Retaining Walls and Landscaping in Abbotsford
Abbotsford gives us two completely different kinds of job. On the east side, properties running up Sumas Mountain have real slope to deal with, and the question is how to hold ground so the yard becomes usable. Out across the flats toward Sumas Prairie the ground is flatter but heavy with clay, and the problem is almost always water rather than height.
Fraser Valley Contracting is based in Chilliwack and works throughout Abbotsford. We run our own excavators, pull permits when a job needs them, and give you a written price before anyone starts digging.
What Abbotsford Ground Actually Needs
A lot of the calls we take in Abbotsford are on subdivisions built in the eighties and nineties, where the original timber retaining walls have reached the end of their life at the same time. Those walls come out and get rebuilt in block or rock, and the drainage that was never there in the first place goes in with them.
On the clay lots, a wall is often not the answer at all. If water is sitting in the yard, grading and drainage fix more than a structure will.
What We Build in Abbotsford
- Retaining walls. Rock walls, block walls and formed concrete, for slopes, driveways and terracing.
- Excavation and grading. Site prep, levelling, drainage correction and foundation digs.
- Septic systems. Tank and field installation, repair and replacement.
- Patios, driveways and hardscaping. Paver patios, driveways, walkways, steps and natural stone.
- Landscaping. Full yard builds, sod, turf and hydroseeding. We do not mow or do seasonal maintenance.
Permits and Engineering
A retaining wall over four feet, roughly 1.2 metres, needs a permit and an engineer in most Fraser Valley municipalities, and Abbotsford is no exception. Under four feet, usually not. Terracing two shorter walls with a setback between them can keep a tall slope under the line. Owen applies for the permits and works with the engineer either way.
What It Costs
The smallest jobs we take start around $2,500. Most of our retaining wall projects run between $25,000 and $80,000, and a typical wall is 40 to 70 feet long and takes between a week and a month. Height, access and how much excavation sits behind the wall move the number more than anything else. You get the price in writing after we have walked the property.
Why Homeowners Hire Us
- Owen is on every job, not just the estimate.
- Our own excavators and operators, from mini machines for tight access to full size.
- $5 million liability insurance, WCB coverage, Interprovincial Red Seal certification.
- Locally sourced rock and block.
- A written scope and price before we start, and a one year warranty on the work.
If you want to see the scale we work at, our Chilliwack Mountain project is a 60 foot, 250 foot rock wall with a full outdoor living space built on the terrace above it.
Get a Price on Your Abbotsford Project
Call (604) 703-8315 or send a photo of what you are dealing with. We come out and look, usually within the week. The site visit and the written price are both free.