Kansas City Retaining Wall

With the sharps hills of the immediate downtown area and sitting at the confluence of Missouri and Kansas Rivers, Kansas City retaining walls are an important part of the city's landscape. The terrain also translates into certain surrounding areas—like Bush Creek among others—that are prone to floods and landslides. Data collected from ServiceMagic shows that Kansas City ranks #23 for U.S. cities in terms of residential retaining wall installations, slightly higher than its population would suggest. From Shawnee to Overland Park, Olathe to Lee's Summit, and throughout the greater Kansas City area, we've helped homeowners find the right contractor for their retaining wall needs.

Kansas City Retaining Wall Permits and Maintenance
In Kansas City, retaining walls higher than four feet require a building permit. This is typical, although you shouldn't complain—in St. Louis, any retaining wall higher than 18" requires a permit. That said, there is good reason to for your local government to have these requirements. Retaining walls can have an enormous effect on land masses and drainage patterns. An ill-advised retaining wall can wreak havoc to your neighbors' property and quickly land you in court.

In fact, Kansas City's Code of Ordinances goes on to specify: "All fences and retaining walls on the premises shall be structurally sound and kept in good repair?.Gaps of wedges in a retaining wall shall be restored to the original condition." When the first frost of the year occurs your retaining wall will be particularly vulnerable to damage or even toppling over, as the top layer of frost can exert considerable horizontal pressure on the top of your retaining wall. Of course, if you're considering installing a new retaining wall, the right design and a reinforced retaining wall system should keep your wall in sound condition for many, many years.

The Cost of Retaining Walls in Kansas City, MO
Thus, like anything else, the quality of your retaining wall's design and the workmanship of the contractor will influence the cost, along with the size of the project. Our data suggests that the average cost of a retaining wall installation in Kansas City is about $5,000, but we've seen several projects as low as $1,000 and more than $10,000. This may sound like a lot, but holding back the Earth is not as easy as it sounds. Of course, this may not be your objective at all. Dry stone or concrete landscaping walls can often be built for much less and will look just as good. You'll still need a building permit, but you won't need the highly skilled services of a masonry contractor.

Kansas City Retaining Wall Contractors
With the nature of your retaining or landscaping wall, so goes the contractor you'll need for the job. Some retaining or landscaping walls are part of a much larger landscaping project that includes walkways, patios, ponds, waterfalls, gardens, and/or pools. You'll find there are several full-service Kansas City landscaping companies that can offer all these services in one package. You may end up hiring one of these companies, even if you need nothing more than a single wall. Whether you need a decorative or functional wall, a standalone project or a landscaping overhaul, the success of your project hinges on finding a quality professional, who can do an excellent job for a reasonable price. ServiceMagic will match you with multiple contractors, each having passed our rigorous ten-step screening process. We'll also provide you with access to our database of online customer ratings and reviews. These ratings and reviews will allow you to see what other Kansas City homeowners have said about individual contractors, and they create powerful incentive for these contractors to meet and exceed your expectations.