Block Retaining Walls in the Fraser Valley
A block wall gives you a clean, even face and a predictable engineered result. Where a rock wall looks like part of the landscape, a block wall looks built, which is what most people want around a patio, a driveway edge or a tidy back yard.
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We build block retaining walls throughout Chilliwack, Abbotsford, Mission, Langley, Agassiz and Hope, using Allan Block, valley stone and large block systems, along with formed concrete walls where a job calls for solid structure.
The Systems We Build With
Allan Block
Interlocking segmental units that step back as they rise, tied into the slope behind with geogrid. The standard choice for most residential walls.
Valley Stone & Large Block
A more textured face, or heavier units for bigger retaining jobs and driveway edges where a larger block means a more stable build.
Formed Concrete
Poured walls where the job needs solid structure, usually next to a foundation, a driveway or a building.
We do not build timber walls. Wood rots in this climate, and a lot of our work is tearing out failed wood walls and replacing them with block or rock.
What Makes a Block Wall Last
Block walls fail for the same reasons every other wall fails. Not because of the blocks, but because of what is underneath and behind them.
- Compacted gravel base, below grade. A wall built on soft or uneven ground shows it within a couple of winters.
- Clear crushed rock behind the wall. Three inch clear material gives water somewhere to go.
- Geogrid into the slope. Layers of grid run back into compacted backfill so the wall and soil act as one mass.
- Backfill compacted in lifts. Dumping soil in behind a wall is how walls bulge.
Permits and the Four Foot Line
In most Fraser Valley municipalities a wall over four feet, roughly 1.2 metres, needs a permit and an engineer. Under four feet, usually not.
On a tall slope there is often a way around that. Instead of one eight foot wall, we build two four foot walls with a four foot setback between them, terraced up the slope. Each wall stays under the line, and the job is frequently simpler than a single engineered wall. When a wall does need engineering, Owen applies for the permit and works with the engineer on the design.
What a Block Wall Costs
Small block wall work starts around $2,500. Most of our retaining wall projects run between $25,000 and $80,000. Height, length, the block system, how much excavation sits behind the wall, and whether a machine can reach the wall line all move the number. A typical wall runs 40 to 70 feet and takes between a week and a month on site.
Common Questions
Block wall or rock wall?
Block for a clean uniform face, tighter spaces and anywhere you want the wall to look finished. Rock for steep ground, long runs and rural lots. We build both.
Can a block wall hold up a driveway?
Yes, but a wall carrying a driveway or a structure above it is carrying a surcharge load, which changes the engineering. That is a wall that gets designed properly rather than estimated.
How long does a block wall last?
With a compacted base, drainage behind it and grid where it needs it, 10 to 15 years is a floor rather than a ceiling. We carry a one year warranty on the work.
