There are a host of reasons for building a retaining wall in Boston. Retaining walls allow you to terrace steeply-sloped lots, free up space for recreational use, and create more places where you can plant shrubbery and gardens. They're also an excellent way to bring more texture, depth, and variety into your overall landscaping design. From a more practical perspective, the introduction of a retaining wall in Boston can also play a vital role in eliminating erosion and damaging runoff from higher-elevated lots down to lower ones, and they can be built in order to structurally reinforce lots and structures sitting on precarious slopes. Whether you're dreaming of a new flower bed or trying to prevent your home from ending up in the neighbor's backyard, it pays to read up on the basics before you get started.
Types of Retaining Walls
The type of retaining wall you introduce, and whether you choose to do it yourself or hire a pro, depends a lot on what you're trying to accomplish and the materials you choose to use. Here's a breakdown of several common Boston retaining wall materials, how easy they are to work with, and when they're most often used.
Unmortared Rock Retaining Wall in Boston—These walls are usually used in simple landscaping applications, and are composed of loose, carefully stacked rock to hold back soil. Building a loose rock retaining wall is easy enough for a do-it-yourselfer, though keep in mind it's going to be back-breaking work if you don't bring a crew to help you get the job done.
Interlocking Concrete "Stones"—Interlocking concrete comes in many shapes and sizes, and takes a lot of the guesswork out of the traditional method of stacking loose rock. Since the blocks interlock and fit together perfectly, these manufactured landscaping "stones" are excellent options for DIYers, and almost always produce clean and attractive results. They aren't as beautiful as real stone, but they do the job, are simple to lay, and can be used to build just about any small Boston retaining wall you can imagine.
Stone, Brick, or Cinderblock Masonry Retaining Wall in Boston—Unlike the previous two examples, once you start mortaring materials together these jobs get substantially more difficult. Unless you're a real go-getter, and incredibly patient, you're probably better off bringing in a pro to build a stone, brick, or cinderblock retaining wall. Stone or brick is suitable for small and large Boston retaining walls alike, while cinderblock tends to be used on larger jobs and requires a secondary application of a faux rock facing if you want it to look more respectable when the job is done.
Concrete Boston Retaining Wall—Concrete is rarely poured for small retaining walls, though decorative stamping and coloring have changed that some. As a rule, however, if you're pouring a concrete retaining wall in Boston, you've got a pretty large project going on that requires a solid, reliable, and strong wall you hope will serve you for years into the future. With those kinds of high stakes, you should always consult with a professional about designing, building the forms, reinforcing, and pouring your concrete Boston retaining wall.
Size Matters—At Least With Retaining Walls in Boston
If you're in need of a retaining wall in Boston, keep in mind that the larger the size of the wall you build, the more you're going to have to plan ahead from a design perspective. Generally, if you're building anything over three-feet-tall, you should at least consult with a contractor or structural engineer since you'll likely have to add reinforcement, widen the base, sink the wall into the ground, and begin to tip the wall backwards to counteract the weight of the soil behind it. You'll be tearing it out and building a new one again in just a few short years if your retaining wall is built wrong, so it's worth the time and money it takes to solicit the advice or services of a pro. You may also be required to obtain permits for projects over this size, depending on where you live in the Greater Boston area, which makes for yet another reason to talk to someone who knows the ropes when it comes to covering all the bases with this type of work.
Boston Retaining Wall Costs and Timelines
How much does a retaining wall in Boston cost to build? There are a lot of variables here, including the materials you use, how large your wall is, and what purpose the wall serves. Nonetheless, ServiceMagic refers homeowners needing retaining wall work done to qualified contractors all the time, so we can give you an idea what you're getting into. Based on the data we collect on jobs that begin as referrals in our system, an average Boston retaining wall costs just over $5,000 and takes about two weeks to complete. Remember that includes the full gamut of projects, from small landscaping jobs to major construction. Talk to a contractor or landscaper with experience in building retaining walls to get an accurate estimate for your specific needs.
Matt Goering, formerly a carpenter and house painter, is a freelance writer for the home improvement industry who has published over 600 articles.
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