Leaning retaining wall repair cost after an inspection

How much does it cost to fix a leaning retaining wall?

A small leaning retaining wall repair costs $250 to $1,500 per project on average. Anchoring a whole wall, or tearing it out and replacing it, runs into the thousands: the worked example below comes to $2,400 to $3,200 for anchors and $3,750 to $11,250 for a new wall at national prices. One Atlanta contractor puts full replacement at $5,000 to $15,000 or more, and the contractor's written bid replaces both. An engineer decides which job you have, so book a structural engineer before your inspection deadline. Then ask the seller for the fix the engineer specifies, priced by a contractor.

Key takeaways

• Fixr gives the same $60 to $80 per linear foot for helical anchors and for straightening a leaning wall, so ask the bid which one it covers.
• Tearing out the old wall is a separate cost on a replacement bid.
• A wall over four feet, measured from the bottom of the footing, needs a permit and engineered design in Portland and Douglas County, Colorado.

Is a leaning retaining wall serious?

Treat a leaning retaining wall as a structural finding. The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI) gives inspectors a test for leaning masonry building walls, not retaining walls specifically. A wall is "usually considered unsafe if it leans to such an extent that a plumb line passing through its center of gravity does not fall inside the middle third of its base." Ask the engineer whether it fits your wall.

Why walls lean matters, because the fix has to remove the cause. Eastern Engineering Group, a structural engineering firm, names four causes: water trapped behind a wall with poor drainage, a shallow or weak footing, shifting or eroding soil, and construction shortcuts. If your report also flags water running toward the house, negative grading on an inspection report covers that fix.

Can a leaning retaining wall be repaired?

Many leaning retaining walls can be repaired. Eastern Engineering Group says support systems, soil fixes or better drainage can save them, while badly damaged walls often need to be torn down and rebuilt. A masonry contractor in South Carolina draws the line at whether the wall is still intact: repair while it is, replace once it has started to fail.

Here is what each fix costs, from Fixr's national figures and one Atlanta contractor. The scope column matters more than the dollar column.

Height, access and missing drainage all push the price up, per the Atlanta contractor. A wall near a building or a property line can also need permits and engineered plans, which it puts at $500 to $2,000 more.

What might your wall cost?

Say your report flags a block wall, 40 feet long, leaning toward the yard. If the engineer says anchor it, $60 to $80 a foot comes to $2,400 to $3,200.

If the engineer says replace it, a new wall is $3,500 to $10,000, and Fixr says removing the old one may add $250 to $1,250. Together that's $3,750 to $11,250 nationally. The Atlanta row above, $5,000 to $15,000 or more, is one local contractor's range for a full replacement. Neither is a quote for your wall, so the written bid replaces both, and plan on the higher figures until you have it.

Either way, add the engineer's time at $100 to $200 an hour, and a permit if your building department requires one. Same wall, and the engineer's call can more than triple the high end. That's why the engineer comes before your request.

Kept prices every line of an inspection report for $79, usually under 4 hours, so the rest of your report gets numbers too.

Who should look at the wall before your deadline?

A structural engineer should look at the wall first. Eastern Engineering Group says to call one when a wall shows severe leaning or holds back large loads. Ask for a written report naming repair or replacement, the method and the length of wall it covers. Then send that scope to a retaining wall or hardscape contractor for a written bid. How to get repair estimates during the inspection period covers getting both out fast.

Check the permit history too. In Portland and Douglas County, Colorado, a wall over four feet, measured from the bottom of the footing, needs a building permit and an engineered design. Your local building department answers for your address.

Ask your agent to request a short extension in writing if the engineer can't come before your deadline. If you can't get one, ask in your request for an engineer's evaluation at the seller's cost.

What should you ask the seller for?

Ask for the fix in the engineer's report, backed by the contractor's bid. Name the wall, the method and the bid amount, not "repair retaining wall." Also ask for any permit, original engineering plans and past repair invoices for the wall.

Then pick the form: seller does the work, a credit, or a lower price. If the seller does it, ask for a permit and the engineer's sign-off when it's done. What to ask for after a home inspection covers how this line fits your list, and the buyer repair request letter template has the wording.

What if the seller says no?

If the seller says no, you have three choices. Counter with a credit or price cut for the bid amount. Accept the wall and budget for it. Or cancel, if your contingency allows it.

A wall that needs anchors is a priced line. A wall that needs replacing near the house, with no bid before your deadline, is a bigger unknown. When to walk away after a home inspection shows how to weigh it. Your contract sets the deadline, whether you can cancel and what happens to your earnest money, so confirm with your agent or attorney.

Will homeowners insurance cover a failing retaining wall?

Usually not, if soil or water moved the wall. American Family Insurance says "most homeowners policies do not cover 'earth movement' events" and "when water causes the movement, you typically won't have coverage." Coverage "may be possible" when the damage comes from "an insured event," such as "lightning, wind, fire or a vehicle striking the wall." Ask your own insurance agent in writing before closing.

Upload your inspection report to Kept so every other line in your request has a number behind it while the engineer looks at the wall.

Sources

• Fixr, Retaining Wall Repair Cost
• InterNACHI, Inspecting Foundation Walls and Piers
• Eastern Engineering Group, Retaining Wall Leaning Repair
• A Good Brick Mason, Can a Leaning Retaining Wall Be Repaired or Does It Need Replacement?
• Reliable Solutions, Retaining Wall Repair in Atlanta
• Portland Permitting and Development, Retaining Wall
• Douglas County Building Division, Retaining Wall
• American Family Insurance, Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Land Erosion?