Retaining walls in Grosse Pointe, MI: Low walls for a very flat town.
Grosse Pointe barely has a hill, so most walls here are low. HD Landscape builds block borders that lift a bed out of wet clay, square up a front yard or keep soil off a walk.
- Low block walls
- Raised bed borders
- Set back from the walk
Walls in the City
What a wall is really for in Grosse Pointe.
On the USDA soil map, almost nothing in the city tops a 4 percent slope, so few yards need a wall to hold back a hillside. What they need is a way out of poorly drained ground, and a clean, finished edge that suits an older home.
Beds lifted out of wet clay
Poorly drained clay covers roughly half the city on that same map. University of Minnesota Extension lists a very wet area as one reason to build a raised bed, and lifting a bed gives plants soil you can control. A low block border does that and gives the bed a shape.
Setbacks from the walk
The city's zoning code says a landscape retaining wall must be kept two feet behind the sidewalk. A wall with more than 24 inches of grade difference needs a building permit. The city has the final word, and rules change.
A town with real masonry
Brick and stone estate walls still line parts of East Jefferson. A new wall should sit comfortably near that, so block color and height get real thought. Restoring an old brick or stone wall is mason's work, and we will say so.
Roots near the wall line
MSU Extension places most of a tree's roots, about 80 percent, in the top 18 to 24 inches of soil. A wall trench cuts right through that zone, so around big trees the line should move, or the wall should be rethought, before a shovel goes in.
What you get
Most of a good wall ends up out of sight.
A low block wall or raised bed border should include all of this. Your estimate is itemized, so you can go through it line by line.
- Layout
Line set, grade checked and buried lines marked before digging.
- Trench and base
Trench cut and checked, gravel packed down and the first row set level.
- Block and cap
Rows stacked with staggered joints and finished with clean caps.
- Drainage and backfill
Gravel behind the block, with soil packed in as the wall rises.
- Finish
Bed filled with plants, mulch or stone, and the lawn edge left clean.
- Taller or loaded walls
Many cities require an engineer's design over 4 feet, and a wall holding up a driveway or steep bank can need one too.
In Grosse Pointe
The part of a Grosse Pointe wall you never see goes in first.
Jake walks the line with you and looks at which way the ground falls. Buried lines get marked through MISS DIG 811 before digging. A well built wall starts with a trench and a packed gravel base, then block with gravel behind it, so water drains instead of pushing.
Extra soil can often go into the new bed. How the debris leaves goes on your estimate. Many cities require an engineer's design for walls over about 4 feet, and a wall holding up a driveway can need one too, so Jake will say if yours does.
We build these low walls across all five Pointes, but the setback and permit rules belong to each city: the Park, the City, the Farms, the Woods and the Shores.
- Most common
- Low block walls and borders
- From the walk
- Two feet back, per city code
- Estimate
- Free and itemized
This young man and his crew were nothing less than amazing. They just completed a big project for us.... his team of young men were so polite, professional, easy to get along with... They did a great job on our yard and flower beds. The owner gave us some great advice before they started, and we listened to him.. and we are so glad we did. …
Stephen D.Yard and flower beds
Jake and his team were awesome! I had my yard completely gutted, leveled, new sod, pea gravel behind the garage and new plants. I was impressed with how clean they left the job and how efficient they were. What would’ve taken me a week was done in one day. …
Rob E.Full yard redo with sod
I recently had the pleasure of working with HD Landscape to completely revamp my outdoor space, and I couldn’t be happier with the results. From start to finish, the experience was seamless and exceeded my expectations in every way.
Billy W.Outdoor space revamp
Questions
What people ask about retaining wall in Grosse Pointe.
If yours is not here, call or text (586) 718-8762.
Do you build retaining walls in Grosse Pointe?
Yes. HD Landscape builds low block walls and raised bed borders in Grosse Pointe, MI, one of the places we work most. Few yards here need a wall to hold back a hill, so most walls lift a bed out of wet clay or finish a front yard.
Does a retaining wall in Grosse Pointe need a permit?
Only past a certain height. The city's zoning code calls for a building permit when the grade on each side differs by more than 24 inches. Many low borders stay under that, but confirm it with the city's building department before work starts.
Can you repair an old brick garden wall?
That is a job for a mason. We build low block walls and raised bed borders. If you have an old estate wall in your yard, we can plan the beds and plants around it and leave the masonry to someone who does that work.
Will a retaining wall fix my wet yard?
Not on its own. A wall holds soil, and the water still has to go somewhere. On flat, poorly drained ground, the grade comes first, and then it is a question of whether a raised bed helps. Plants in a raised bed also need more water in dry weather.
More for Grosse Pointe
- Landscape design in Grosse Pointe
- Landscape renovation in Grosse Pointe
- Sod installation in Grosse Pointe
- Hedge trimming in Grosse Pointe
- Monthly landscape maintenance in Grosse Pointe
- Spring and fall cleanups in Grosse Pointe
- Pressure washing in Grosse Pointe
- Tree trimming and removal in Grosse Pointe
- All services in Grosse Pointe
Retaining walls in other towns
Background: a finished job, relit for evening
Free estimate
Get your Grosse Pointe estimate.
Tell us about the yard and where in Grosse Pointe it is. Jake will take a look and give you an itemized estimate.