Des Moines Retaining Walls

Many of our competitors use 8 inch block whereas we use 6 inch block. Eight inch blocks are hollow and require each block be filled with aggregate to add weight to the wall and in time saving efforts, many companies fail to fill the wall properly resulting in walls that do not last very long. With Versa, since the block is solid, there is no need to worry about proper filling of the blocks.

Yes, we can use limestone to build walls that are up to four feet tall. Above four feet tall, we recommend using an engineered concrete retaining wall block like Versa Lok. With limestone walls, the only connection point between each layer is friction and weight. This can cause walls bearing loads taller than four feet to fall over. With engineered retaining wall block, heights of over 30 feet can be safely achieved.

We can get almost any color of concrete retaining wall block including gray, charcoal, brown, tan, red, and a variety of colors mixed in the same block such as black and gray and tan and brown.

While every situation is different, the most common reason retaining walls fail is due to water pressure behind the walls. This is why retaining walls need to be back filled with clean aggregate which allows water to flow behind the wall. When properly built, the retaining wall will have a drainage pipe buried behind the wall with one or multiple drain outlets built into the wall to allow water to drain.

While every situation is different, most concrete retaining walls cost $35-$75 per face square foot installed. Square face foot is the length x height of the front of the wall. Each and every job will be different depending on jobsite access with machinery, height, and how much weight the wall will be holding back (i.e house, shed, driveway, etc.).

No, we do not pour any concrete walls. We only install precast concrete blocks or natural stone. While concrete walls are very strong, they should still be built with proper drainage like a block retaining wall.

Yes, we offer a five-year materials and labor warranty.

Under specific circumstances, we will build retaining walls out of wood. Most commonly this is reserved for situations where we cannot get equipment into the jobsite due to easements or steep grades. We build wooden walls out of pressure treated ground contact rated lumber which has a minimum of 20 year warranty from decay.

Yes, fences can be built on top of retaining walls. Fences can be attached to the top of the wall or posts can be placed in the soil behind the retaining wall. If you plan to use a fence, please let us know so we can make sure the fence company does not void any warranty on the retaining wall when setting posts.

Yes, Iowa law requires that we have any utilities located prior to working on your property. We do not handle any irrigation work. The homeowner or an irrigation contactor will be responsible for moving or repairing any irrigation lines or heads. We can burry irrigation lines under walls if needed.

Yes, we can. However, if the retaining wall block is not from one of our suppliers or has defects, we will not place any type of warranty on the rebuild.

Yes, but there will be no warranty on the project unless the block is from one of our preferred vendors.

We take pride in our work and don’t solely focus on our margins. We don’t have 20 crews running around and we keep our overhead low. With us, your wall is going to be properly built like it was going in our own backyard. Our employees are expected to treat each project like it’s their own.

Yes, we can build boulder walls as long as the wall is decorative and not structural. Since boulders are held in place by gravity, there is little to no structural capability of the boulders to hold earth back. We do not recommend boulder walls for supporting houses, driveways, sheds, decks, patios, etc.

Yes, we install outcropping walls that are four feet or less in height. Above four feet in height, we would need to assess your project and match the best product for the job, including Rosetta walls.

Rosetta creates multiple lines of molded concrete block that look like natural stone. This wall is designed to look natural but also has the structural capability to support houses, sheds, driveways, etc.

Depending on the size of the wall, some lawn damage may occur. When applicable, we do use plywood to walk and drive our equipment on to create as little lawn damage as possible. If needed, we will seed or sod any lawn damages before the project is officially completed.