RETAINING WALLS
Engineered retaining walls built with Techo-Bloc block systems — Villagio, Mini Creta, Travertina and more. Drainage, geogrid and geotextile done right so walls don't bow, crack or collapse.
WHY WALLS FAIL
A retaining wall isn't decorative block stacked on dirt. It's a structural system holding back tons of wet clay that wants to move every spring. When walls bulge, lean, crack or collapse, it's always because one of three things was skipped: base prep, drainage or reinforcement.
We build to Techo-Bloc's engineered spec, top to bottom. Crushed stone base compacted in lifts. Drainage gravel and perforated pipe behind the wall. Geogrid reinforcement woven into the backfill for anything over 4ft. Geotextile to stop fine soil from migrating. That's the difference between a wall that lasts 30 years and one that fails in five.
For anything over 4 feet retained height, Ontario requires engineered drawings. We coordinate with a structural engineer, follow the stamped plan, and document the build so you have a paper trail if you ever sell the property.
SYSTEMS WE BUILD
Different product lines for different jobs. We help you pick the right one based on height, style and budget.
Small-format block. Natural, tumbled look. Great for garden walls and seat walls under 3ft. Easy curves, low per-block cost.
Mid-size block with a classic cut stone face. Works from 2ft up to engineered heights with geogrid. The workhorse of our wall lineup.
Large-format block with a sleek, modern face. Reads as contemporary. Higher per-sqft cost, faster install on large walls.
Architectural-grade block with clean lines. Pairs with Raffinato paver patios for a matched modern look around pools and lounges.
Armour stone or hand-laid fieldstone. Irregular, natural look. Labour-heavy but unmatched for rural and heritage properties.
Built-in bench walls around fire pits, planter walls, and low walls that double as patio edges. Usually under 2ft so no engineering needed.
HOW IT WORKS
Chris measures grade change, soil type, water behaviour and what's behind the wall. Height over 4ft triggers engineered drawings.
Block selection, colour, wall profile. For engineered walls we coordinate stamped drawings before any excavation starts.
Trench to proper depth for frost and wall height. Crushed stone base, compacted in 4 inch lifts. Drain tile wrapped and daylighted.
First course levelled bubble-perfect, this is what everything else rides on. Block stacked, geogrid laid at spec intervals, drainage gravel behind.
Cap course glued, grades restored, topsoil and seed or sod where needed. Walk-through and care sheet.
TRANSPARENT PRICING
Installed ranges for 2026, before HST:
A typical 40ft garden seat wall in Mini Creta lands around $3,500 to $5,500. A 60ft engineered structural wall at 5ft height runs $7,500 to $12,000 depending on access and drainage complexity.
Cost drivers for retaining walls:
All ranges are ballpark figures for London and Southwestern Ontario, 2026. HST (13%) added as a final line on every quote.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Yes. Ontario Building Code requires engineered design on walls retaining more than 1.2m (about 4ft). Anyone building taller walls without stamped drawings is cutting corners. If it fails, insurance won't cover it and you're on the hook.
Water behind a wall is what destroys it. Wet clay swells, freezes, and exerts thousands of pounds of pressure per foot. Without a drainage layer and pipe, that pressure has nowhere to go except through your wall. Every wall we build gets drain tile, gravel backfill and geotextile. No exceptions.
Geogrid is a plastic mesh woven between courses of block and extending back into the soil. It turns the wall plus soil into one reinforced mass, so the wall can't tip forward. Required on engineered walls, and worth it on any wall over 3ft even if not strictly required.
For a 2ft garden wall under 15 feet long, sure. Past that, the base prep, drainage and geogrid math get technical fast, and a failed wall costs more to rebuild than the original. We've replaced plenty of DIY walls that failed in their second or third winter.
Built to Techo-Pro spec, 30+ years on the block itself. Techo-Bloc offers a transferable lifetime product warranty. Our workmanship warranty is 2 years on structural issues beyond normal settling. The drainage system is the only part that might need service in decade two.
PAIRS WELL WITH
READY TO GET STARTED?
Tell us the height, length and site conditions. We'll send a ballpark within 24 hours and a firm quote after a site visit.