J. Perry & Sons builds retaining walls for homes and small commercial sites in Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade: reinforced CMU block walls with filled cells, block walls faced in natural or manufactured stone, paver and segmental walls, and poured concrete walls built to an engineer's drawings. Most of what we build holds a raised planter, levels a sloped side yard, steps a pool deck down to the lawn or wraps a patio with a seat wall. It sits under our stone veneer and exterior cladding work because the face is usually stone. A filled-cell block retaining wall, stuccoed, runs $85–$150 per face sq ft.
Retaining wall cost in South Florida: $65–$210 per face sq ft
| Wall type | Unit | Installed range |
|---|---|---|
| Paver or segmental block retaining wall, gravel-filled, with cap | per face sq ft | $65–$110 |
| Paver seat wall or planter wall, capped both sides | per face sq ft | $65–$110 |
| CMU block retaining wall, filled cells and rebar, stuccoed | per face sq ft | $85–$150 |
| CMU block retaining wall faced in natural or manufactured stone veneer | per face sq ft | $120–$210 |
| Poured concrete retaining wall | per wall | quoted from the engineer's drawings |
| Engineer of record, coordinated and billed separately (when required) | per project | $3,250–$5,750 |
Face square footage is wall length times exposed height, measured on the side you see. The ranges cover excavation, footing, block or units, rebar and grout, gravel backfill, filter fabric, perforated drain pipe, weep holes, the finish face and the cap. Height, curves, tight side-yard access, coral rock in the footing trench and a natural stone cap push a wall up the range. Permit fees and survey work are separate lines.
Retaining wall options we build
Block retaining wall (CMU). The South Florida standard for anything that holds real soil. An 8 in or 12 in block wall on a reinforced footing, with vertical bars in grouted cells per the drawing and a bond beam on top. It is finished in stucco and paint, or it becomes the backing for stone. Our CMU block wall reinforcement crew does the steel and grout.
Stone-faced retaining wall. The same reinforced block, faced in coral stone, travertine, ledgestone or manufactured stone, with a natural stone cap. Coral and keystone are covered on our coral stone veneer page.
Paver and segmental walls. Interlocking concrete wall units dry-stacked with a setback, gravel behind, and a glued cap. Good for low garden walls, curved planter beds and seat walls around a fire pit or patio, and they match the pavers on the ground.
Poured concrete walls. Formed and poured with steel per the engineer, used where the wall is tall, carries a load such as a driveway or structure above, or sits against a pool. We build to the engineer's drawings and do not design them.
Planters and seat walls. A planter is two short walls with soil between them, so it needs drainage out of the bottom and a liner against the inside face. A seat wall is sized around 18 in to 20 in high with a cap deep enough to sit on.
Free estimate — call (561) 556-7509 or email jperrysonsgc@gmail.com. Send a photo of the slope or the spot and a rough length and height, and we'll send a same-day range.
Retaining wall drainage: weep holes, gravel and drain pipe
Water is what pushes retaining walls over in Florida. A summer of afternoon storms saturates the soil behind the wall and the pressure on the back face multiplies. Every wall we build gets the same drainage package:
- Gravel backfill. Clean washed stone, typically 12 in wide behind the wall for its full height, so water drops straight down instead of loading the wall.
- Filter fabric. Wrapped between the native soil and the gravel so sand does not migrate in and clog it.
- Perforated drain pipe. At the base of the gravel, sloped to daylight, a dry well or the yard drainage, never left to dead-end.
- Weep holes. Through block and poured walls at the spacing the drawing calls for, just above finished grade, so trapped water has a way out.
- Cap and top grade. The cap sheds water forward and the soil at the top is graded away from the wall.
Without drainage, block walls crack and lean, stone faces stain with efflorescence, and paver walls bulge at the middle.
Permits, height and the engineer
Retaining walls often need a building permit, and walls above a certain height, walls with a surcharge such as a driveway or pool deck above them, and walls near a property line or seawall typically need engineered drawings. The thresholds vary by city, so check with the building department for your address; we confirm it before we price. We do not do engineering; we build to the engineer's drawings and coordinate a licensed engineer when the work needs one. We pull the permit when the wall is our job and meet every footing and steel inspection. HOAs usually review wall height, face material and color, and many want the application before any digging. More on that on our permits and compliance page.
How we build a retaining wall
- Layout and utilities. Wall line and heights staked, utility locate called in, irrigation lines found and moved.
- Excavation and footing. Trench dug to the footing size on the drawing, steel set, footing poured with dowels where block goes on top.
- Wall. Block laid with cells grouted and bars lapped, segmental units set with their setback, or forms built for a poured wall.
- Drainage. Fabric, drain pipe and gravel placed as the wall rises, weep holes kept clear.
- Backfill and compaction. Soil placed and compacted in lifts behind the gravel, never dumped in one pass.
- Face and cap. Stucco and paint, or stone veneer over a scratch coat, then the cap set and sealed.
- Grade and cleanup. Final grade sloped away, sod or landscape edge restored, debris hauled.
South Florida conditions that matter for walls
High water tables in much of Broward and Miami-Dade mean the footing trench can fill with water a couple of feet down, so we schedule digs around dry spells and pump when needed. Sandy soil drains fast but moves when it is saturated, which is why compacted lifts matter. Near the ocean, salt air attacks exposed steel, so cover over rebar and a sealed cap protect the wall. Stone faces get a penetrating sealer against sprinkler staining.
What a retaining wall estimate includes
- Wall length, exposed height and face square footage by section
- Wall type, footing size and steel per the drawing or permit set
- Drainage: gravel, fabric, drain pipe route, weep holes
- Face finish and cap material, sample or selection named
- Excavation, haul-away, backfill and compaction
- Permit, engineer coordination and HOA submittal support
- Schedule and payment terms
- Workmanship warranty on every job; materials carry the manufacturer's warranty. Terms are in your written contract.
Related outdoor services
- Entrance columns: stone-faced gate pillars and column wraps.
- Pool deck pavers: the deck at the top or bottom of the wall.
- Concrete restoration: footings, slabs and repairs.
Retaining walls by area
- Stone veneer in Fort Lauderdale
- Stone veneer in Boca Raton
- Stone veneer in Weston
- Stone veneer in Parkland
- Stone veneer in Southwest Ranches
- Stone veneer in Wellington
- Stone veneer in Delray Beach
- Stone veneer in Miami
Planning guides: Retaining wall cost in South Florida · Stone-faced vs block retaining walls · Retaining wall drainage and permits · Backyard expansion cost
Retaining walls — FAQ
How much does a retaining wall cost per square foot? Per face sq ft, a paver or segmental wall runs $65–$110, a reinforced block wall with stucco $85–$150, and a block wall faced in stone $120–$210. Poured concrete walls are priced from the engineer's drawings.
Is a block retaining wall better than a paver wall? For holding real soil, a pool deck or anything above it, yes. Filled cells and steel give it strength a dry-stacked wall does not have. Paver walls suit low planters, garden steps and seat walls.
Do I need a permit or an engineer for a retaining wall? Often, depending on height, what sits above the wall and where it is on the lot. Check with the building department for your address; we confirm it during the estimate and coordinate the engineer when one is required.
Why do retaining walls lean or crack? Usually trapped water. No gravel, no drain pipe or blocked weep holes let water pressure build behind the wall until it moves.
Can you build a planter or seat wall around my patio? Yes. Seat walls and planters are built in pavers, block with stucco, or block faced in stone, with a cap to match the patio and drainage out of every planter.
How do I get an exact price? Call (561) 556-7509 or email jperrysonsgc@gmail.com with photos and rough dimensions. A written estimate is typically ready within 24–48 hours after a site review and scope confirmation.
Free estimate — call (561) 556-7509 or email jperrysonsgc@gmail.com. Licensed Florida general contractor CGC1540699. Serving Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties.