Concrete retaining walls in Columbus NE - a wall that drains and holds your yard
Slope washing into the yard or an old wall leaning out? We build concrete walls that hold the ground back and let water out.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Concrete retaining walls we build
Poured concrete walls
Concrete poured into forms on site around rebar, the steel bars that help it carry the load, for slopes that need a solid, straight face to hold the ground back.
Replacing an old wall
When a wall is leaning, cracked or bulging, we tear it out, haul it off and build a new one with a real way for water to drain.
Do I need a concrete retaining wall for my sloped yard?
A concrete retaining wall holds back the soil on a slope so the ground above it stays put and you get level, usable yard below it. We build concrete retaining walls in Columbus, NE and the cities around it, Schuyler included.
You might have dirt washing onto the driveway or patio every time it storms, a bank too steep to mow, or an old wall that's starting to tip. The price mostly turns on how long and tall the wall needs to be, how easy the site is to get equipment into, how much digging and drainage it takes and how involved the design is. The schedule turns on whether the city needs to look at it first and on the weather, since I'd rather move a pour date than pour in the wrong conditions. Your own number comes from the estimate, once I've seen the slope.
Retaining walls, from the drains to the backfill
Water building up behind a wall is what pushes it over, so when I bid a wall, the drainage plan comes first. The rest of the job gets planned around where that water goes.
Drainage plan first
Before anything gets dug, we'll show you the drains we plan to use and whether they can be cleaned out later.
Digging out the base
We dig to firm ground and pack the subgrade, the soil the wall sits on, so the wall isn't resting on loose dirt that settles.
Forming and pouring
We set forms and rebar, pour, then let the wall cure, giving the concrete time to gain strength before fill goes against it.
Gravel, drain pipe, then fill
Free-draining gravel goes behind the wall, with a perforated pipe along the bottom feeding short weep pipes that let water out the front.
Tying in the work around it
Next to a concrete pool deck or a slab from our concrete floor installation, we grade both together so water runs away.
Why Columbus homeowners hire Columbus Concrete
We're known for getting the ground work right before any concrete shows up, and on a retaining wall that's most of the job. I don't rush the dig, the base or the drainage, and you'll know what you're paying for before we start.
The owner sees every wall
I look at each job in person and write the estimate, and our crew does the work with me on site, so the person who bid your wall is there when it goes in.
A full-time business since 2023
This has been a full-time business since 2023. I started out on side jobs for neighbors and learned the trade working next to people who'd been at it far longer.
Licensed and fully insured
We're licensed and fully insured, and our promise is satisfaction guaranteed. On a wall, I'd rather spend your money on the base and drains than on a fancy face.
What happens when you call us about a retaining wall?
Every wall gets planned around your slope, how you use the yard and the weather, and I'm on site with our crew from the pour until we walk the finished wall with you.
or call (531) 400-9011
You call or send the form
Call (531) 400-9011 or send the form, and tell us where the wall needs to go and what the slope is doing now.
I come look at the slope
I come out myself to look at the job, measure it and ask how you plan to use the ground above and below the wall.
You get it in writing
You get a written estimate that spells out what's included, like the drainage, base work and hauling, so nothing is left to guess.
Your free estimate for the wall, drains and backfill
Send your property address, a few photos of the slope and a rough wall length, and we'll reply within one business day to set up your free on-site estimate. There's no obligation, and I'll come out myself to look.
Retaining wall questions we hear
How much does a concrete retaining wall cost in Nebraska?
Retaining wall construction in Nebraska usually runs about $32 to $37 per square foot, going by a statewide cost survey. That's the going rate, not our price, and where your wall lands depends on the site, the design and how much work it takes. The written estimate gives you your own figure.
What causes a retaining wall to fail?
Poor drainage is by far the most common cause, according to a national research report on earth-retaining walls, and the trouble can grow into outright failure if nobody deals with it. That's why the drainage plan is the first thing to compare when you have bids side by side.
What is the best way to drain a retaining wall, weep holes or a drain you can clean out?
A drain that can be maintained later is the more reliable choice, according to that same national report. Weep holes let water seep out through the face of the wall, but they're likely to clog over the years the wall stands, so ask every bidder whether their drains can be cleaned out later.
Is a block retaining wall cheaper than poured concrete?
Usually, going by the block industry's own numbers. The concrete masonry trade association's design manual says segmental block walls typically come in 25 to 40 percent cheaper than poured concrete walls, so if price is driving your choice, ask for both kinds of wall on the bid.
Does a contractor in Nebraska have to register with the state?
Yes. Nebraska requires contractors and subcontractors doing business in the state to register with the Nebraska Department of Labor. Registration is required, but it doesn't vouch for the quality of the work or protect you against fraud, so judge a bid on its drainage plan and what it spells out.
Can you build a retaining wall in the rain in Columbus?
Not in heavy rain if it can be helped. A UK road research review advises against placing fill during heavy rain, though it grants that's hard to stick to in practice, so ask any crew how they'll plan around a wet stretch. We watch the forecast and work the schedule around it.
Other work that goes with a wall
Concrete floor installation
Building a shop, garage or addition into a slope? We pour the floor slab inside, with the base packed and graded before any concrete arrives.
Explore Concrete floor installationConcrete pool decks
A pool set into a hillside often needs a wall and a deck together, and the deck has to shed water away from the pool.
Explore Concrete pool decksConcrete patio construction
A wall can turn part of a sloped backyard into level ground, and a patio there gives you somewhere to set a table and chairs.
Explore Concrete patio construction
Concrete retaining walls around Columbus, NE
Before we start, I check with the city about your wall. The Columbus Engineering Department handles floodplain permits, and its list of nonstructural work names grading, fill and removing fill, but not retaining walls, so that list doesn't settle whether your wall needs one. It's worth asking early, because over 19% of Platte County is floodplain, and since the county isn't zoned, a lot within 2 miles of Columbus goes through the city even outside its limits. If a permit is needed, we help you get it lined up so the paperwork doesn't hold up the pour.
On walls around Columbus and over in Schuyler, we mostly see yards that drop off toward a driveway, a patio or a new building pad, and older walls with no clear way to let water out. We plan the drains on those first and build the rest of the wall around them.