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We design and build brick retaining walls in Collierville, TN that control slopes and define outdoor spaces while adding curb appeal. Our team includes proper footings, reinforcement, and drainage so your brick garden and landscape walls resist movement, cracking, and pressure from soil and water.
Superior Masonry Collierville provides professional brick retaining walls throughout Collierville, TN, Tennessee and the surrounding area. Our licensed, insured crew delivers safe, clean, on-time work with a free estimate before anything begins. Call (901) 582-7374 or request your free quote.
Brick Retaining Walls Built for Collierville Yards and Slopes
Brick retaining walls do two jobs at once in Collierville: they hold soil in place on our rolling lots and they clean up the look of your yard. Superior Masonry Collierville focuses on building walls that can handle our heavy rains, clay soil, and summer heat without shifting or bowing.
Most of the time, homeowners call us for brick retaining walls to solve a specific problem: a steep side yard that is starting to wash out, a patio that needs a solid backdrop, or a driveway that keeps getting mud and gravel washed onto it in a storm. We start with a walk of your property, looking at slope, how water currently runs, and where tree roots sit. In Collierville subdivisions, we also look at how close your wall will be to property lines and utilities because that can affect height, drainage, and permitting.
We talk through what you want the wall to do first. That could be leveling an area for a play space, supporting a raised flower bed, or creating tiers in your backyard hill. Then we match that purpose with the right structure and brick style, so you are not paying for a heavy structural wall where you only need a short garden wall, or ending up with a decorative wall where a reinforced design is needed.
How We Build a Solid Brick Retaining Wall
A good brick retaining wall starts below ground. Our crew begins by marking out the wall line with paint and string, then excavating a trench deep and wide enough for a concrete footing. In Collierville’s clay soil, that footing is important because clay expands and contracts with moisture, which can crack shallow or weak bases.
We place compacted gravel in the bottom of the trench, then form and pour a reinforced concrete footing. Steel rebar is set in the footing so it can tie into the vertical wall where needed. We let the footing cure properly before we start laying brick, instead of rushing the schedule and risking early movement.
Once the base is ready, we set the first course of brick with a laser or builder’s level. That first row is what keeps the wall straight and true. We use Type S or Type N mortar, depending on the wall’s load and exposure to water, and butter both the bed joint and head joints so the bricks lock together tightly.
For structural walls, we often build a brick veneer on a concrete block core. The blocks and footing carry most of the load, and the brick gives you the finished look. Through-wall ties or brick ties connect the brick to the block, so the face does not separate over time.
We also step the wall into the slope instead of trying to force a straight line through a changing grade. This means some sections of the footing are deeper and certain areas may need added drainage. Everything is checked as we go, including plumb (vertical), level, and bond pattern, so the finished wall is both strong and neat.
Drainage, Soil, and Local Conditions in Collierville
Most retaining wall failures in our area are drainage problems, not brick problems. Collierville sees some heavy downpours, and the clay soil holds water instead of letting it drain quickly. That water builds pressure behind the wall and can push even a well-built wall forward if it has nowhere to go.
Superior Masonry Collierville installs a perforated drain pipe (often called a French drain) behind the wall at footing level. That pipe sits in washed gravel and is wrapped in fabric to keep silt out. It carries water to a daylight outlet where the ground slopes away, or ties into an existing drainage system if that is allowed and accessible.
We also backfill with free-draining material, usually a mix of gravel and coarse sand, for at least the first 12 to 18 inches behind the wall. This creates a path for water to move down to the drain. Only the upper area is typically topped with native soil for planting. If we are building near a Collierville storm drain, culvert, or swale, we take care not to block that flow and may coordinate with the town’s guidelines to avoid future issues.
When tree roots are close to the new wall, we plan for them. Cutting major roots can weaken or kill a tree, and new roots can push on a wall later. We may shift the wall line, deepen the footing, or build in root barriers so the structure stays stable. In new subdivisions, where soil is often fill dirt placed by the developer, we look for soft spots and compact or replace material before we build.
These details add a bit of time and cost, but they are what keep a Collierville brick retaining wall from cracking, leaning, or letting soil wash through gaps after a few storm seasons.
Design Options, Brick Choices, and What Affects Cost
Brick retaining walls can be clean and simple or become a major design feature in your yard. We help you choose brick that works with your home’s existing exterior, especially if you have brick siding. We can often get a close match or a complementary contrast, such as a tumbled brick for a more traditional look or a smooth modular brick for a modern edge along a patio.
You can choose running bond, stack bond, or decorative patterns like soldier courses along the top. We also offer brick caps and stone caps. Brick caps are usually more budget friendly, while stone caps like limestone or cast stone give a more pronounced finished edge and help shed water away from the face.
Cost is mainly driven by wall length, height, and access. Taller walls need more engineering, more drainage, and sometimes step-backs or terraces instead of one high wall. If we cannot get equipment close and everything has to be dug and carried by hand, labor goes up. Brick type and cap material also affect price. Standard stock colors are more affordable, while special-order or reclaimed brick can increase cost and lead time.
For walls over certain heights, Collierville and Shelby County may require an engineered design and sometimes a permit. We will tell you when we are in that range and, if needed, coordinate with a structural engineer who can stamp the plans. Some HOAs in Collierville neighborhoods like Wolf River Ranch, Halle Plantation, or similar communities have rules on wall height, location, and materials. Homeowners usually handle the HOA approval, but we can supply drawings and material specs for your application.
Rather than ballpark guessing, Superior Masonry Collierville provides written proposals that break out materials, labor, drainage, and optional upgrades so you can see exactly where the money is going and adjust to fit your budget.
What To Expect When You Hire Superior Masonry Collierville
Before any work starts, we schedule an on-site visit and listen to what is not working in your yard and what you want the finished space to do. We measure elevations to see how much we need to cut or fill. Then we lay out a straightforward plan, including wall alignment, estimated height, drainage route, and tie-ins to patios, steps, or walkways if needed.
Once you approve the proposal, we set a start date and help coordinate utility locating (Tennessee 811) so we do not hit gas, water, or electric lines when we dig. On the first day, we confirm layout with you, then begin excavation. You can expect some noise and a temporary mess, but we contain debris and keep materials organized so it does not overwhelm your yard or your neighbors.
During construction, we handle footing, wall build, and drainage as one connected system. We check in with you as visible milestones are reached, such as footing poured, wall halfway up, and cap installation. If we run into something unexpected, like buried concrete or soft fill, we show it to you and explain options before moving ahead.
When the wall is complete, we backfill and compact in layers, regrade the surrounding area, and rough in planting beds if requested. We clean mortar residue from the brick, flush the drain outlets to confirm they are clear, and haul off excess material. You end up with a brick retaining wall that looks finished from day one and is ready for landscaping.
After the job, we walk the site with you, go over how water will move, what to watch for in the first heavy rain, and basic care like avoiding heavy vehicle loads right at the wall edge. If you ever have concerns, you are dealing directly with local masonry professionals, not a call center. Superior Masonry Collierville stands behind its brick retaining walls built here in Collierville, Tennessee, and we are close by if you need us.
