Concrete retaining walls in Tuscaloosa, AL - a wall that drains and holds the hill

A poured concrete retaining wall in Tuscaloosa usually runs about $30 to $35 per square foot of wall face, the side you see. That's the area's going rate, not our quote, and it leaves out tearing out an old wall, terraces, extra height, curves and a stamped or stained face. I'll price yours at the estimate.

Check before you build, since the city requires permits for all new construction, and we ask its permit office about your address and pull what our part of the job needs. Lots by Lake Tuscaloosa or in the Lake Tuscaloosa, Harris Lake or Lake Nicol watersheds may need extra approvals, so I'll point you to the Office of the City Engineer and we'll build to the plans it approves.

Missing drainage is the most common cause, guides say. They call for drainage stone, filter fabric and a toe drain, a drain at the base that runs out to open ground. Research found drains built to be cleaned out keep working more reliably than weep holes, small openings in the face that tend to clog, so ask what each bid uses.

Go with whichever fits your yard's access and the look you want, since guides say the choice turns on access, finish and what local crews build well more than on strength. Stacked block can take its backfill, the dirt behind it, right away, while poured concrete has to gain strength first. I'll tell you honestly which one I'd build.

It can, because the Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board covers building, remodeling, repairing or improving a residential structure when labor and materials run over $10,000, within its jurisdiction. A larger wall project may reach that figure, so ask each bidder whether the board's license covers their work.