Start With the Right Questions
Ask every contractor these before you sign anything:
- What is your drainage plan? Listen for specifics: drainage stone depth, perforated pipe, filter fabric, where the water goes. "We put gravel behind it" is not a plan. A contractor who cannot describe the drainage system in detail will not build one.
- How deep are the footings, and how do you handle our clay? In Northern Virginia, footings belong below the frost line — about 24 inches. Ask how they compact the base and the backfill.
- Do I need a permit or engineering, and will you handle it? They should know the four-foot threshold and tell you honestly where your wall falls.
- Can I see a wall you built three to five years ago nearby? A wall that has survived a few Fairfax County rainy seasons tells the truth. Photos of fresh builds tell you nothing about longevity.
- What is the payment schedule? Never full payment up front. A normal schedule is a deposit, progress payments, and a final payment after the walkthrough.
- What does your written warranty cover, and for how long? Get it in writing. Verbal warranties are worth nothing.
Red Flags
- "You don't need drainage for this one." Every wall needs drainage. This sentence means walk away.
- "You don't need a permit for this." For a wall four feet or taller, you almost certainly do in Fairfax County. No permit means no inspections — and that becomes your problem at resale.
- A bid thousands below everyone else. The difference is hiding in the excavation depth, the drainage stone, the compaction, or the footing. Those are exactly the parts that decide whether the wall stands.
- Cash only, no written contract. No contract means no recourse.
- Most of the money before the first stone is set. A builder confident in their work does not need your money to start.
What a Real Quote Includes
Material and wall type. Height and length. The drainage system, described. Excavation and backfill approach. Permit and engineering responsibility. A payment schedule. A warranty in writing. If a quote is one line — "retaining wall, $9,500" — it is not a quote, it is a guess. Our quotes spell out all of it. Get yours here.