Phoenix Retaining Walls and Landscape Design

In and around Phoenix, retaining walls are an important part of many construction projects. To move dirt around and keep it stationary in a new place often requires the force of highly skilled mason working with stone and mortar. Few cities would be able to build and safely maintain their skyline without some use and form of retaining walls, but around Phoenix, retaining walls are sometimes seen as residential additions, as well.

Retaining Walls: Phoenix, AZ
Because of the relatively flat terrain, residential retaining walls are not particularly common in Phoenix proper. Once you begin to move outside of the city center where the terrain becomes more undulating, the more you'll find retaining walls. Phoenix is actually the cradle of new retaining wall technology (post-tensioned retaining walls) that reduce the labor and overall costs of building a retaining wall. To alter the landscape of your property, help divert lawn drainage, or simply to beautify your property, you're in a good place to find the perfect retaining wall for your home. Before you plan a functional retaining wall, however, you should know that a professional will need to come to your home and survey your property. Permits will also need to be obtained as retaining walls that hold back earth and water can have unintended effects.

Phoenix Landscape Design
You may not need a certified mason to build a simple landscaping wall. Dry stone or other alternatives can create a great-looking wall that won't have the traditional affect of altering the movement of dirt and water. It really depends on what you want, what you need, and what you can afford, and you may not have the answers you need until you talk to Phoenix landscaping professionals. In fact, once you look into your landscaping options, there's a good chance you'll be astonished by the possibilities, many of which you may not have previously considered. Patios, driveways, decks, and pools are common fixtures for homeowners seeking to make their yards a beautiful oasis. Waterfalls, gazebos, gardens, playscapes, exercise or athletic areas, such as a tennis/basketball court, and many other options are all great ideas that may strike your fancy. Once you talk to the professionals, you'll be able to start planning and budgeting for a project that can transform your home like few others.

Phoenix landscaping design is not just concerned with adding components to your property, however. Though outbuildings and water features are nice, much Phoenix landscaping design is focused on creating an outdoor space that looks good and will take care of itself. Because of the extreme climate of Phoenix, landscaping design is best focused on local flora that will not need a lot of extra water or attention to flourish; Phoenix's demanding climate also makes non-grass landscapes a desirable, easy to maintain choice. Though you can pay for just about any landscaping feature you want, consulting with a professional on your landscape design is particularly important in areas like Phoenix, where not everything is going to hold up to the large temperature swings or flourish in the copious sunlight.

Phoenix Retaining Walls As Accents
Though some Phoenix retaining walls are constructed for practical purposes, they are put in just as often as landscaping design accents. Breaking up the flat, monotonous feel of a Phoenix backyard can be done in several ways, but when you employ retaining walls as part of your design, you can actually add real texture to your property. Well-designed Phoenix retaining walls can give your property several different levels, making some features higher (and others lower) than the existing yard surface; this won't just add diversity to your property, it will also give you a chance to delineate and designate different areas of the property for specific uses. Of course, retaining walls used as landscaping accents should look the part; in cases where dry or stacked stone won't do, brick or stone masonry is an attractive (though sometimes expensive) alternative.

Cost of Phoenix Retaining Walls and Landscape Contractors
The size and nature of your retaining wall will determine its cost. The $5,000 average should be taken with a grain of salt. First, post-tensioned retaining walls reportedly cut costs by as much as 40 percent, though this number may apply more to commercial applications. Still, recent Phoenix wall installation data has shown projects of three, four, and five thousand dollars. It's possible, certainly, to range above the $10,000 mark for a large, heavy-duty retaining wall project. Things get even more nebulous for landscaping services that can range from less than $1,000 for simpler projects all the way up to $15,000 for comprehensive yard transformations.

Whether your needs are small or large, you'll want to find the best contractor for the job. And this is where ServiceMagic can truly help. We'll be able to match you with a number of different Phoenix landscaping contractors who have been put through our rigorous 10-step screening process. You can then get multiple estimates from reliable companies and determine who can do the best job for the best price. To make a final hiring decision with confidence, we also post reviews from homeowners who have made service requests. This provides easily accessible and quality-controlled ratings and referrals from like-minded homeowners. You'll begin to hear from contractors as soon as you submit your request, completely the most efficient and trustworthy way of locating a quality Phoenix contractor.