Retaining wall question

[Rogers954]

So this little side yard is of zero use in my backyard on account of the slope, so i recently inherited my grandfathers 66 bronco and to say that i am out of parking space is an understatement. This Bronco brings the vehicle total to 5 including the custom aluminum boat that i built last year and with my 2 car garage and a narrow driveway i need more parking.

So this spot on the side of my house is really the only place that is wasted space that would work perfectly for additional parking so i need a retaining wall to fill in with top full and gravel. The additional 20ft of parking will probably be perfect for my boat and the Bronco.

Today i had my first estimate for a form filled concrete wall, roughly 20x10 and 3’ 2” at the bottom of the slope to make it even with the driveway. The guy quoted me $5745 for the removal of grass and about a foot of soil, reinforced concrete wall that would tie into the house foundation. No top fill included in the estimate since he didn’t know how much material would be needed.

If anyone has had any experience with doing a retaining wall how does my estimate sound? Obviously i plan on getting multiples, and i know that region difference can be extreme, where i am could be a lot more expensive then where your project was. Really what I’m trying to figure out is what are my options when it comes to cost? I know that a timber wall will be the cheapest, but next to that what’s cheaper? Bolder wall? Pavers? Concrete pour?

I’m not really picky about the material used as long as it will hold up and not be an issue latter down the line.

Any advise here is greatly appreciated, I have just never had any landscaping like this done so i have no clue what to expect for price or which direction i should go in.

Thanks everyone, as always i love this place

 

[jhelrey]

Retaining wall block and fill with gravel. Use Geogrid too.

 

[firebirdparts]

I’ve no expertise on its limitations, but I’ve seen some enormous structures of retaining wall block.

 

[bad_idea]

The side yard beside my garage is similar to yours. About 12' wide with 3' of drop from the side of the garage to the bottom of the ditch. I had a man come in with a tractor and pile in dirt. I now have a 10' wide relatively flat area with the last two feet sloped fairly decent. I have only had one area wash out, where the runoff from the roof runs. I plan to install gutters this fall to route the water better. Cost me $200 for the tractor work and I pulled the dirt from elsewhere in the yard.

Long story short, have you looked at having dirt filled in? If it starts to wash out, then you can pile some rip rap along the bank. Be damned if I pay $5k to park a vehicle outside!

 

[Rogers954]

The side yard beside my garage is similar to yours. About 3' of drop and 12' from the side of the garage to the bottom of the ditch. I had a man come in with a tractor and pile in dirt. I now have a 10' wide relatively flat area with the last two feet sloped fairly decent. I have only had one area wash out, where the runoff from the roof runs. I plan to install gutters this fall to route the water better. Cost me $200 for the tractor work and I pulled the dirt from elsewhere in the yard.

Long story short, have you looked at having dirt filled in? If you can slope the last few feet at about a 45 degree angle or so then you should be fine. Be damned if I pay $5k to park a vehicle outside!

I haven’t given it to much thought as I just assumed that some form of a retaining wall would be needed. I would prefer it simply because it will end up being flush with the back foundation of the house. And i totally get what your saying about the 5k to park outside, when he gave me the estimate i about puked in my own mouth. I don’t know if he is trying to take me for a ride or if poured concrete is just the most expensive route to go, this is why i turn to the people here for advise because i know a lot of you have dealt with similar situations and this definitely isn’t something I’m educated in.

 

[andyvh1959]

Like anything construction wise, success depends on the proper base, frame, prep, etc. I've seen so many retaining wall projects go bad because, largely, the back filling was improper if done at all. Since you are in Utah, is it safe to say you're not in a frost zone? No significant weather freeze/heave of the ground? Is the soil in the area you plan stable? Drainage issues?

A retaining block wall, using pinned blocks, on a compacted/level base, below the frost line (if that's a concern) and planned for the 100 year rain, with the proper back fill behind the block with drainage planned, should be fine.

 

[bad_idea]

I hear you. I JUST had the tractor work done this past June, so i can not speak to the longevity of my solution. BUT, worst case is I build a retaining wall if I get too much wash out. I am thinking of putting rip rap on the ditch bank just to cut down on my weed eating. The slope is WAY too steep to mow it - ride on or push mower. In my case, I had to get rid of the dirt anyways as it was dug out leveling the ground for a swimming pool.

From my research, poured concrete is about the most expensive option. Followed by retaining wall blocks stacked. Followed by timber. Not sure where rip-rap falls into that as I have not gotten a price on a load delivered yet.

 

[Shiftless]

I assume you’re not in an HOA.
It might not cost a lot more to extend all the way to the fence. If you could get away with it, put up a “temporary” aluminum carport kind of structure. Then you’d have a great addition to cover that part of your fleet. Just make sure to manage rainwater runoff so you don’t flood your neighbor’s property.

 

[Rogers954]

No HOA for me

 

[Rogers954]

I assume you’re not in an HOA.
It might not cost a lot more to extend all the way to the fence. If you could get away with it, put up a “temporary” aluminum carport kind of structure. Then you’d have a great addition to cover that part of your fleet. Just make sure to manage rainwater runoff so you don’t flood your neighbor’s property.

The only reason that i was leaving a bit of room off the side is because it’s my only access point to the back yard for moving my mower from the front to the back

 

[Rogers954]

Like anything construction wise, success depends on the proper base, frame, prep, etc. I've seen so many retaining wall projects go bad because, largely, the back filling was improper if done at all. Since you are in Utah, is it safe to say you're not in a frost zone? No significant weather freeze/heave of the ground? Is the soil in the area you plan stable? Drainage issues?

A retaining block wall, using pinned blocks, on a compacted/level base, below the frost line (if that's a concern) and planned for the 100 year rain, with the proper back fill behind the block with drainage planned, should be fine.

I hear what you are saying and the last thing i want to deal with is a wall failing. This is in no way my forever home (not nearly enough garage/work space for me) but for the unforeseen future this house has to work and as soon as winter comes along parking in the street won’t work with the snow. That stretch of yard is solid and i haven’t ever had any issues with drainage.

 

[harley jim]

Just curious as to why you want to build the area up to a level pad. Why not just pave that area and park on it. You wouldnt have to deal with maintaining the wall. Just let it blend into the lawn. Unless there is something I'm not seeing.

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[Rogers954]

Just curious as to why you want to build the area up to a level pad. Why not just pave that area and park on it. You wouldnt have to deal with maintaining the wall. Just let it blend into the lawn. Unless there is something I'm not seeing.

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I guess the pictures don’t really show it to well but it’s very sloped, parking anything non running (my bronco and my boat) would no be feasible on this slope

 

[harley jim]

How much rise will it be. How high will your wall need to be at the rear

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[Rogers954]

How much rise will it be. How high will your wall need to be at the rear

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3’ 2” is what i measured to be even with the driveway

 

[RTBS]

Like anything construction wise, success depends on the proper base, frame, prep, etc. I've seen so many retaining wall projects go bad because, largely, the back filling was improper if done at all. Since you are in Utah, is it safe to say you're not in a frost zone? No significant weather freeze/heave of the ground? Is the soil in the area you plan stable? Drainage issues?

A retaining block wall, using pinned blocks, on a compacted/level base, below the frost line (if that's a concern) and planned for the 100 year rain, with the proper back fill behind the block with drainage planned, should be fine.

Most of Utah does have a frost depth requirement. Unless you are in the most southern part of the state. If you want the retaining wall to last I would put it below frost with a footing. I would do either concrete or reinforced earth with a block facing. That's what is used when you see large block walls. I would get at least 2 other cost options. There is a decent amount of work to be done. You could save some costs if you did some of the prep yourself by removing the sod and possibly excavating for the footing if you are up to it. Depending on how comfortable you are with concrete you could even look into placing the footing and forms are rentable for the walls. Backfill could add up, make sure it's compacted well in lifts or it will settle.

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[Bent Handle]

Segmented retaining wall will probably be the most cost effective. Call a landscaping company with a good reputation if you are hiring out the work.

 

[WarDamnEagle]

3’ 2” is what i measured to be even with the driveway

That isn't that much slope over that distance. Have you considered making the slope steeper at the front of the house which would allow it to be flatter in the parking area? It looks like you have some fall off toward the fence. As long as you don't go below grade at the fence level you shouldn't have any drainage issues. Concrete certainly doesn't have to be poured flat.

 

[Jking24]

Doesent look to steep i would just build the one side up a little with two or three rows of pavers and then have a slab poured. Some grade is good for long term storage keeps the water out of the boat

 

[Bretny]

3 mafia blocks. 2 at the back and one at the corner. Bring in gravel and level it out. You will prob still have some slope but it's a parking spot.

Also dont go to a big box store and buy the retaining wall blocks to park on top of. Your asking for trouble there. Also dont pin it to your house..again asking for trouble.

 

[sierradmax]

3' over 20' is something like an 18% slope. Maximum residential drive is 25%. I'd think a Ford Bronco and/or a boat trailer with sufficient wheel chocks could handle the slope. But it's a personal preference. It's a 2-3 day job with heavy equipment. Most landscapers target $1,000 day not including materials. Versa-Lok is about $12-$16 per S.F. of wall.

 

[JDMopar]

Most, if not all concrete plants make retaining wall blocks out of left over concrete that comes back in the trucks. They back up to a mold and pour it in. They are pretty big, and need to be stacked with a machine, but make a nice retaining wall. Much better than the decorative stack blocks from a big box store. They are made to tie at corners, and you can get them with a decorative face also. If it were my place, I would make the area in a manner that you, or the next owner could add a shed roof off the side of the house. Then, it could be used as a patio or covered parking.

 

[Bruce 993 SEA]

I have done a number of retaining walls using rock. We call them out by size...one man, two man etc. I have no idea how they came up with this measurement but it is supposed to be how many men it took to pry bar it into place.

I can get rocks that would stack 2 high and they run about $25 a ton as there is a big quarry 15 miles away.

Calculating the size of the wall at the end of the pad at 3 ft high and 2 feet wide and 12 ft long equals 72 cu ft. The long side tapers so figure another 72 cu ft. At 150 lbs per cu ft you end up with just under 11 tons. Round up to 12 tons. That is $300.

One load and figure another $300 for delivery.

Hire a track hoe and operator for a day $1,200. We used a back hoe at $50 per hour. It worked good for moving the fill.

Fill cost has two parts as you want what we call pit run that has lots of fines in it and will not compress or move. Around the inside of the rocks you might want drain rock if there is lots of water run off so you do not get hydro static pressure behind the rock. We live in rainy Northwest but we control our run off and do not use drain rock on this size wall.

For the fill it calculates at about 13 cu yards so round up to 14. Pit run is cheap...$10 per yard plus delivery $450.

So all in you are about at about $2,250 excluding the paving or 5/8 minus gravel or decomposed granite (DG) whatever you finish it off with.

 

[harley jim]

Roger
I would just leave the grade as is if it were mine but I understand your thought on it.
I would let it fall at least a foot for drainage. Mine drops about 20 inches which I like as it keeps the water from standing in my truck beds.
Check your frost depth and pour a footer then stack a couple of coarse of versa-loc block they step back a little on each run as they have a cleat that locks to the one below it. The block are typically glued together then fill with gravel leaving it 3 or 4 inches below the top block and pour a slab into it.
Good luck on your project and post up some pics of it as you go. We like to see the process. Jim

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[kwb]

Never ever block drive in access to a back yard.
It may not be often but having the option to get a trailer or truck with landscaping materials right on the spot is very valuable.

Fill the back halfway up and a short bit of steep but driveable by a full sized pickup and call it good. I would not even do that. I would be going parallel to side of house to get a wider pad.