Retaining Walls in Essex County, NJ

If you’re seeing cracks, leaning, bulging, or gaps in your current retaining wall, those aren’t cosmetic issues. They’re warning signs that the wall is under stress and heading toward failure. The most common culprit is poor drainage. When water builds up behind a wall with nowhere to go, it creates hydrostatic pressure that pushes outward, causing the wall to bow, crack, or eventually collapse. Other common problems include inadequate foundations, improper backfill, missing or clogged weep holes, and walls that were simply built too tall for their design without proper reinforcement. Sometimes a wall can be repaired if we catch it early enough, but often by the time homeowners call us, the underlying issues are significant enough that replacement makes more sense than trying to patch a failing structure. We start with a thorough inspection to determine what’s causing the failure and whether repair or replacement is the right call. If the foundation is compromised or the drainage system was never installed correctly, rebuilding gives you the opportunity to do it right and avoid the same problems down the road. We’ll also check whether permits were pulled for the original wall, especially if it’s over four feet, because unpermitted work can create issues if you ever sell the property.