Service
Retaining Wall Design
Utah bench and hillside lots produce a lot of retaining walls, and most cities require engineering above about four feet. Walls that fail usually failed in drainage or in the surcharge nobody accounted for.
What this covers
Scope
- Cantilever concrete and masonry retaining walls
- Segmental block and geogrid-reinforced walls
- Tiered walls and walls with slope above or below
- Surcharge from driveways, structures, and vehicles
- Drainage detailing — the most common cause of failure
Process
Design considerations
- 01
Site geometry
Wall height, slope above and below, and what sits within the influence zone behind the wall.
- 02
Soil parameters
Lateral earth pressures and bearing, from a geotechnical report where one exists.
- 03
Stability checks
Overturning, sliding, bearing, and global stability.
- 04
Stamped plans
Sections, reinforcing, and drainage details ready for permit.
Straight answers
Retaining Wall Design — common questions
When does a retaining wall need engineering?
Most Utah jurisdictions require engineered plans above roughly four feet measured from the bottom of the footing, and many require it at any height when there is a surcharge — a driveway, a structure, or a slope above the wall. Confirm with your city.
I have a wall that is leaning. Can it be fixed?
Sometimes, depending on how it was built and how far it has moved. A site visit and letter starting at $500 will tell you whether it is repairable or needs replacement.
Related
Often needed alongside this
Foundation Repair Engineering
Cracking, settlement, sloping floors, and bowing walls all have a cause.
from $500 →New Residential Construction
Full structural design for ground-up homes — foundations, framing, lateral system, and the details that make the set buildable rather than just permittable.
from $1 / sq ft → For the tradeConcrete & Masonry Contractors
Get the footing, wall, and reinforcing details right the first time.
Partner sheet →Send photos and I will tell you what it takes.
Fast. Practical. Buildable.