RK Preferred builds retaining walls in Indian Trail and Wesley Chapel, where many back lots slope toward a fence line or a neighbor. A wall turns that slope into flat, usable yard for a patio, a lawn or planting. We’re based on Waxhaw Indian Trail Road, so these are some of the closest jobs we do.
Why so many lots here need a wall
A lot of Indian Trail neighborhoods were graded quickly during construction, which left back yards that fall away from the house and red clay that washes out on the slope. A retaining wall holds the soil back, creates a level area, and, built with drainage behind it, stops the erosion that comes with every storm.
How we build them
- Measure the slope and the wall’s length and height at the site visit.
- Excavate and lay a gravel base, compacted in lifts to at least 4 to 6 inches or deeper depending on the wall.
- Set the first course perfectly level; every course above follows it.
- Stagger, pin or glue each course and set it back slightly into the slope.
- Add drain pipe and gravel behind the wall as it rises, then compacted backfill and caps.
- Regrade around the wall and finish with topsoil, sod or planting.
Block we use
Retaining walls are Anchor Wall or Belgard systems. For seat walls and garden walls around the patio, we most often use Belgard Weston Stone, plus Techo-Bloc Raffinato and Tremron Stonegate.
Finishing the terraces
Once the wall is built, the level ground above and below it gets finished the way you’ll use it: new sod for a flat lawn, a paver patio, or planting on the terraces. Shrubs and grasses along the top of a wall soften it and help hold the soil.
One wall or two
On steeper Indian Trail lots, two shorter terraced walls with planting or steps between them usually beat one tall wall: they’re easier on the eye and easier to plant. Taller walls can need engineering and a permit, and we tell you what yours needs. See why retaining walls lean for what goes wrong when walls are built without drainage.
Questions homeowners ask
Can you replace a failing timber wall?
Yes, with a block wall on a compacted base with drainage behind it.
Can a wall make room for a patio?
Yes. That’s one of the most common reasons for a wall here: it creates the flat area the patio sits on.
Do you work in Wesley Chapel?
Yes. Wesley Chapel is about 5 miles south of our yard, in Union County like Indian Trail.