Our Services

Custom Retaining Walls Construction

Custom retaining walls engineered to support your landscape while adding durable structure and style.

Enhance the structural integrity and aesthetic appeal of your property with the premier experts in retaining walls construction. CJ Pickering Enterprises specializes in designing and building high-performance structural retaining walls that manage difficult terrain, counter the horizontal force of the soil being retained, prevent erosion, and create a more usable yard. Whether you need steep slope stabilization or a freestanding wall to define your outdoor living space, our masonry team ensures every structure is engineered for New England durability and visual excellence.

Professional Retaining Wall Builders Across the South Shore

A successful retaining wall is more than just a pile of stone: it is a functional engineering solution built to resist the horizontal force of retained soil. We provide tailored designs for homeowners across the South Shore, including Hingham, Cohasset, Scituate, Marshfield, Norwell, and Hanover, with a particular focus on the specific coastal soil conditions and architectural styles of the region. We work with industry-leading modular wall block systems from manufacturers like Belgard, Cambridge Pavingstones, and Keystone to deliver walls that perform and last.

Retaining wall materials compared across primary benefit, durability, and best application for New England slopes, tiered yards, and structural landscapes.
Material Type	Primary Benefit	Durability	Best Application
Modular Wall Block Systems (Belgard/Keystone)	Wide, open core design for steep slope stabilization	Very High	Structural retaining walls and heavy horizontal force resistance
Natural Stone	Timeless and organic look	High	Stone retaining walls, garden beds, and aesthetic focal points
Granite Walls	Extreme New England strength	Highest	High-traffic areas and heavy-load support
Concrete Blocks (Cambridge)	Modern, uniform finish	Very High	Pavingstone patios, tiered yards, and minimalist landscapes

Solving Erosion and Drainage with Precision Engineering

The primary cause of retaining wall failure is poor water management. We utilize a multi-layered installation protocol:

Custom Retaining Walls Drainage: We install perforated drainage pipes and high-quality filter fabric behind every wall to prevent hydrostatic pressure from building up, a critical step given the South Shore's coastal water table.
Reinforced Backfill and Geosynthetics: We use clean, crushed stone backfill within wide, open core blocks to maximize connection strength with geogrid materials, ensuring structural stability against horizontal soil force during New England freeze-thaw cycles.
Engineered Foundations with Geogrid Reinforcement: Every wall begins with a deeply compacted aggregate base and geogrid reinforcement layers with structural deadmen, preventing the shifting and leaning common in DIY installations.

Custom Retaining Walls for Every South Shore Property

Whether you are looking for retaining walls in Hingham to manage a steep coastal backyard or a structural retaining wall in Norwell to define a garden bed, our team provides turn-key solutions. We work with materials ranging from natural fieldstone to modern modular wall block systems from Belgard and Keystone, ensuring your wall complements your existing patios or Cambridge pavingstones with ArmorTec driveway pavers. From stone retaining walls to freestanding walls, we build structures that create a more usable yard and stand up to the South Shore's harsh coastal climate.

Ready to start your project?

Click the button below to schedule your first consultation.

Retaining Walls FAQs

Retaining WallsDoes a retaining wall increase property value?

Yes. By transforming sloped, unusable land into flat, functional space for lawns, patios, or Cambridge Pavingstone with ArmorTec outdoor living areas, a well-built structural retaining wall significantly increases the usable square footage and curb appeal of your South Shore home. Steep slope stabilization creates a more usable yard that adds real value.

Retaining WallsHow do I choose the best retaining wall contractor near me?

When searching for a retaining wall contractor, look for a firm that emphasizes drainage engineering and uses quality geogrid materials from brands like Belgard, Cambridge, and Keystone. A wall without proper water management will eventually fail from hydrostatic pressure and the horizontal force of the soil being retained. At CJ Pickering, we prioritize the "hidden" engineering: the drainage pipes, geosynthetic reinforcement, and crushed stone backfill within wide, open core blocks to ensure your wall lasts for decades.

Retaining WallsDo I need a permit for retaining wall construction?

While the Massachusetts state code generally requires permits for walls over 4 feet, some local South Shore building departments in towns like Hingham, Scituate, and Cohasset require a stamped engineered drawing for structural retaining walls as short as 2 feet in exposed height. As your custom retaining walls specialist, we handle all geogrid design, engineering documentation, and municipal compliance requirements to ensure your project meets all local safety codes and zoning regulations.