Portal — Seattle Concrete
Holding back — Portal Concrete, West Seattle
04 · Retaining Walls

Holding back
the hillside.

West Seattle is hills. That means half the yards are retaining walls holding back dirt that desperately wants to move. We design and pour walls engineered for the soil, the slope, and 50 years of rain pressure.

The pitch

Every wall fails.
Unless you build it right.

Concrete retaining walls aren't decorative. They're structural — holding back tons of saturated soil. We engineer footing depth, wall thickness, rebar schedule, and drainage to match the actual load. Then we pour. A proper wall outlives the house.

02 · What we do

The full range.

Engineered poured walls

Structural concrete walls with proper footings, rebar schedule, and weep drainage. Permit-compliant.

Tiered retaining systems

For steep lots, multiple terraced walls distribute load and create usable yard space between.

Drainage integration

Perforated drain tile behind every wall, routed to daylight. Hydrostatic pressure is why walls fail.

Decorative faces

Board-form, stamped, or smooth-finish facing options. Structural integrity with curb appeal.

03 · Recent work

Things we’ve poured.

Retaining wall base

Retaining wall base

Hillside retaining wall

Hillside retaining wall

Full retaining wall

Full retaining wall

Tiered wall system

Tiered wall system

Step-down retaining

Step-down retaining

Long hillside wall

Long hillside wall

04 · Our standards

Non-negotiable.

  • 01

    Footings sized for the soil and wall height — not the same depth on every job.

  • 02

    Rebar schedule designed for actual load, not generic 12-inch spacing.

  • 03

    Perforated drain tile behind every wall, routed to daylight or a stormdrain.

  • 04

    Weep holes through the wall at proper spacing for any saturated soil behind it.

  • 05

    Permits pulled for any wall over 4 feet. No permit = no wall, no exceptions.

Also pour
FoundationsDrivewaysWalkways & Stairs

Ready to pour?
Let’s talk.

Free estimates. Fast response. Chris answers his phone.

Get a Free Estimate(206) 829-6396