Retaining Walls
We can build beautiful, functional, retaining walls
We Build, Repair, and Replace Retaining Walls
We are your Oakland County retaining wall specialists!
Retaining walls are an excellent functional addition to any landscape, especially if your property has an existing slope. Building a retaining wall allows you to reclaim lost space by carving out flat and usable outdoor spaces on sloping ground. Retaining walls hold back earth and soil which helps to create new level areas for the construction of a new garden bed, a new lawn, a patio or an outdoor cooking area, a parking area, and more. Retaining walls can be built using a variety of materials including rock, brick, block, boulders, or even wood.
Why Do You Need Retaining Walls On Your Property?
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- Do you need to prevent soil erosion on your property?
- Do you have an existing retaining wall that has failed and needs repair or rebuilt?
- Do you have a sloped property you’d like to landscape?
- Do you want to create a new outdoor living space?
- Do you want some raised garden beds around your home or property?
The team at Silva Custom Design will be able to provide you with a retaining wall solution that will benefit your specific property.
Silva Custom Design is a landscaping contractor serving Oakland County including Bloomfield Hills, Franklin, Birmingham, Northville, West Bloomfield, and Novi.
We specialize in designing and building functional retaining walls for property owners looking to landscape their naturally sloped property.
From a 30′ foot long block retaining wall to hold back earth around the edge of your home to larger, more complicated, retaining walls for your terraced property.
Construction Of New Retaining Walls
At Silva Custom Design, we specialize in professional retaining wall construction for residential and commercial properties across Oakland County and the Detroit Metro area.
Whether you're looking to create usable space on a sloped yard, prevent soil erosion, or add structure to your landscape, we build new retaining walls that are engineered for strength, stability, and lasting beauty. Using premium materials and proven construction techniques, we deliver walls that not only perform but enhance the overall design of your outdoor space.
Retaining Walls and Building Permits in Oakland County, Michigan
When building new retaining walls in Oakland County, there are a few important rules to know:
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- Walls over 36 inches tall usually require a building permit.
- Engineered drawings may be needed if the wall must support heavy loads or structures.
- Local city regulations can vary slightly, so it’s important to check requirements based on your location.
At Silva Custom Design, we handle the entire permitting process for you. We make sure your new retaining wall meets all local building codes and safety standards, giving you peace of mind and a project you can trust.
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Proper Drainage for Retaining Walls
One of the leading causes of retaining wall failure is poor drainage. We’re often contacted by homeowners dealing with walls that are bulging, leaning, or collapsing — and in many cases, the original wall wasn’t built to handle water properly.
Retaining walls are designed to hold back soil, but they also trap water. Over time, water buildup behind the wall — known as hydrostatic pressure — creates powerful force. Combined with the weight of the soil, this pressure can push the wall outward, causing cracks, bowing, and even total failure.
To prevent these issues, proper drainage must be part of the wall’s construction. Depending on the materials and site conditions, we use solutions like:
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- Lateral drains or perforated pipe systems
- French drains or weeping tile behind the wall
- Blanket drains for larger walls
- Free-draining granular backfill to reduce water retention
At Silva Custom Design, every new retaining wall we build is carefully engineered with the right drainage strategy to protect your investment and ensure long-term strength and stability.
Understanding Retaining Wall Surcharges
A surcharge is any extra weight placed on or behind a retaining wall — like a parked vehicle, a fence, or another structure. If your wall will support more than just soil, it must be built stronger to handle the load.
Examples of surcharges include:
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- Parking areas for boats, RVs, or vehicles
- Fences or railings installed along the top of the wall
- Tiered or multi-level retaining walls
When a surcharge is involved, we reinforce the wall using geo-grid — a material that adds strength by anchoring the wall into the ground behind it. Proper design and installation are critical to prevent buckling, shifting, or collapse over time.
Understanding Retaining Wall Surcharges
A surcharge is any extra weight placed on or behind a retaining wall — like a parked vehicle, a fence, or another structure. If your wall will support more than just soil, it must be built stronger to handle the load.
Examples of surcharges include:
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- Parking areas for boats, RVs, or vehicles
- Fences or railings installed along the top of the wall
- Tiered or multi-level retaining walls
When a surcharge is involved, we reinforce the wall using geo-grid — a material that adds strength by anchoring the wall into the ground behind it. Proper design and installation are critical to prevent buckling, shifting, or collapse over time.
What Materials Do We Use For Retaining Walls?
There are many different materials to build your retaining wall out of. Below are some of the more popular materials in our area because of their availability.
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- Block retaining walls
- Natural stone retaining walls
- Large boulder retaining walls
If you'd like to schedule an estimate or consultation for retaining wall construction give us a call (248) 404-0874 or fill out our online contact form.
Retaining Wall Repair Or Replacement
We specialize in rebuilding retaining walls that have failed and/or collapsed.
Retaining Wall Repairs
It's pretty common for us to get called out to repair an existing retaining wall that has collapsed or failed in some way. This could be an old wood retaining wall that is rotting away or a block wall that is bulging or on the verge of collapse if it has not collapsed already.
Typically we don't recommend "repairing" retaining walls. The wall has failed for a reason and that reason is typically poor construction or a poor choice of materials. When a wall has failed we will usually recommend tearing the wall out and replacing it. This would include demolition of the old wall, re-excavating the area to allow for proper base materials, installation of proper drainage, and proper backfill. Building it right is the more cost effective option in most situations.
Rebuilding Failed Retaining Walls
If your existing retaining wall has failed and needs to be replaced it's usually more cost effective to demolish the old wall, remove the materials, re-excavate the site, install a proper base, geo-grid if necessary, install drainage, and build the retaining wall properly.
We specialize in rebuilding retaining walls that have failed and would be happy to provide you with a consultation if you have a wall that you believe needs to be replaced.
Our Clients Love Us!
Here's What They Say
Edwin and his team were fantastic to work with! We needed our old 90's patio steps rebuilt the exact same way and they were the only company to tackle this project for us. All the others tried to talk us into a whole new look for a lot more money. So glad we went with Silva! Edwin's customer service and expertise is top notch. I highly recommend!
Edwin and his team were amazing! They handled all the permits and paperwork and got promptly to work as soon as everything was finalized. His team that came out were respectful and made sure my wife and I were happy with everything along the way. We love the fence and would recommend to anyone looking for good quality work!
Loved working with Edwin and his team! His team redid our entire back yard and did a beautiful fence to go along with it! They also set up our playground/swing set for us! We loved them so much we had them come back the next year to fix up our garage and build us an above the garage room!
I HIGHLY recommend Silva custom design. Edwin is the best! Edwin redid my driveway and did the foundation + framing for my home addition. His crews were very respectful cleaning up daily and very hard workers! I honestly was sad he wasn’t able to do more work on my renovation.
Edwin and his team were fantastic to work with and our patio turned out beautiful. Edwin came out quickly to give us a quote on removing some raised beds and redoing our collapsing patio and then fit us into his schedule for the fall. We appreciated his professionalism and that he gave us quotes for both new pavers and reusing our old ones. We decided to go with new pavers and they look amazing. The work was done quickly and perfectly! We would happily recommend them to anyone.
Request Your Retaining Wall Consultation
More Retaining Wall Information
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