We Build, Repair, and Replace Retaining Walls
We are your DeLand FL retaining wall specialists!
Retaining walls are a great addition to any landscape, especially if your property has an existing slope. Building a retaining wall allows you to reclaim some of that lost space by carving out usable outdoor spaces on sloping ground that would otherwise not be usable. Retaining walls can hold back earth and soil which helps to create new level areas for the construction of new landscape beds, a new artificial 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 DeLand Property?
- 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?
Tree Of Life Landscape & Design is a landscaping contractor based out of DeLand, Central Florida. We serve Volusia County, Orange County, and Seminole County. We also serve clients in the following cities: Deltona, DeBary, Orange City, Lake Mary, Longwood, Maitland, Oviedo, Winter Park, Daytona Beach, New Smyrna Beach, Ormond Beach, Port Orange, and Osteen. We specialize in designing and building functional segmental retaining walls for property owners looking to landscape a naturally sloped property. From a 30′ foot long curved block retaining wall to hold back earth around the edge of your home to larger, more complicated, retaining walls for a terraced property. The team at Tree Of Life Landscape & Design will be able to provide you with a retaining wall solution that will benefit your specific property.
Construction Of New Retaining Walls In DeLand Florida
We specialize in the construction of new segmented retaining walls. The benefits to segmented retaining walls are many. Segmented retaining walls are aesthetically pleasing, they offer design flexibility, they are economical, easier to install, and durable.
They are also pre-engineered, meaning the wall can be built to your project specifications without having to have an architect or engineer design the wall itself. We can build the wall to the engineering specifications and have a qualified engineer sign off on the project if the height or size of the wall requires it.
Retaining Walls & Building Permits in DeLand Florida
In most of Volusia County (your municipality could be different) retaining walls that are under 3 feet in height generally do not require permits or design plans. There are some specifics that may or may not apply to your situation. If retaining walls are 3 feet in height or over than a permit is generally required. Any retaining walls over 6 feet in height will require a permit and additionally an engineered design to ensure the structure is sound. This information does not account for any covenants that might be on your property.
When we view your property we'll be able to let you know any specific building codes that might apply to your circumstance depending on the height/length of your wall and what it's specifically being installed for and whatever surcharges (weight) might be applied to the soil above and behind the wall.
Proper Drainage For Retaining Walls
We are often contacted by potential customers who have an existing retaining wall that has failed, it's either falling down, bulging, or collapsing. One of the most common reasons for retaining wall failure is that the original wall was built with poor drainage in place.
Retaining walls are designed to hold back earth from erosion. This also makes them excellent at holding back water too. The water that builds up behind a retaining wall is referred to in the industry as "hydrostatic pressure" and the external force of the soil or fill held behind your retaining wall coupled with the weight of the water held behind it is often enough to seriously compromise the integrity of your wall which can lead to failures such as bulging and even a total collapse.
Well-built retaining walls must incorporate good drainage if it's going to last for many years. Depending on the type of material being used to build your retaining wall there are a variety of ways to integrate sufficient drainage such as lateral drains, french drains, weeping drains, blanket drains and also the use of very granular soil or fill behind the wall can also work to disperse rather than hold the water.
Understanding Retaining Wall Surcharges
A "surcharge" when it comes to a retaining wall is the weight on top of or behind the wall. For example, if you're building a retaining wall to create a new parking area for a boat or an RV we need to consider the weight of the boat or RV and it's impact on the retaining wall.
If your wall is going to have a surcharge it must be built with this in mind if it's going to last. This would also include tiered retaining walls or retaining walls with a fence on top or any other weight other than the earth it's holding back.
Geo-grid is often used to provide extra tensile strength to each course of your retaining wall so it's anchored to the ground behind it. Proper use of geo-grid will ensure that your retaining wall will be built to last and won't collapse or buckle under the excess weight.
Failure to properly stabilize retaining walls is another very common failure.
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.
- Block retaining walls
- Natural stone retaining walls
- Large boulder retaining walls
How Our Retaining Wall Construction Process Works
When building a retaining wall on your property that is designed to hold back soil and earth from erosion there is very little margin for error so when required we work directly with engineers if your wall is over 6 feet in height. There are many pre-engineered systems we can use as well that can eliminate the need for detailed building plans.
- We start with our initial consultation.
- We determine how many feet of retaining wall you need.
- We determine the height of the wall and if a building permit or engineer will be required.
- We take into account any surcharges (weight) the wall might be exposed to.
- We consult with you on the materials you'd like your retaining built with.
- We'll provide you with an accurate written estimate for the work.
The amount of work required to build a retaining wall can vary widely from project to project. The slope of your property, the amount of earth your retaining wall must hold back and the overall accessibility of your property will all contribute to the final cost. We'll be able to offer you an accurate estimate only after a site visit.
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.
What Our Customers Say...
I'll be honest, I was a bit skeptical at first. Not because of the quality of work because I read the reviews. I was wondering if it would be worth the money that I was spending. Micheal assured me that it would be. His knowledge of landscaping is unmatched. His professionalism is TOP TIER. Tree of Life Landscape and Design turned my disaster of a yard into something I can be proud to show off to friends and family.
I can't say enough good things about Michael and Tree of Life Landscaping. I needed to redesign my back patio area because the existing landscaping encroached on my neighbor's property. Michael helped me re-design the area. I wanted to re-use as much of the current plants and hardscape materials as I could, and he was wonderful about doing that. He never tried to "upsell" me, but rather worked with me to transplant healthy plants and re-use bricks, wall stone and pavers. A lot of landscapers wouldn't do that -- they just want to pull out the old and put in all new. I had to do the project in "phases", and Michael was very flexible accommodating my schedule. He let me do the pieces I wanted to do myself, and brought in his team for the pieces where I needed professional help. I highly recommend his services.
From day one, Michael and team went above and beyond to create the backyard paradise of our dreams. Attention to detail, professionalism, craftsmanship, clear communication and flexibility are just some of the qualities that have us excited and eager to complete more projects with them. While Michael was always open to our suggestions and ideas, he brought plenty of his own (and often better) to the table. The job site was kept clean, project phases were completed in a timely manner and on budget (which was reasonable). As much as we want Michael and team available for our projects, we highly recommend them for yours.
Michael is very professional he makes sure that he understands what you want and gives you design ideas. With his help we were able to customize a beautiful patio. We were so happy we had him take out the builder grade landscaping in the front of our home and design a custom landscaping with lighting. We love his work!!
Mike and I partnered up in 2021 two years after the purchase of my home. While the property was beautiful, it was quite overgrown and unmanageable. Tree of Life came in for a major yard cleanup, which included the removal of many very large agave plants and light tree trimming. In 2022, another cleanup project began in the front yard to remove a "forest" of overgrown palmetto bushes and masses of unwanted ferns. With each cleanup project, my visions of a more beautiful landscape became clearer. Then, in May 2023, Mike accepted the challenge of deconstructing old (and dangerous) concrete step system, converting it into a safe path from one elevation to another that matched the casual feel of my yard and home. Using my general ideas, Mike's creativity kicked in. Before and after pictures highlight the stages of this particular project. As each new project is completed, Mike knows I look forward to working with Tree of Life for the next phases of my yard transformation. I will continue to call on Mike for all of my landscape projects. All of the previous reviews are 100% accurate. I highly recommend Mike. Allow him an opportunity to help you bring new life to your landscape!
Michael and team at Tree of Life transformed our front yard like my wife has always wanted. He came out and worked with us to come up with a great design but was very flexible once the installation got underway. We made some design and plant changes easily which turned out great. He brought samples of rocks to allow us to select and made excellent design recommendations. He also installed new low-voltage lights which really make our yard "shine" at night. Finally, Michael extended our driveway with additional pavers and pressure washed/sealed them as well. There were a few minor hiccups but Micheal kept us informed and was always very level-headed even when things didn't go as planned. He's a great person to work with. We'd definitely use this team again and are very happy with our results (before and after pictures included).
We are extremely pleased with the landscape design and water feature installation Michael and his team provided. They went above and beyond with creating brilliant solutions for our unique needs. If you want it done right and at a good value, Tree of Life Landscape & Design is the company to hire. (Please ignore the exterior walls in desperate need of pressure washing and painting - that's next)
Michael was great to work with he took care of our needs with designing and installing our front landscaping design. I would recommend him his company to everyone.
