants, animals moving in or debris, and a wall only drains while those openings stay open.
Do I need a survey to build a retaining wall near my property line in Dixon?
Yes, when a wall that needs a permit is planned to encroach on the property line, the city requires a survey by a licensed land surveyor. Tell me early if your wall runs along a fence or a neighbor's yard so we can plan for it before work starts.
How long does it take to build a concrete retaining wall in Dixon?
Most of the waiting is in the planning, not the pour. A wall that needs a permit waits on the city before we dig, and on site the time goes to the footing, the drains, the pour and curing before we backfill, which shifts with the ground and the weather.
Plan your retaining wall before you dig
Have the wall's planned height, counted from the bottom of the footing, and whether it sits near a slope or property line handy when you call (707) 640-8084 or send the form, so we can sort out the permit question on the first call.