🆕 How To Build A 3 Foot Concrete Retaining Wall 2022

In this video, we’re building one of the most common concrete retaining walls—a quick, clean 3-foot wall. Since it’s under 3 feet, it usually doesn't require a permit, but we made sure to stay 3.5 feet from the sidewalk to meet city requirements.

You'll see how we set the main stakes 4-5 feet apart, cut and bend the rebar, and use WT8s to keep the forms together for a rock-solid result. We even brought out the Mavic Mini Pro 3 for some drone shots to give you a clear view of the whole process from start to finish.

Although this project was completed quickly, we took our time to ensure every detail was correct. If you're a DIYer or want to know more about how we build retaining walls with durability and precision, stick around for all the steps, tips, and insider insights.

Do you have questions or comments? Please drop them below, and

Remember: "It's cool to ask for help, hang around positive people, and wake up with good intentions—EVERYTHING WILL BE ALL RIGHT."

🛠️ To All My Contractors, DYI, And Weekend Warriors Looking For The Tools We Use.

Need a consultation ❓

Call us or schedule online if you're in the San Francisco Bay Area or Sacramento.

We’ve got you covered! Not in our area? No problem—we offer consultations where we review your plans, check contracts with local builders, and even provide takeoff estimates to help guide your project.

Why Us❓

We’ve been around. With 20+ years of experience, we know exactly what it takes to build walls that hold up.

Detail is everything. We take care of the little things, so you don’t have to worry about anything going wrong.

We know the terrain. The Bay Area and Sacramento can throw some curveballs, but we’re ready for them.

🎯Playlists

🎯FAQs:

🎯Follow Us:

Who Is All Access❓

At All Access Construction, we bring over 20 years of experience specializing in essential services like structural retaining walls, piers, concrete work, drainage solutions, and grading, focusing on the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento.

Our work is critical to ensuring the stability and functionality of your property, protecting your investment, and addressing real needs like slope stability, erosion control, and proper water management.

Whether it’s a must-do project for safety and compliance or an enhancement to improve your property, we bring the expertise and precision to get the job done right. You can rely on us to handle the necessary improvements and upgrades that make your property stand out.

🎯🎯 Tell Us Your Concrete Needs, And We’ll Pour It...

Driveways, Patios, Walkways, Sidewalks, Catch Basins, Mow Strips, Curb And Gutters, V-Ditches, ADA Ramps, Foundations, Retaining Walls, Sports Courts—you name it, we do it. Got something else in mind? Drop a comment below, and we’ll get it done.

🎯🎯 Pick Your Concrete Finish, And We’ll Make It Happen...

Stamped Concrete, Broom Finish, Smooth Concrete, Decorative Concrete, Acid Wash, Salt Finish, Exposed Aggregate—whatever finish you want, we’ve got the skills to make it look good.

🎯🎯 Choose Your Retaining Wall Supplier, And We’ll Build Your Wall...

Whether it’s CMU (Cinder Block), Keystone, Pavestone, Allen Block, Baselite, Belgard, Redi-Rock, Versa-Lok, Wood, or Soldier Pile (Steel Beams), we’ll complete your retaining wall.

[AllAccessConstruction]

See how we go about building a 3-foot concrete retaining wall.

[MrTORREZ]

I followed the steps in this video for our first 40” tall wall with minimal outside bracing! 8” wide by 60 ft long! Customer loves it and im excited to do more like it

[via]

You are an Artiste.

I liked being an Airplane Mechanic but not much translated into my retirement life here in the Philippines.
I experience concrete work early in my twenties, but lack or experience and memory retention makes for a poor laborer.

I now wish i would have picked up more Trade skills growing up....

I am still growing up... with your videos


THANK YOU SIR!

[kashis]

Nice work it looks clean and done right, keep up the great work 👍

[bobjohnson]

Great work, wish you guys were closer. I'd hire you in a second. Thanks for posting the videos.

[jfssparky]

My man that was a well shot vid, you get the hang of drones soon. So on this project you poured the footer and wall at the same time

[davidshoop]

Awesome work - and thanks for making these videos available! A few questions I have on finishing the back of the retaining wall
1. Do you use a water sealer (painted?) on the back of the wall?
2. Do you use drain holes from front to back every X feet?
3. Do you have a drain line (say 3") running across the length of the wall?
4. Do you use stone between the wall and the dirt?

Basically, I curious how do you manage the hydro pressure of the wall so that it doesn't blow out 1 week, 1 month, 1 year later? Again, thanks for posting these videos!

[GRUBB-MUDD]

J&m style w that rebar tier. BTW I'm pretty good w the mini 2, I crashed my 1st one and got the 2nd drone 2 days b4 the 3 came out, I figured I already had 4 batteries 4 it so why get a new 1, anyways love the videos, keep up the good work brother

[leonardyee]

Waiting for the follow up video! Did they put retaining, so they can push the fence line out?

[cvan]

Great video, thanks for getting it out there. Do you include expansion joints?

[via]

Would it be prudent, for the ends of the retaining wall, to also include a perpendicular or 90degree short length at the ends? My retaining wall will end on a property line. should i do a 90 degree short run for END INTEGRITY STRENGTH?

[pedrolozano]

What is typically the finished width of the wall?

[Gothisown]

Half the houses in sac and around need this you might need a service entrance to sac in the form of a lil house Chief😂

[jessechirdon]

Did you do a monolithic pour? If so, how did you keep the footer from overflowing from head pressure of the wall? Thanks, good looking video.

[GRUBB-MUDD]

So are u in the Sacramento area or San fran/ Oakland, or is it the area. Only been to San Diego 1x and LA

[mikeyharvey]

Do you ever earth form the back of the retaining wall and use regular wood forms on the front?

[michaelkettler]

Would you mind sharing how much this project cost? Thank you in advance! And wish you were here in Colorado

[sinankrikor]

What does a retaining wall cost, 6' height & 52 feet long, I need it on my sloped backyard before my lot boundary. Thanks

[richardthomas]

This guy has his crap together you can tell by how they take the time to get the steel straight before they close up form. So many think their saving time slapping up the rebar or trying to drop it in later and the nails holding the rebar saves more time than it takes up front . Another point by the time they get this all ready and it comes time to pour the guys don’t want to have stop and mess with rebar laying against the form and can do a better job on the pour.

[SavedUSMarine]

THANKS for the video. I'm going to run a 3' because of permitting. Is 3' for the entire height of just wall above ground?

Anyway, for the rebar how do you hold out above ground (so it's not sitting in the dirt but in the concrete?

Since the embankment I'm cutting into is 6' heigh (where I'm cutting in to a Max of 3') I'm wondering how wide of the L do I need to make (to keep the walk from falling over). I have about 120' to go but I was thinking of maybe cutting into 5-8ft at a time lol