Retaining Walls in Camas, WA
Terracing genuinely steep ground. Segmental block, natural stone and boulder walls engineered to hold Clark County grades and drain properly behind the face.
Free Estimate in CamasRetaining Walls in Camas: what is different here
Camas is where retaining walls stop being a landscape feature and start being the reason the yard is usable at all. On Prune Hill and the slopes above Lacamas Lake we regularly build two and three tier terraced systems to convert an unusable fall into level outdoor rooms.
Terracing has to be designed as a system. Each tier has to be set back far enough that it is not surcharging the one below it, or you have effectively built one tall wall with a decorative step in it and none of the engineering that a tall wall requires. Drainage has to be handled at every tier and carried all the way down to a real outlet.
Steep-slope and critical-area regulations apply to a fair number of Camas properties, and taller walls or walls carrying a surcharge will need engineering. We will tell you which category your project falls into before you spend money on a design that cannot be permitted.
How we build it
- Compacted crushed rock footing on undisturbed soil
- Buried base course for stability
- Clean drain rock and filter fabric behind the full face
- Perforated drain pipe daylighted to a real outlet
- Geogrid soil reinforcement where the design requires it
- Honest guidance on when an engineer and permit are needed
A retaining wall is a structure, not decoration. It is holding back tons of saturated clay, and in this climate that clay is saturated for six months of the year. The walls that fail around here almost always fail for the same reason: nobody dealt with the water behind them.
About 35 minutes east, and worth the drive for the right project. Estimates in Camas are free, and the price we put in writing is the price.
Full detail on how we build retaining walls · Everything we do in Camas
Retaining Walls we have built
Retaining Walls in Camas: questions we get
How tall can a retaining wall be without a permit?
The common threshold across Washington jurisdictions is about four feet, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall — but if the wall carries a surcharge such as a driveway, a slope or a structure above it, engineering is usually required at a lower height. Requirements differ between Clark County and individual cities, so always confirm with the building department that covers your address.
Why is my existing wall leaning?
Nine times out of ten it is water. If there is no drain rock and pipe behind the wall, saturated clay pushes against the back of it every winter and the wall slowly rotates forward. The other common causes are a footing set on soft or uncompacted soil and a missing buried base course. A leaning wall does not correct itself and gets more expensive the longer it sits.
Can you build a wall against my property line?
Often yes, but setbacks, easements and the drainage outlet all need checking first, and the excavation behind a wall usually needs more room than people expect. If the wall would affect a neighbor’s grade we will raise it before we quote.
Retaining Walls in Camas
Free on-site estimates across Clark County. We walk the property with you, tell you what it actually needs, and put a fixed price in writing.