Relieving the water that pushes walls over
Tallahassee Yard Drainage Retaining Wall Drainage in Tallahassee
Most retaining walls that lean, bulge or crack are failing because of water, not weight. Wet soil behind a wall pushes far harder than dry soil.
- Tallahassee, Bradfordville and Crawfordville
- Written price before any digging
- Licensed, insured local contractors
- Priced for Red Hills clay and karst sand
Tallahassee Yard Drainage arranges retaining wall drainage for Tallahassee properties, from adding drainage behind an existing wall that has started to lean to making sure a new wall is built with it. The Red Hills are full of terraced lots, and every wall holding back red clay soil is also holding back whatever water that soil contains.
Adding drainage behind a wall that has started to move typically costs $1,500 to $6,000; letting saturated clay keep pushing on it until it fails means rebuilding the wall, often $15,000 to $30,000 for a long one, plus whatever it takes down with it.
$1,500 to $6,000 to add drainage to an existing wall
Retrofitting drainage behind an existing retaining wall in Tallahassee typically runs $1,500 to $6,000, depending on the wall's length and height and how much soil has to come out. Drainage built into a new wall is part of that wall's price and costs far less than adding it later.
Get a price: (850) 604-5871Signs a wall has a water problem
- The wall leans outward or bulges in the middle
- Cracks through block or stone, or joints opening up
- Water seeping out through the face or the base after rain
- Soil washing out from under the base or between blocks
- White efflorescence stains on the face of the wall
- Weep holes that never drip, or that are clogged with soil
Why water behind a wall is the danger
Soil behind a wall pushes on it. Saturated soil pushes much harder, because the water itself adds hydrostatic pressure on top of the soil's weight. Clay-rich soil also holds water longer and swells when wet. A wall designed for moist soil can be overloaded by a single saturated season.
That is why the drainage behind a retaining wall matters as much as the wall. Its job is to keep the soil directly behind the wall from ever becoming saturated.
What proper wall drainage looks like
- A perforated drain pipe at the base of the wall, behind it, bedded in gravel and falling to an outlet at one or both ends
- A zone of clean, washed stone at least twelve inches wide directly behind the wall, from the base to near the top
- Non-woven filter fabric between the stone and the native soil, so clay cannot migrate into the stone
- Weep holes or outlets through the face for walls that need them
- A cap of compacted soil on top so surface water is shed rather than soaking straight into the stone
- Surface water above the wall intercepted by grading or a swale before it reaches the backfill
Not sure which of these your yard needs? Describe it on the phone and get a straight answer.
Call (850) 604-5871Retrofitting an existing wall
If a wall was built without drainage, or its drainage has silted up, the soil behind it is excavated in sections, carefully so as not to destabilize the wall further, and the drain, stone and fabric are installed before backfilling. Sometimes the retrofit is simpler: clearing weep holes, adding a swale above the wall to stop surface water reaching it, or piping a downspout that was dumping at the top.
A wall that has already moved significantly needs a structural assessment. Drainage stops the cause, but it cannot straighten a wall.
Walls, permits and the right of way
Taller walls, and walls near a property line or the right of way, can require permits and engineering in Tallahassee and Leon County. The drain at the base of a wall also needs a legal outlet like any other drain. See French drain installation for how the pipe itself is built, and erosion control for slopes that do not need a wall at all.
Wall leaning or bulging?
Movement usually speeds up once it starts, and the next wet season adds more pressure. Call and describe the wall and what changed.
Call (850) 604-5871Questions people ask
How much does retaining wall drainage cost in Tallahassee?
Typically $1,500 to $6,000 to add drainage behind an existing wall, depending on its length and height. Built into a new wall, it costs much less.
Why is my retaining wall leaning?
Most often because water-saturated soil behind it is pushing harder than the wall was built for, usually because there is no drainage or the drainage has clogged.
Does a retaining wall need a French drain behind it?
Yes. A perforated pipe at the base in washed stone, wrapped in filter fabric and leading to an outlet, keeps the soil behind the wall from saturating.
What are the signs of retaining wall drainage problems?
Leaning or bulging, cracks and opening joints, water seeping through the face or base, soil washing out, efflorescence and weep holes that never drip.
Can drainage be added to an existing retaining wall?
Usually, by excavating behind it in sections and installing pipe, stone and fabric. Walls that have already moved badly need a structural assessment first.
Often done together
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Erosion control
A gully in a Red Hills yard gets deeper every storm. Filling it is not enough. The water that cut it has to be slowed down or sent somewhere else.
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French drain installation
A gravel trench and perforated pipe that pulls water out of the ground and carries it somewhere it is allowed to go.
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Yard grading
The cheapest drain is the one you never have to bury. Regrading reshapes the surface so rain runs away from the house and off the lot the way it should have from the start.
Talk it through before anyone digs
Describe where the water sits and where it comes from. You will hear which fix fits the yard, what it usually costs, and whether you need one at all.
Call (850) 604-5871