Retaining Wall Construction Lake Minnetonka, MN

retaining wall installation
Retaining Wall Construction Lake Minnetonka, Wayzata, Minnetrista, MN

We build beautiful and functional retaining walls.

Retaining walls are a great addition to any landscape, especially if your property has an existing slope.  Building a retaining wall allows you to reclaim some of that lost space by carving out usable outdoor spaces on sloping ground that would otherwise not be usable.  Retaining walls can hold back earth and soil which helps to create new level areas for the construction of a new garden bed, a new lawn, a patio or an outdoor cooking area, a parking area, and more.  Retaining walls can be built using a variety of materials including rock, brick, block, boulders, or even wood.

Why Do You Need A Retaining Wall On Your Property?

  • Do you need to prevent soil erosion on your property?
  • Do you have an existing retaining wall that has failed and needs repair or rebuilt?
  • Do you have a sloped property you’d like to landscape?
  • Do you want to create a new outdoor living space?
  • Do you want some raised garden beds around your home or property?

Rare Landscapes Inc is a landscaping contractor based out of Lake Minnetonka, MN and serving the surrounding areas including Wayzata, Orono, Minnetonka Beach, Deephaven, Greenwood, Shorewood, Excelsior, Tonka Bay, Woodland, Spring Park, Minnetrista, and Medina. We specialize in retaining wall construction.  We design and build functional retaining walls for property owners looking to landscape their naturally sloped property.  From a 50′ foot long stacked block retaining wall to hold back earth around the edge of your home to larger, more complicated, retaining wall construction for your terraced property.  The team at Rare Landscapes Inc will be able to provide you with a retaining wall solution that will benefit your specific property.

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william gabby
william gabby
November 28, 2023

We had a great experience working with Bill and his team. Very professional work and the results were outstanding. Added a top level rock wall, modified existing steps to make safer and added more interesting curve and additional level, and replaced old stone walk way with nicely color contrasting pavers. We are very pleased with their work.

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Joey Reilly
Joey Reilly
October 2, 2023

We had a dead lawn after we bought the place in winter. Bill came in with his crew, removed the lawn, took out the tree blocking the front of our wonderful home and installed class 5 to store our truck and boat. Fantastic work. I won't go anywhere else for my landscaping needs. On time, responsive, great quality work, great price, nice and professional crew. Got it done in a couple days and it looks great! Could not ask for anything more!

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Dane Bogaard
Dane Bogaard
September 15, 2023

Rare Landscaping turned our backyard into what it was always meant to be - a beautiful patio where we can sit outside and enjoy the beauty of Minnesota. High quality workmanship and a beautiful design that fit perfectly with what we needed for our walkout basement under the deck. We are extremely happy with the finished product - it turned out just like the design that Bill showed us.

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Heather Jane Yahna
Heather Jane Yahna
November 8, 2021

We had Bill landscape multiple areas at our home. He did a great job. It was a big project with multiple changes on our part. We looked forward to working with him again on other projects.

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Paul Rashleger
Paul Rashleger
October 29, 2021

Rare Landscapes provided me with a very professional job. The company is highly detailed and the job was finished in a timely matter. The 3d design presented to me gave me much insight as to what was going to happen before they started. I highly recommend Bill.

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ryan mason
ryan mason
July 22, 2021

My wife spent hours reaching out to landscape companies, with Bill from Rare Landscapes being the only person to respond in a timely manner. Once we met with him, we knew he was our guy! We had a complex job that required a lot of coordination and Bill was able to handle it all. I was most impressed with how he turned these huge boulders into a beautiful patio! I gave him the name of "Boulder Ninja". Highly recommend!

Retaining Walls & Building Permits in Lake Minnetonka, MN

In most of Hennepin County and Carver County (your municipality could be different) retaining walls that are under 3 feet in height generally do not require permits or design plans.  There are some specifics that may or may not apply to your situation.  If the retaining wall is 3 feet in height or over than a permit is generally required.  Any retaining walls over 6 feet in height will require a permit and additionally an engineered design to ensure the structure is sound.  This information does not account for any covenants that might be on your property.

When we view your property we’ll be able to let you know any specific building codes that might apply to your circumstance depending on the height/length of your wall and what it’s specifically being installed for and whatever surcharges (weight) might be applied to the soil above and behind the wall.

Proper Drainage For Your Retaining Wall

We are often contacted by potential customers who have an existing retaining wall that has failed, it’s either falling down, bulging, or collapsing.  One of the most common reasons for retaining wall failure is that the original wall was built with poor drainage in place.  Retaining walls are designed to hold back earth from erosion.  This also makes them excellent at holding back water too.

The water that builds up behind a retaining wall is referred to in the industry as “hydrostatic pressure” and the external force of the soil or fill held behind your retaining wall coupled with the weight of the water held behind it is often enough to seriously compromise the integrity of your wall which can lead to failures such as bulging and even a total collapse.

Any retaining wall construction project must incorporate good drainage if it’s going to last for many years.  Depending on the type of material being used to build your retaining wall there are a variety of ways to integrate sufficient drainage such as lateral drains, french drains, weeping drains, blanket drains and also the use of very granular soil or fill behind the wall can also to disperse rather than hold the water.

Understanding Retaining Wall Surcharges

A "surcharge" when it comes to a retaining wall is the weight on top of or behind the wall.  For example, if you're building a retaining wall to create a new parking area for a boat or an RV we need to consider the weight of the boat or RV and it's impact on the retaining wall.  If your wall is going to have a surcharge it must be built with this in mind if it's going to last.  This would also include tiered retaining walls or retaining walls with a fence on top or any other weight other than the earth it's holding back.  Geo-grid is often used to provide extra tensile strength to each course of your retaining wall so it's anchored to the ground behind it.  Proper use of geo-grid will ensure that your retaining wall will be built to last and won't collapse or buckle under the excess weight.

What Materials Do We Use For Retaining Wall Construction?

There are many different materials to build your retaining wall out of.  Below are some of the more popular materials in our area because of their availability.

  • Block retaining walls
  • Timber retaining walls
  • Fieldstone retaining walls
  • Brick retaining walls
  • Natural stone retaining walls
  • Large boulder retaining walls
  • Concrete block retaining walls

How Our Retaining Wall Construction Process Works

When building a retaining wall on your property that is designed to hold back soil and earth from erosion there is very little margin for error so when required we work directly with engineers if your wall is over 6 feet in height.  There are many pre-engineered systems we can use as well that can eliminate the need for detailed building plans.

  1. We start with our initial consultation.
  2. We determine how many feet of retaining wall you need.
  3. We determine the height of the wall and if a building permit or engineer will be required.
  4. We take into account any surcharges (weight) the wall might be exposed to.
  5. We consult with you on the materials you’d like your retaining built with.
  6. We’ll provide you with an accurate written estimate for the work.

The amount of work required to build a retaining wall can vary widely from project to project.  The slope of your property, the amount of earth your retaining wall must hold back and the overall accessibility of your property will all contribute to the final cost.  We’ll be able to offer you an accurate estimate only after a site visit.

If you want to schedule an estimate for your retaining wall construction project then please give us a call 952-258-3553 or fill out our online contact form and we’ll get back to you right away.

Retaining Wall Pricing Information

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Small Garden Wall

$3,000-$5,000

This would be for a small wall (under 2 feet high) for a small garden or a small landscape bed.

Medium Sized Wall

$10,000-$25,000

This would be for a medium sized wall up to 4 feet high.  Installed with drainage and geo-grid so it lasts.

Large Or Tiered Wall

$30,000-$100,000+

This would be a ballpark for a large tiered retaining wall with courses 4 feet or higher.

These prices do not include stairs.  If you need stairs built within your retaining wall there will be an additional cost.  These price ranges are for a typical wall built using readily available landscape block.  There are a wide variety of styles and patterns available and we'll be able to provide you with a selection during our consultation.  The price can vary significantly depending on the specific material you choose.

These prices are ball park figures to give you a rough idea as to what you should expect.  Your particular project may vary depending on site accessibility, materials chosen, and the overall scope of work.  If you need a firm price please request a consultation so we can view your potential project, listen to your ideas, and determine the actual scope of work required to complete your project.  After our on-site consultation we'll be able to provide you with a firm estimate to complete your project.

If you’d like to schedule a consultation for your retaining wall construction project please give us a call 952-258-3553 or fill out our online contact form and we’ll get back to you right away.