Retaing wall help

[childret]

Going to give a bid for a customer who wants a retaining wall down one side of the property. I have done several retaining walls before but never this big. It is about 140 ft long and it has to be brought up about 2 ft. then backfilled. What type of block would be the best, with a cap, and what is the going rate for a retaing wall of that length? Been doing landscaping for 8 years but just dabbled in the hardscape business. I know I have to dig the footer and put down base. Just dont know what price I should throw out there. I am located in Florida. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

[shovelracer]

I think the going rates down there are slightly less than the rest of the country. I would say figure the cost of your block, drainage, and base materials and add about $0.35 per block. That should get you in the range for your area.

[Paver Gangster]

$9.95 square foot. Make it a winter blow out sale.

I would go to ncma.org and down load some Tek sheets before building this 140" wall on a "footer".

[neversatisfiedj]

Too many variables --- but $55/ft2

[Total Landscape Solutions]

Exactly $12,345.67

[childret]

thaks total landscape ill make sure to submit that bid

[neversatisfiedj]

I would be at 19k. Don't forget to add in your submerged course.

[shovelracer]

Thats funny cause I come up with 19100 under ideal conditions with no extras. We are a little further north so we have to dig our footers a little deeper with a little extra reenforcement. Plus our mixer is broken so we have to rent one. Thats a lot of bags for my guys to carry.

[childret]

wow thats a lot of money thanks for your help.....

[EuroStone]

heres the formula...140 x 2.5= 350 sqft x $25 [floridas avg rate] = $8750
we use allen block and anchor wall. you can find detailed installation instructions on there web sites.

[neversatisfiedj]

Allan block sucks -- SOrry use Versa-Lok

[YardPro]

Thats funny cause I come up with 19100 under ideal conditions with no extras. We are a little further north so we have to dig our footers a little deeper with a little extra reenforcement. Plus our mixer is broken so we have to rent one. Thats a lot of bags for my guys to carry.


you should NOT be using concrete for leveling pads of SRW's.....

NCMA tries to discourage it's use.

[PatriotLandscape]

you should NOT be using concrete for leveling pads of SRW's.....

NCMA tries to discourage it's use.

I thinking the same thing. why would you use a concrete pad anyway? it would add a ton of money to a bid for no reason.

[lawnpro724]

heres the formula...140 x 2.5= 350 sqft x $25 [floridas avg rate] = $8750
we use allen block and anchor wall. you can find detailed installation instructions on there web sites.

Thats what we get for it around here as well. $18-19,000 for a wall that small is way to high of a price.

[Majesticman]

On long walls go for the pad. Concrete is better and faster than granular in non freeze areas I can lay out 300 feet of base on concrete in two hours max it takes us two hour to lay the forms and pour also. NCMA just says make sure it is lean. Don't bid anything by the sq. foot. Bid it by the time it will take @$75 per man hour, plus cost, plus 25%. The sq. foot bids never come out. A long short wall will eat your lunch by the sq. ft. compared to a 20 foot 500 foot wall.

I have walls setting on concrete that have been there over 20 years. No problems.

[shovelracer]

you should NOT be using concrete for leveling pads of SRW's.....

NCMA tries to discourage it's use.

My post was a joke. The kicker was supposed to be the fact that I mentioned using bags. Im aware of the NCMA I took the course. The fact is, that if you cant figure out a simple wall price than you have no business touching a 140 foot long wall. Thats a big run to either prove your skills or lack there of not to mention lose a lot of money.

[shovelracer]

Thats what we get for it around here as well. $18-19,000 for a wall that small is way to high of a price.

What are you paying for materials? I cant find my numbers but I remember the cost of materials being somewhere around 6K, and the labor came in at a around 200 man hours.

[childret]

I was basically trying to get a rough estimate on how much to charge....If you look at all the other replies there is anything from 5k to 20k. That is a big difference. I guess thats the prices all over the world are different. Im not trying to prove anything here...im simply doing my homework therefore I don't screw myself out of any money.

[shovelracer]

We understand that. I just dont understand, even if it costs less elsewhere, how some of the lower prices could make money regardless of region. I guess some people are OK working for peanuts.

[Majesticman]

I was basically trying to get a rough estimate on how much to charge....If you look at all the other replies there is anything from 5k to 20k. That is a big difference. I guess thats the prices all over the world are different. I'm not trying to prove anything here...im simply doing my homework therefore I don't screw myself out of any money.


Do the wall for $10K and you will be alright. Some places are higher because they are limited to doing jobs to about 7 months compared to 11 months in Florida. If you are paying fair labor and sub out a backhoe to dig and dress the job you will be OK. Just keep your costs down.

Don't let some of these guys get you down. Look forward and don't listen to the negative people. If I would have listed to them 25 years ago I would still be driving a truck. Most of the negative people that thought I couldn't do it ended up way down the feed trough from me. :laugh: I live the good life and they are just getting by. I still remember guys saying: "You can't make a livin' off them there retainer walls." I made a hell of a living.

I wish you luck in your venture. Remember: Heads up move forward and don't look back.

[AztlanLC]

D Some places are higher because they are limited to doing jobs to about 7 months compared to 11 months in Florida. If you are paying fair labor and sub out a backhoe to dig and dress the job you will be OK. Just keep your costs down.



That is so true our overhead cost is way more than people down south I can only sell 1500 man hours per guy up here

[Majesticman]

That is so true our overhead cost is way more than people down south I can only sell 1500 man hours per guy up here


We would go south to do walls during the winter. It amazed me that it is business as usual year round down there. We are on clay and will sometime be out of it from December until April. But that does give me 2 good months of vacation after we have repainted equipment and have done all repairs. My full time men get paid year round so there is a lot of card playing and inventing done at the shop.

[Top Dog Pavers]

$9800 is fair depending on materials!

[JJS]

unilock pisa2 wall block, i'd bring it in around 10,120.00, i charge 40.00 per face sq. ft.