Retaining Wall Base Material Calculator

Avoid placing the retaining wall where downspouts are pointed to keep standing water from forming inside the wall.

Retaining wall base material calculator.

Preparing the retaining wall base. Getting a landscaping estimate will help you plan for the cost of materials and labor to build the retaining wall which will help you save time and money. The wall gets its strength from a sturdy base consisting of gravel. A retaining wall must have the strength to hold back the weight of the soil plants and sometimes small structures behind it.

Avoid having downspouts pointed at the retaining wall and if it s against the house keep soil and mulch well below the siding. The retaining wall should be set embedded below grade on a level base of 6 gravel or stone. Project estimator tool our online project estimator tool allows you to calculate the amount of pavers retaining wall blocks or slimbrick that you will need for your projects such as patios walkways driveways and retaining walls. Before building a retaining wall plan it out.

Retaining wall base trench dig a base trench 24 in. See our retaining wall cost guide to find the average price of a retaining wall. Poured concrete is typically the most expensive followed by wood timber and then stones and pavers. Retaining wall cost varies by material.

Using a tape measure decide the length and the width of your retaining wall then mark off the area with the garden stakes and string. 600 mm wide the length of the wall the depth of the trench will be 6 in. Calculate weight in tons. We recommend making the base twice as wide as the block depth to account for settling.

Planning a retaining wall. Most gravel weighs 1 4 to 1 7 tons per cubic yard. To create a solid foundation dig a trench for the first course of your interlocking retaining wall blocks to sit in and make sure the ground remains even throughout. When building a retaining wall diy landscapers need accurate estimates on the amount of stone blocks cap stones and gravel needed to complete the project.

Armed with the volume of material needed in cubic yards the weight of material in tons can be found by multiplying the volume by the material density. 150 mm plus an additional 1 in. Follow the block manufacturer s instructions for wall height limits. The interlocking retaining wall block can be used to build walls up to 24 to 36 inches high depending on the size of the block.

As a shortcut try our cubic yardage calculator to conveniently calculate your volume.