Concrete & Block Retaining Walls: Design, Drainage & Cost
Erosion & Flood Control
In Oklahoma, a retaining wall does more than hold dirt. Expansive clay pushes harder when it’s wet, and spring storms send water straight at the wall. We build walls to handle both. Here’s what a well-built wall does for your property:
Prevent Soil Erosion
flood Control
Retaining walls are essential for protecting buildings, preventing erosion, and controlling water flow. Channels and pipes installed at the base of these walls help divert floodwaters. These structures can then be further enhanced by terracing, which allows excess liquid to filter into the ground rather than become surface runoff.
Add Functional Space
Types of Concrete Retaining Walls
Gravity Walls
A simple structure that relies on its own weight to withstand the pressure of the soil it is holding back.
Block Retaining Walls
Modular block walls for tiered gardens, raised beds and decorative borders.
Poured Concrete Walls
Steel-reinforced walls poured in place, with thickness and strength matched to the load behind them.
Cantilever Walls
Reinforced walls with a wide footing that uses the weight of the soil above it to resist tipping. Good for taller walls on tight lots.
Tiered & Decorative Walls
Stepped walls that break a steep slope into planting terraces, plus colored and textured finishes.
Anchored & Engineered Walls
For walls over 4 ft or near structures, we design with an engineer and meet local code.
Piled Retaining Wall
Mechanically Stabilized Earth Retaining wall
Hybrid Systems
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Drainage Behind the Wall: Why Retaining Walls Fail
Most retaining walls don’t fail because the concrete is weak. They fail because of water. Rain soaks the soil behind the wall, Oklahoma clay swells, and with nowhere to go, that pressure builds until the wall leans, cracks or tips. It’s also why timber and railroad-tie walls rarely last here: they rot, draw termites and give way.
Every OKCrete wall is built with drainage designed in:
- Gravel backfill so water drains down instead of pushing out
- Perforated drain pipe at the footing to carry water away
- Weep holes or outlets so water can pass through or around the wall
- Filter fabric to keep clay from clogging the gravel
Surface grading above the wall to send runoff away from it
Retaining Walls in Tulsa & Oklahoma City
Tulsa
Reinforced walls for sloped lots across Tulsa, Broken Arrow, Jenks and Sand Springs, including our West Tulsa driveway-and-wall project.
Oklahoma City
Walls built to hold back OKC’s expansive red clay, from Edmond to Moore.
Common questions
Retaining Wall FAQs
Do retaining walls need drainage?
Yes. Trapped water is the number-one cause of wall failure, so every wall we build includes drainage behind it.
How tall can a residential retaining wall be?
Typically up to 4 feet without engineering. Taller walls need an engineered design and may need a permit, depending on your city.
How long does it take to build a retaining wall?
Most walls take 4–14 days, depending on size, slope and complexity.
Poured concrete or block: which is better?
Poured concrete is stronger and better for tall or heavily loaded walls. Block is great for tiered gardens and decorative walls. We’ll recommend the right one for your slope.
Can you replace my old timber or railroad-tie wall?
Yes. We remove the old wall, fix the drainage that caused it to fail and build a concrete replacement.
Do you offer financing?
Request a Free Retaining Wall Estimate
Tell us about your slope, your erosion problem or the space you want to gain. We’ll walk the site, check the drainage and give you a clear, itemized estimate at no cost. Tulsa (918) 986-7236 · Oklahoma City (405) 406-5677.