I paid a contractor 5k to install this wall that runs about 55ft total and is about 3 to 4 feet high. He didn’t have to pay anything in material since I already paid $1000 for the blocks and another $800 for the same contractor to move them from another site. All in this wall cost me $6,800. A few important notes: he did put a drainage pipe under the wall and he did have to remove a lot of dirt from the slopped yard with a mini excavator. The finished wall is not straight as you can see from the photos and the top row isn’t level. What do you all think? Did I get ripped off? Or does this seem fair?
by Impressive_Focus_278
35 Comments
Footing?
Drainage? Any backfill? Water diversion?
If not- total rip off (if it’s just up against dirt)
He put down a layer of road base that he built the wall on top of and then burried a drainage pipe behind the wall that runs the length of the wall. The blocks are placed straight up against the dirt.
Is this supposed to be complete?
I would be pissed if I spent 6 grand on this
Based on what I can see, I’m very concerned about what I can’t see. With work this bad, it would be hard to characterize the cost/value as anything but “less than worthless”.
I own a 30-man commercial landscape construction company. This is bad, not a string line used during the whole process. Idc how much they charged you, they shouldn’t be doing it if they can’t do it right.
Did they install rock around the drain pipe and filter fabric to protect the rock & drain line from silting up? How many days did it take and with how many men?
You got ripped off. Those are some shit lines, I would be shocked if they properly compacted the underneath soil. If the wall already looks like this, it is going to fail prematurely
Hardscaper here. What the fuck?
You straighten every course before the next one for this height of wall.
That looks like shit. For the amount you paid this should be much, much better looking. Also, paying $800 to move the bricks from one location to another is crazy to me.
I don’t think you got ripped off. That’s a ton of wall for 5K. I just thing you got a guy that perhaps has only done this once before. Great plant choices can do a lot to soften this and make you forget all about the wall. Please tell me there will be plants.
You got f*cked. Seriously 5Gs?
String line much?
They should have I installed a 4″ perforated toe drain pipe behind the wall and at least 12″ of stone for drainage. Without those two, your wall will fail prematurely. Built correctly block retaining wall can least 50yrs+. You will probably get 10yrs if that.
I know those bricks are expensive. I have the same ones.
😔
You could have done that bad.
lol
I guess depends where you are. I got quoted anywhere from 10-20k for a 5 foot high retaining wall that’s about 55-60 feet.
the wall looks like shit but plumbing is a bitch too. i think u got ripped off tho fs
😔
Your fault for thinking you’re knowledgeable enough to buy the material yourself and not let a professional be in charge of material selection. For 6k you got what you deserve. This looks like a 10k-15k+ job if it would have been done right with the correct blocks, stone backfill material, geogrid, base material, correct drainage outlets, caps, and proper craftsmanship and engineering.
Oh my gosh, you provided supplies and paid 5K for this?
RIP
I could have done that better…and for half the price, given your generous circumstances in providing materials. Lawwwwwd
Idk what’s even going on…
Who is the contractor? I had mine do a shit job too. $6k for 70 lf x 3 ft. In r/sacramento , don’t do apple concrete. They really suck.
YES!! I wouldnt be happy if that was done for free!!! With free materials!
Looks like you got what you paid for kinda
If get what you pay for was a photo lol
Two guys in an afternoon could fix the aesthetics. But the guy talking bout fabric and gravel, you know the basic physics stuff that keeps walls stable, he knows what’s up
In my opinion, you got scammed. I could do better than that if I wanted to, and I have no wall building experience. A wall made of these blocks is only ever going to look SO good, but this looks like shit. This looks like you did it yourself, and you didn’t care what it came out looking like.
For a lack of better words.
Fuck yes
aside from the nasty bend, usually there is cap stone that covers the top those triangles between. I have what look to be the very same bricks in several places at my house, they all have cap stones.
Yes.
It’s a pretty shitty wall for a fairly low price.
The work is bad. 3/10.
The price was low. 4/10.
From a wall quality perspective, it’s crap. From a value for your money perspective, it’s just not great.
.
Yes