Most people think a retaining wall is holding back dirt. It isn't. It's managing the hydrostatic pressure of saturated soil. When Lower Mainland rain saturates the slope behind a wall, that soil gets enormously heavy and pushes outward with far more force than it does when dry. A wall without drainage behind it is taking that full load. That's why walls lean, bulge and crack — not because of the block, but because of the water that was never managed. We size the base, the drainage rock, the perforated tile, and the geogrid reinforcement to the actual load, not to whatever is cheapest.
Retaining Walls in Surrey: What's Included
- Segmental retaining walls (Allan Block, Versa-Lok and equivalent systems)
- Natural stone and fieldstone walls for a heritage or rural look
- Compacted crushed gravel base excavated to undisturbed soil
- Drainage aggregate and perforated drain tile at wall base
- Geogrid soil reinforcement on walls requiring engineered backfill
- Cap units, integrated steps and planter pockets
- Engineer referral and coordination for walls requiring stamped drawings
When to Call for Retaining Walls in Surrey
A sloped lot eating into your usable yard
Terracing a slope with one or two walls can turn an unusable hillside into level, functional outdoor space.
An existing timber or rock wall leaning or rotting
Landscape ties have a built-in expiry date in our wet climate. Once they start to lean, the base has shifted and the wall needs to come out and be rebuilt properly.
Water collecting at the base of a slope or against the house
A properly designed wall with drain tile moves that water away from your foundation and driveway instead of letting it sit.
Our Retaining Walls Process in Surrey
- 1
Site and slope assessment
We read the slope, check the soil type, identify where water is flowing and determine whether an engineer is needed for the height.
- 2
Excavate to bearing soil
We dig down to undisturbed soil for the base course. On a slope that means going deeper than it looks from the surface.
- 3
Base, drainage and build
A compacted gravel base goes in first, then the wall rises course by course with drainage rock and geogrid layers behind it at the right intervals.
- 4
Cap, backfill and grade
Cap units are set, the grade behind the wall is shaped to drain properly, and the site is cleaned up.
Retaining Walls across Surrey & the Lower Mainland
We handle retaining walls across Surrey and the surrounding Metro Vancouver, including Guildford, Newton, Cloverdale, Fleetwood and South Surrey.
See all areas we serveCommon Questions
Surrey Masonry FAQs
We build everything from low garden walls to taller engineered walls with geogrid reinforcement and proper drainage. Past a certain height BC requires an engineer, and we'll let you know if your project needs one.
Need a Mason in Surrey? Call Today.
Give us a call or request a free estimate. We'll come take a look, tell you what's needed and quote it straight, no pressure.
Serving Surrey & the Metro Vancouver