Retaining wall service
Geogrid-Reinforced Walls in San Diego County
San Diego Elite Retaining Walls builds geogrid-reinforced block walls for slopes too tall or too loaded for block alone, following the grid layout in the engineer's or block maker's design.
What's included
- Excavation for the reinforced zone behind the wall
- Geogrid cut, placed and tensioned at the layers in the design
- Backfill placed and compacted in thin lifts over each layer
- Drain rock behind the block, a perforated drain and cap blocks
- Serving homes across San Diego County
- Written estimate before work starts
- Drainage planned into every wall
- Permit questions answered up front
Are geogrid-reinforced walls right for you?
Who it's for
- Block walls taller than about 3 or 4 feet
- Walls with a slope, driveway or patio above them
- Yards with room to dig behind the wall
Problems it solves
- A tall block wall bulging in the middle
- A slope too high for a simple garden wall
- An earlier wall that failed with no grid behind it
How it works
- Call or send a message about the wall or slope
- Site visit to check height, soil, drainage and access
- Written estimate, then the build or repair
What are geogrid-reinforced walls?
Short answer
A geogrid-reinforced wall is a segmental block wall with layers of polymer grid laid between block courses and run back into compacted backfill. The grid ties the soil behind the wall into one heavy mass of reinforced earth, and the block face holds the front of it in place.
A plain block wall holds soil with its own weight, and that only goes so far. Past roughly 3 or 4 feet, depending on the block and what's above the wall, it needs help, and geogrid is how segmental walls get it. Each layer is cut to a set length, pulled tight and covered with soil compacted in thin lifts. The design sets the grid type, the length of each layer and how many courses apart they sit.
Geogrid needs room. The reinforced zone often reaches back well over half the wall's height, so a tight side yard may not have space for it, and a concrete wall can be the better fit there. Compaction matters as much as the grid. In loose fill the grid can slip, and the wall bulges.
Geogrid-Reinforced Walls across San Diego County
Based in San Diego and available in each of these areas.
Related services
Block Retaining Walls
Segmental concrete block walls for garden beds, terraces and taller reinforced walls.
Engineered Retaining Walls
Tall and heavily loaded walls built from a licensed engineer's stamped plans, with permits, soils reports and inspections.
Retaining Wall Replacement
Tearing out failed walls and rebuilding them on a proper base with drainage, permitted where the new wall needs it.
Ask about geogrid-reinforced walls
Send a short message about your wall or slope and we'll call you back to set up a site visit.
- Site visit to look at the slope, soil and drainage
- Written estimate before any work starts
- Permit and engineering questions answered up front
Prefer to talk? Call (760) 539-8329
Geogrid-Reinforced Walls questions
How tall can a retaining wall be without geogrid?
For typical segmental block, about 3 to 4 feet with level ground above, depending on the block maker's design tables. A slope, driveway or terrace above the wall lowers that limit. Past it, the wall needs layers of geogrid set out in an engineered or manufacturer design.
How much does a geogrid retaining wall cost?
Geogrid adds the grid itself, a bigger dig behind the wall and backfill compacted in thin layers. The grid material is usually a small part of that cost, and most of it comes from excavation and compaction. Wall height, soil and access set the rest.
How much geogrid does a retaining wall need?
The design sets the number of layers and their length, but layers commonly reach back well over half the wall's height, and farther when there's load above. Taller walls need more layers spaced a few courses apart, so the dig behind the wall is often bigger than the wall itself.
Can a fence be built on a geogrid retaining wall?
A fence can go on top when it's planned into the design. Wind on the fence adds load to the wall, and posts dug in later can cut through the grid, so sleeves or footings for the posts are usually set while the wall is built. A guard is generally required where the drop is more than 30 inches, which the city confirms.
Can geogrid be added to an existing wall?
Not without taking the wall down. Grid goes in course by course as the wall is built, so a bulging block wall with no grid is usually rebuilt.