Based in Indian Trail, NC · serving the Charlotte metro and Union County
Land Clearing · Grading · Free Estimates (980) 315-5707
Cornerstone Excavation Group
Our Services

Retaining Walls in Indian Trail, NC

Retaining Walls · Indian Trail, NC

Block walls built on a base that holds

Cornerstone Excavation Group builds retaining walls for homeowners, builders and commercial property owners around Indian Trail. A wall holds the slope in place and stops soil from washing down. It also turns a steep bank into yard you can use. We build segmental block walls, from a small backyard wall to a structural wall on a commercial site.

Most of what makes a wall last sits under it and behind it. The base gets dug out, filled with stone and compacted before the first course. Behind the wall, washed stone and a drain pipe carry the water out. As an excavation contractor in Indian Trail, we handle the cut, the backfill and the grading around the wall.

What We Handle

  • Segmental block retaining walls for homes and commercial sites
  • Cut and excavation back into the slope before the wall goes in
  • Compacted crushed stone base set below finished grade
  • Geogrid reinforcement layers where the wall design calls for them
  • Washed stone, filter fabric and drain pipe behind the wall
  • Backfill compacted in lifts as the courses go up
  • Tiered walls and walls that hold a driveway, pad or parking area
  • Final grading around the finished wall, with the spoils hauled off

Free Retaining Walls Quote

Tell us about the job. We will get right back to you.

What Retaining Wall Installation Involves

Every wall starts with the dig. Utility locates get called in through NC811 before the bucket moves. We cut back into the slope, then trench the base below finished grade. That trench is filled with crushed stone and compacted until it is tight and level.

Block goes up course by course, each one set level and locked to the one below. On taller walls the design calls for geogrid. Those sheets run back into the soil and tie the wall to the ground. We compact the backfill in lifts as the courses rise.

Behind the wall we place washed stone, filter fabric and a drain pipe. The pipe runs to daylight or into a drain line, so water leaves. Then the backfill goes in, the wall gets capped, and extra spoil is loaded out on our dump trucks.

Why Do Retaining Walls Fail in Charlotte's Red Clay?

Water is what takes a wall down. The Piedmont red clay across Union and Mecklenburg counties sheds water at the surface and drains slowly underneath. Wet clay behind a wall gets heavy and pushes hard against the block.

Give that water a path out and the load on the wall drops. A wall built tight against clay with bare fill behind it carries all of it. Over a wet winter, that wall starts to lean. The same thinking goes into fixing a yard that holds water, where the grade and the pipe do the work.

The base matters as much. Block set on loose dirt settles, and the courses above follow it out of level. We dig that base out, replace it with stone and compact it first.

When Does a Retaining Wall Need an Engineered Design and a Permit?

Height is the line. Section R404.4 of the North Carolina Residential Code calls for an engineered design past 48 inches of unbalanced soil. The state fire marshal's office applies it to walls that cross a property line or support a building. Those walls are permitted and inspected, so confirm the current rule with your county before layout.

An engineer stamps that design and we build to it. The design sets the block, the base depth, the geogrid and the drainage. Our part is the excavation and the wall itself. The owner or the general contractor holds the permit.

Plenty of walls sit under that line. A wall that levels a backyard or squares up a side slope is plain work. Walls that carry a driveway or a building pad get planned with the site prep for the build.

Mini excavator setting large boulders into a low rock wall along a slope beside a building Track loader cutting into a red clay bank beside a house, the slope opened up and shaped

Ready to get started?

Free estimates across the Charlotte metro, Union County and the York County side of South Carolina.

(980) 315-5707
How We Work

How a Job With Cornerstone Excavation Group Runs

From the first call to the last load hauled off, here is how it goes.

1

Call us

Call or text (980) 315-5707 and tell us what the job is. We ask what the access looks like and when you need it done.

2

We look at the site

We come out to see the ground, the access and where the water goes. The visit and the estimate are free.

3

The plan

We set how the equipment gets in, where the material goes and what order the work runs in. Utility locates go in through NC811 before we dig, and any permit stays in the owner or builder's name.

4

We do the work

The machines come in and the job gets done in the order we planned. Weather moves earthwork, so we tell you when the schedule shifts.

5

Cleanup and haul-off

Spoils, brush and demolition material leave on our dump trucks. We grade the ground back before the equipment comes off the site.

FAQ

Retaining Walls Questions, Answered

Common questions about retaining walls across the Charlotte metro, Union County and the York County side of South Carolina. If yours is not here, call and ask.

Call (980) 315-5707

How long does it take to build a retaining wall?
A short backyard wall is often a couple of days once the machines are on site. Longer walls, tiered walls and commercial walls take more, since there is more to dig and compact. Rain moves the schedule, because block does not get set on a soupy base. You get a timeline with the estimate.
What does a retaining wall cost?
It comes down to length, height, how much dirt has to move and what goes behind the wall. Access matters too, since a backyard a machine cannot reach takes longer to build. A wall that needs an engineered design carries that cost as well. We look at the site first and the estimate is free, so call (980) 315-5707.
What are your retaining walls built from?
We build segmental block walls, which are interlocking concrete units set on a compacted stone base. They stack in courses and step back slightly as they rise. Geogrid ties them into the soil where the wall needs it, and caps finish the top course.
Do I need a permit for a retaining wall in Union County?
Often yes, once the wall gets tall. The state residential code puts walls over 48 inches of unbalanced soil into engineered design. Those walls are permitted and inspected, and walls crossing a property line land there too. Rules differ by county, so check with the building office; the owner or builder holds the permit.
Can a retaining wall stop erosion on a slope?
Yes, that is one of the main reasons to build one. The wall holds soil that used to wash down the bank. The flat ground it creates becomes usable yard. Water still needs somewhere to go, so the grade around the wall carries runoff past it.
Do you build retaining walls for builders and commercial sites?
Yes. We work for homeowners, home builders, general contractors, developers and commercial property owners. On a commercial site the wall goes in with the pads and the drainage, built to the engineer's plan. Cornerstone is 5.0-rated on Google and takes both residential and commercial work.
More From Cornerstone Excavation Group

Work That Pairs With Retaining Walls

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We regrade yards that hold water and grade lots and pads for what gets built next. Rough grade, final grade, cut and fill and compaction, out of Indian Trail.

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Corrugated drain pipe laid in an open trench cut through red clay

Drainage

We fix yards and lots that hold water after it rains. Regrading, swales, French drains and buried pipe move it away from the house.

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Site Prep

We prepare lots for new homes and commercial builds around Indian Trail and Charlotte. The work covers clearing, cut and fill, building pads, compaction and the first grade.

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Why Choose Cornerstone Excavation Group

Built for Land Clearing, Grading and Site Work Around Charlotte

25 five-star Google reviews

Homeowners, builders and property owners have rated the work five stars on Google. Those jobs cover grading, land clearing, demolition cleanup, drainage and a retaining wall.

Free estimates after we see the job

We come to the property, look at the ground and price the work from what is there. The visit and the estimate are free.

One contractor for the whole job

Clearing, grading, digging, utility lines, walls, ponds, drainage, demolition and hauling all come from us. One company handles each stage, so the site stays on one schedule.

Indian Trail base, Charlotte metro work

We work out of Indian Trail in Union County, on the Mecklenburg County line. Charlotte, Matthews, Monroe, Waxhaw, Mint Hill, Concord, Fort Mill and Rock Hill are all in range.

Free Estimates

Get In Touch With Cornerstone Excavation Group

Tell us about the job on the form, or call (980) 315-5707. We will get back to you and set up a free look at the site.

  • (980) 315-5707
  • Indian Trail, NC · serving the Charlotte metro, Union County and the York County side of South Carolina
  • Free estimates · land clearing, grading, site prep, utility lines and demolition

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