Do I Need a Retaining Wall For My Oregon Backyard?

It may be more cost-effective than you think to use the correct retaining wall strategy on your property. Everything you do should be done with meticulous preparation and estimations if you want your efforts to be fruitful. A lot of crucial things must be considered while building a well-functioning retaining wall.

Do I need a permit?

In Oregon, retaining walls may or may not require a permit. Some retaining walls are never excluded from obtaining a permit and undergoing plan approval and inspection. Retaining walls that would influence buildings, parking, and egress is not excluded. While retaining walls that do not require permits are those that do not have an impact on a building that is subject to the building code.

For more information, see the Bend, Oregon quick reference guide and Oregon’s structural permit guide.

Why might you need a retaining wall?

Retaining walls are commonly seen in areas where more support is required to prevent erosion from moving the ground downhill. A retaining wall’s most fundamental duty is to fight gravity; the lateral force of the slope must be compensated in the retaining wall’s design. The top concerns to look for if you need a retaining wall are the following:

You’ll need the means to keep downhill erosion under control.

A retaining wall is a great solution if mountains of erosion materials are cluttering crucial places on your property. By reducing the angle of a slope and holding back soil, retaining walls help to prevent erosion.

Soil fault lines are downhill from your house.

Even though erosion isn’t a threat to your home right now, it could be in the future, as any landscaping contractor will tell you. Land slips away from fault lines during an earthquake. A retaining wall can provide stability and peace of mind if your home is located downhill from a fault line.

A sliding hill is threatening your foundation.

The foundation of your home may be jeopardized by erosion. A retaining wall can aid if the soil around a downhill foundation is washing away, or if erosion from a slope is compacting an uphill foundation. In such instances, one of the most significant services is provided by landscaping and contracting companies in the construction of retaining walls.

What’s the point of a retaining wall?

Retaining walls are used to hold dirt in place on a slope that it would not naturally follow. Retaining walls are used to bind soils between two distinct elevations, usually in regions with unsuitable slopes or when the landscape needs to be molded forcefully and engineered for more specialized objectives such as hillside farming or freeway overpasses. Retaining walls can be made of a variety of materials, depending on their intended use, aesthetics, and budget.

What to think about before constructing a retaining wall?

It may be more cost-effective than you think to use the correct retaining wall strategy on your property. Everything you do should be done with meticulous preparation and estimations if you want your efforts to be fruitful. A number of key factors must be considered while building a well-functioning retaining wall: size, design, material, and duration.

Need help with retaining walls? Contact Quality Concrete today!

Quality Concrete is a local company in Bend, Oregon that offers commercial and residential concrete services. To add simplicity and elegance to your outdoor living space, look into beautiful, durable, and easy-to-install concrete pavers and retaining walls.

With our team’s knowledge, expertise, and experience, we can take care of all of your concrete needs. Stonework and patio installation are among the services provided by Quality Concrete. Our experts can assist you with landscape design as well as retaining walls, steps, and walkway building.

If you need assistance choosing the best installation option for your home, our knowledgeable experts are available to help. Visit our website or give us a call right now. We are glad to serve you!

Related: How High Should a Retaining Wall Be Built?