Retaining walls · Sumner County, Franklin & West NashvilleRetaining Wall Construction that turns a slope into usable yard

Segmental block and natural stone walls that level a hillside, hold soil beside patios and walkways, and drain properly behind the face, built by a licensed general contractor.

Schedule a Consultation or call (615) 674-8642

BBB Accredited A+ rating · zero complaints
Licensed & Insured TN Contractor License #79477
25+ Years in the Trades Led by owner Jonathon Wilkinson
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Locally Owned Cottontown · Sumner County, TN

Segmental block retaining wall below a new wood privacy fence

What a wall is really doing

A retaining wall is a drainage project first

A retaining wall holds back a great weight of soil, and that soil grows heavier every time it rains. Walls seldom fail because a block cracks. They lean, bulge or topple because water builds up behind them with nowhere to escape, because the ground beneath them settles, or because they were stacked taller than their construction can support. The face is the part you see; the structure is everything behind it and below it.

That is why JACCO builds walls from the bottom and the back. The trench is dug to firm soil and filled with compacted base stone, so the first course sits level and partly buried. Clean drainage stone fills the space behind the block, usually with a perforated pipe at the base that carries water out to daylight. On taller walls, layers of geogrid reinforcement tie the wall into the soil it holds, and taller walls may also require an engineered design and a permit.

Retaining walls come up most often on sloped lots, where a wall can carve out a level lawn, a flat patio or a terrace for a garden. A wall is frequently one part of a larger hardscape plan alongside steps, a path or a fire pit, and sometimes it works together with a raised deck to make a steep backyard usable again.

Wall scope

Retaining wall work JACCO builds

Walls range from a low garden border to a structural wall holding a hillside. The bid spells out the materials, drainage and reinforcement yours requires.

Segmental block retaining walls
Natural stone walls
Terraced walls on steep slopes
Seating walls around patios and fire pits
Drainage stone and perforated pipe
Geogrid reinforcement for taller walls
Steps built into wall systems
Replacement of rotting timber walls
Grading and runoff control

Three kinds of retaining wall

Height and what sits above the wall decide how it has to be built. We tell you which category yours falls into during the bid.

Level one

Garden and border wall

A low wall that defines a bed or evens out a gentle slope. It still needs a compacted base and drainage stone, but usually does not need reinforcement or an engineered design.

Level two

Landscape retaining wall

A wall holding a real change in grade beside a patio, lawn or walkway, with a drain at the base, clean stone backfill and geogrid layers wherever the height calls for them.

Level three

Structural or terraced system

Tall or tiered walls on steep lots, below driveways or near buildings, built to an engineered design and permitted where required, with drainage planned for the entire slope.

Why JACCO

How JACCO builds a wall that stays put

Drainage behind every course

Water pressure is the main enemy of a retaining wall. Clean stone backfill and a drain at the base give that water a path out, so pressure never has a chance to build up behind the block.

A base you can trust

The first course decides how straight the whole wall stays. We dig to firm soil, compact the base in layers and set that course level and below grade before a single block goes on top of it.

Honest about height

Taller walls, and walls carrying a driveway or structure, may need an engineered design and a permit. We tell you during the bid when a wall crosses that line instead of building it as a garden wall and hoping.

How a JACCO project runs

Bid, schedule, build, punch list, close.

See the full process

Stage 1Bid
Site visit, measurements and a written bid tied to a clear scope of work.
Stages 2 and 3Schedule · Build
Selections settled, materials lined up, a detailed schedule, and a protected, clean home while we build.
Stages 4 and 5Punch list · Close
We walk the finished work with you and close the project when every item on the list is done.

Why do retaining walls lean or fail?

Most failures trace back to water and the base. When rain saturates the soil behind a wall and has no way out, the pressure pushes the wall forward. A base that was never compacted lets the bottom courses settle unevenly, and a wall built taller than its design allows has nothing holding it back. Drainage stone, a base drain and the right reinforcement address all three.

Does a retaining wall need a permit or an engineer?

It depends on the height, the location and the jurisdiction. A low garden wall may need neither, while taller walls, walls that support a driveway or structure, and walls near property lines may require an engineered design, a permit or both. Rules differ between unincorporated Sumner County, Franklin and Metro Nashville. JACCO checks what your wall needs during the bid and builds those requirements into the price.

Block or natural stone: which is right for our wall?

Segmental block is made to interlock, comes in consistent sizes and suits taller walls that need reinforcement. Natural stone has a more organic look and fits lower walls, garden terraces and older properties, though it usually takes more labor to lay. Both need the same care with the base and the drainage behind them. We can show you samples and price both if you are undecided.

Can you replace an old timber retaining wall?

Yes. Landscape timbers and old crossties eventually rot, and walls built from them tend to lean as they age. Replacement usually means removing the old wall, digging to a firm base and rebuilding in block or stone with proper drainage behind it. We look at the slope, the soil and whatever sits above the wall before recommending a design.