Sloping backyards in West Jordan, UT often present challenges when homeowners want to make that space usable. Slopes are a fact of life around here, especially if your property sits closer to the Oquirrh Mountain foothills where the terrain drops away. Kingdom Concrete knows that putting in a concrete retaining wall is usually the best fix, but it brings up many questions. Kingdom Concrete breaks down what homeowners ask most often about Concrete Retaining Walls.
Do I actually need a permit for a retaining wall in West Jordan?
It depends entirely on how tall you are building. In West Jordan, the city follows building codes that typically require a permit and engineered drawings if your wall exceeds four feet in height from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall. If you are building something under four feet to terrace a garden bed, you usually bypass the permit office. Do not just guess. Build it over four feet without engineering, and you might get a red tag from the city or a structural failure down the road. Kingdom Concrete builds Concrete Retaining Walls that meet all local codes in West Jordan, UT.
Why do concrete walls fail around here?
Water. Plain and simple. People think walls fall down because the dirt behind them is too heavy. That is only half the story. The real culprit is hydrostatic pressure. When winter snow melts or we get heavy spring rainstorms, water saturates the heavy clay soil common in our valley. That water has nowhere to go unless you give it a path. Kingdom Concrete sees DIY walls collapse all the time because they skipped the drain rock and weep holes. If the water cannot escape, it freezes, expands, and pushes the wall right over. Kingdom Concrete builds durable Concrete Retaining Walls in West Jordan, UT to prevent water damage.
How deep does the base need to go?
You cannot just set blocks on top of the lawn and hope for the best. For a standard residential wall, you need to dig a trench, lay down a compacted granular road base at least six inches thick, and bury the first course of block. In West Jordan, our freeze-thaw cycles will heave shallow structures right out of alignment. Getting that base level and packed tight with a mechanical tamper is a very important part of the whole job. Kingdom Concrete ensures every Concrete Retaining Wall in West Jordan, UT has a solid foundation.
Should I build one tall wall or step it into terraces?
Terracing is almost always better looking and structurally safer. Building a single six-foot wall requires heavy engineering, massive amounts of backfill, and serious geogrid reinforcement. Breaking that same slope into two three-foot walls creates distinct planting tiers, avoids complex permitting triggers, and makes the backyard look less like a fortress. Plus, shorter walls are much easier to build correctly. Kingdom Concrete constructs multi-tier Concrete Retaining Walls for homes across West Jordan, UT.
How do I know if I need geogrid reinforcement?
Geogrid is a plastic mesh grid that gets laid horizontally between the block courses and extends back into the hillside. Think of it as anchoring the wall to the mountain. If your wall is over three feet tall, or if you are surcharging the top of the wall—meaning you have a driveway, a hot tub, or a parked car sitting right behind it—you need geogrid. Skip it under those loads, and physics will win every time. Kingdom Concrete evaluates soil loads for every Concrete Retaining Wall in West Jordan, UT.
Can I handle this as a weekend DIY project?
You can rent a skid steer, buy some blocks at the local yard, and give it a shot if it is a tiny garden edge. But if you are dealing with anything over three feet high, heavy slopes, or tight property lines, hauling hundreds of pounds of block and gravel gets old fast. A failing retaining wall does not just look bad; it is a safety hazard. Call Kingdom Concrete for Concrete Retaining Wall services in West Jordan, UT if you want the work done right the first time.