Retaining Walls
We can build beautiful, functional, retaining walls.
We Build, Repair, and Replace Retaining Walls
We are your Westfield, Union County CT retaining wall specialists!
Retaining walls are a great addition to any landscape, especially if your property has an existing slope. Building a retaining wall allows you to reclaim some of that lost space by carving out usable outdoor spaces on sloping ground that would otherwise not be usable. Retaining walls can hold back earth and soil which helps to create new level areas for the construction of a new garden bed, a new lawn, a patio or an outdoor cooking area, a parking area, and more. Retaining walls can be built using a variety of materials including rock, brick, block, boulders, or even wood.
Why Do You Need Retaining Walls On Your Property?
- Do you need to prevent soil erosion on your property?
- Do you have an existing retaining wall that has failed and needs repair or rebuilt?
- Do you have a sloped property you’d like to landscape?
- Do you want to create a new outdoor living space?
- Do you want some raised garden beds around your home or property?
Haughey Brothers Landscaping is a hardscaping contractor based out of Westfield, New Jersey and serving Union County, including: Berkeley Heights, Chatham, Cranford, Madison, Mountainside, Scotch Plains, Short Hills, Springfield, and Summit. As an Authorized Belgard Contractor and Techo-Pro we specialize in designing and building functional segmental retaining walls for property owners looking to landscape their naturally sloped property or to carve out some elevation in their outdoor space. From a 30′ foot long block retaining wall to hold back earth around the edge of your home to larger, more complicated, retaining walls for your terraced property. The team at Haughey Brothers Landscaping will be able to provide you with a retaining wall solution that will benefit your specific property.
Construction Of New Retaining Walls
We specialize in the construction of new segmented retaining walls. The benefits to segmented retaining walls are many. Segmented retaining walls are aesthetically pleasing, they offer design flexibility, they are economical, easier to install, and durable.
They are also pre-engineered, meaning the wall can be built to your project specifications without having to have an architect or engineer design the wall itself. We can build the wall to the engineering specifications and have a qualified engineer sign off on the project if the height or size of the wall requires it.
Retaining Walls & Building Permits in Union County, New Jersey
In most of Union County (your municipality could be different) retaining walls that are under 3 feet in height generally do not require permits or design plans. There are some specifics that may or may not apply to your situation. If retaining walls are 3 feet in height or over than a permit is generally required. Any retaining walls over 6 feet in height will require a permit and additionally an engineered design to ensure the structure is sound. This information does not account for any covenants that might be on your property.
When we view your property we’ll be able to let you know any specific building codes that might apply to your circumstance depending on the height/length of your wall and what it’s specifically being installed for and whatever surcharges (weight) might be applied to the soil above and behind the wall.
Proper Drainage For Retaining Walls
We are often contacted by potential customers who have an existing retaining wall that has failed, it’s either falling down, bulging, or collapsing. One of the most common reasons for retaining wall failure is that the original wall was built with poor drainage in place.
Retaining walls are designed to hold back earth from erosion. This also makes them excellent at holding back water too. The water that builds up behind a retaining wall is referred to in the industry as “hydrostatic pressure” and the external force of the soil or fill held behind your retaining wall coupled with the weight of the water held behind it is often enough to seriously compromise the integrity of your wall which can lead to failures such as bulging and even a total collapse.
Well-built retaining walls must incorporate good drainage if it’s going to last for many years. Depending on the type of material being used to build your retaining wall there are a variety of ways to integrate sufficient drainage such as lateral drains, french drains, weeping drains, blanket drains and also the use of very granular soil or fill behind the wall can also work to disperse rather than hold the water.
Understanding Retaining Wall Surcharges
A "surcharge" when it comes to a retaining wall is the weight on top of or behind the wall. For example, if you're building a retaining wall to create a new parking area for a boat or an RV we need to consider the weight of the boat or RV and it's impact on the retaining wall.
If your wall is going to have a surcharge it must be built with this in mind if it's going to last. This would also include tiered retaining walls or retaining walls with a fence on top or any other weight other than the earth it's holding back.
Geo-grid is often used to provide extra tensile strength to each course of your retaining wall so it's anchored to the ground behind it. Proper use of geo-grid will ensure that your retaining wall will be built to last and won't collapse or buckle under the excess weight.
Failure to properly stabilize retaining walls is another very common failure.
What Materials Do We Use For Retaining Walls?
There are many different materials to build your retaining wall out of. Below are some of the more popular materials in our area because of their availability.
- Block retaining walls
- Natural stone retaining walls
- Large boulder retaining walls
How Our Retaining Wall Construction Process Works
When building a retaining wall on your property that is designed to hold back soil and earth from erosion there is very little margin for error so when required we work directly with engineers if your wall is over 6 feet in height. There are many pre-engineered systems we can use as well that can eliminate the need for detailed building plans.
- We start with our initial consultation.
- We determine how many feet of retaining wall you need.
- We determine the height of the wall and if a building permit or engineer will be required.
- We take into account any surcharges (weight) the wall might be exposed to.
- We consult with you on the materials you’d like your retaining built with.
- We’ll provide you with an accurate written estimate for the work.
The amount of work required to build a retaining wall can vary widely from project to project. The slope of your property, the amount of earth your retaining wall must hold back and the overall accessibility of your property will all contribute to the final cost. We’ll be able to offer you an accurate estimate only after a site visit.
What Does It Cost To Build Retaining Walls?
Retaining walls can vary in price depending on the size, scope, length, height, and the materials chosen. Larger walls will need to be engineered which can add to the cost.
Smaller Garden Walls
$3,000 - $10,000
This would be for a small garden wall (under 2 feet high) to surround a small garden or to surround a small landscaping bed.
Medium Sized Walls
$10,000 - $30,000
This would be for a medium sized wall up to 4 feet high. Installed with drainage and geo-grid so it lasts.
Large Retaining Walls
$30,000 - $100,000+
This would be a ballpark cost for a very large or tiered retaining wall or multiple wall with courses that are 4 feet or higher
Retaining Wall Projects Can Include
A beautiful retaining wall isn't just for looks. They have an important job to do. Whether we're building a brand new retaining wall or replacing an existing retaining wall that has failed, there are a number of things we do.
These prices do not include stairs. If you need stairs built within your retaining wall there will be an additional cost. These price ranges are for a typical wall built using readily available landscape block. There are a wide variety of styles and patterns available and we'll be able to provide you with a selection during our consultation. The price can vary significantly depending on the specific material you choose.
These prices are ball park figures to give you a rough idea as to what you should expect. Your particular project may vary depending on site accessibility, materials chosen, and the overall scope of work. If you need a firm price please request a consultation so we can view your potential project, listen to your ideas, and determine the actual scope of work required to complete your project. After our on-site consultation we'll be able to provide you with a firm estimate to complete your project.
Retaining Wall Repair Or Replacement
We specialize in rebuilding retaining walls that have failed and/or collapsed.




Retaining Wall Repairs
It's pretty common for us to get called out to repair an existing retaining wall that has collapsed or failed in some way. This could be an old wood retaining wall that is rotting away or a block wall that is bulging or on the verge of collapse if it has not collapsed already.
Typically we don't recommend "repairing" retaining walls. The wall has failed for a reason and that reason is typically poor construction or a poor choice of materials. When a wall has failed we will usually recommend tearing the wall out and replacing it. This would include demolition of the old wall, re-excavating the area to allow for proper base materials, installation of proper drainage, and proper backfill. Building it right is the more cost effective option in most situations.
Rebuilding Failed Retaining Walls
If your existing retaining wall has failed and needs to be replaced it's usually more cost effective to demolish the old wall, remove the materials, re-excavate the site, install a proper base, geo-grid if necessary, install drainage, and build the retaining wall properly.
We specialize in rebuilding retaining walls that have failed and would be happy to provide you with a consultation if you have a wall that you believe needs to be replaced.
Our Clients Love Us!
Here's What They Say
Great service! This is my second time using Haughey Brothers Landscaping and it was again a great experience with an outstanding final result. Super responsive and worked with me throughout the process to ensure the yard was exactly what I was looking for. I will use them in the future for all my landscaping needs. Highly Recommend!
We recently had the pleasure of working with Haughey Brothers to complete several improvements to our home, including an entire new landscape design and installation for our front yard, planting privacy trees on our side yard, a river rock design around our pool, playground mulch installation and sod installation in the backyard. We are so happy that we decided to go with Haughey Brothers, as the completed work came out so much nicer than we could have ever imagined. From start to finish, Devin, Ethan and his team maintained great communication and completed their work in a timely manner, especially considering all the rain they had to work around. I highly recommend Haughey Brothers for all your landscaping needs!
Happy with the work done by Haughey Brothers. Lawn was aerated, seeded and top dressed. Within 3 weeks grass has filed in well. The front I just did its first cut today. Highly recommend Haughey Brothers Landscaping.
Great landscaping services. Trimming back overgrown bushes and ivy removal. Professional, responsive, and timely.
We are pleased with the work done by Haughey Brothers Landscaping. If you are thinking about hiring a landscaper, you might want to hire them for a small job or a bigger project.
We have used Haughey Bros for landscaping, monthly lawn maintenance and snow removal for many years now. They are prompt and always do a professional job!
We have a great experience working with the Haughey Brothers for our landscaping needs for about a year so far. They also did a fantastic job replacing our fence. Highly recommend!
We had a great experience with Haughey Brothers, which influenced our decision to use them for our year-round lawn service. Ethan made multiple site visits prior to us signing a contract so we could share our vision, and he was able to execute in an extremely fast manner. They redid our entire backyard with new sod and installed playground mulch, stepping stones and river rocks and additional shrubbery. I would highly recommend their services to anyone looking for a great landscaping team.
We recently hired Haughey Brothers Landscaping and we couldn’t be happier with the results! They did an amazing job thatching our grass; cutting back all our sedge and seasonal ornamental grasses .... weeding, edging, and mulching all of our beds. The crew was super professional, neat, and respectful of our property. Our yard has never looked better — it’s like a total refresh! They offer a huge variety of services, and we’ll be using them for flower installation, weekly lawn mowing, fall leaf cleanups and aeration & seeding too. They’re also incredibly easy to work with — everything is streamlined, including project quotes, appointments, automatic payments, etc which makes the whole process seamless. We’re also happy to support these hardworking young entrepreneur brothers — Devin and his team are doing fantastic work, and we highly recommend them if you’re looking for a reliable, high-quality ... but reasonably priced, landscaping company!
Shout out to Haughey Brothers Landscaping!! Not only did they do beautiful work, but they are courteous , professional, and most importantly, actually return phone calls! In fact, their communication is excellent. So glad we used them, and recommend them highly!
We have been using the landscaping services of the Haughey Brothers since they started their business. We have been very pleased with their service and would like to recommend them highly. Aside from their work, the brothers are pleasant and pleasant to deal with.
The Haughhey brothers did such a beautiful job with the mulch and my spring clean up. Highly recommend them for your landscaping needs!
Haughey Brothers redid my front landscaping, installed a new back patio, helped with drainage, connected me with a fencing company and regraded/put down sod in my backyard. They were very responsive and did an excellent job! I have received numerous compliments from my neighbors about how great everything looks. I continue to use them for weekly lawn maintenance and they keep my house looking so neat. I highly recommend them for all landscaping projects.
The Haughey Brothers did a great job on our landscaping. They trimmed the out of control hedge on the side of our house and in the back yard. The edged and mulched the beds in the front of our house. Good prices and very friendly. Great to work with. I would definitely call the again.
I have always wanted the front of my home to be beautiful and inviting. When I found Haughey Brothers Landscaping they responded to me quickly and worked with me to create an amazing plan with great plant and floral recommendations. After they sent me the final mock up of the plan they came in professionally and made the front of my home absolutely stunning. It was awesome to have this team! I highly recommend.
I have nothing but good things to say about Haughey brothers!! Ethan, the owner talked and was very patient with me. He walked me through the entire process of what they were going to do to my home which was alot of landscaping in the front using river rocks. His workers did a Phenomenal job, worked very hard & did a great clean up. I'm EXTREMELY happy with the outcome of my Landscaping . Thank you to all for your impeccable work ethics!!
Haughey Brothers were hired to do some landscaping work removing of large shrubs reestablishing both front and back yards. also replacing an inground pipe. There work was professional and well beyond my expectations. I shall be utilizing there services in the spring for possible outdoor shed removal and replacement. Good work.
Haughey Brothers Landscaping is simply the BEST in the business. Very pleased with the quality of work, price, and professionalism.
I highly recommend Haughey Brothers Landscaping. They do a great job with their weekly maintenance, as well as their other services including trimming of shrubs and keeping the flower beds nice and neat. They have recently completely renovated my lawn with thatching, core aeration, topsoil dressing, and seeding. Both Devin and Ethan are very professional to deal with, and their pricing is very reasonable. If you need a quality landscaper in Union county, contact Haughey Brothers.
Haughey Brothers Landscaping did an excellent job with lawn and edging. We appreciated the service.
This is an amazing company from start to finish. We were having trouble finding reliable landscapers in the Chatham area. A lot of not call backs, no shows etc. Called Devin and he came by same day to give me an estimate on landscaping services. I received a quote same day and they began work two days later. Devin’s team is professional, hard working and the quality of their work is impressive. Everything is easy and hassle free when dealing with this company and their work speaks for itself. Pictures below. Couldn’t recommend this team more.
Hired Haughey Brothers Landscaping this year to do a major drainage project that would divert water accumulating at the base of the front of my house to stop basement and garage flooding that was occuring after major rain events. The project worked great and the flooding has stopped. Adding some photos that show the work being done and videos that show the water not accumulating in front of the house and one video showing the water being diverted down my driveway at the back of my house down to the street.
Highly recommend HAUGHEY brothers for landscaping projects. They did an amazing job planting trees for privacy and also cleaned up and redesigned our beds. They were great to work with and everything turned out beautiful.
Haughey Brothers recently completed extensive landscaping work on our front and side yards. They did an absolutely amazing job! The appearance of our home was totally transformed in two days! Both Devin and Ethan are honest, knowledgeable and very easy to work with. Their staff also arrived on time and were total professionals too.
I recently had a new walkway installed by Haughey Brothers Landscaping and was very pleased with the results. It was completed in one day within a week of my first contacting them. The before and after photos speak for themselves.
Haughey Brothers Landscaping did a fantastic job with our backyard patio! Their team did amazing, we are very pleased.
Ethan and Devin (the Haughey Brothers) are awesome! They are responsive, professional, reliable and do great work for a reasonable price. They are hard workers and always go above and beyond, while getting things done on time (and as promised). I recommend them for all of your landscaping needs.
We are very happy with the work done by the Haughey Brothers and their crew. In addition to doing a Spring cleanup and mulching, they transformed two neglected areas of our property making them useful and beautiful. Ethan was easy to work with and had some great ideas to improve the landscaping of the property. Will definitely use them again. A couple of before and afters:
Devin and Ethan are extremely nice, punctual, and do fantastic jobs. I needed something relatively urgent done, and they were able to meet up, quote, change/revise quote for some other options, and on a short notice, they were able to accommodate a next day project done that originally was planned for at least 3-4 weeks out. I'll recommend them to anyone in the area that needs landscaping done!
Best in Union county!! Very responsive and did an amazing job on our landscaping! Will always be using them from now on!!
My husband and I highly recommend Ethan and Devin and their crew for any type of landscaping or hardscaping needs you have. I can't say enough good things about how professional, friendly, courteous and on time they always were each time they came to our home. They also left their work area very clean at the end of each day which is very important. What had started out as simply replacing a tired old swing set playground in our backyard turned into much more. They showed us previous work photos they did for fire pits with patios and we were immediately hooked. We are incredibly happy with our new backyard fire pit area and cannot wait to use it. They picked out beautiful plants and shrubs for the surrounding fire pit bed and also installed lighting into the pavers. It looks so pretty at night. They completed the job in record time too!!! We wouldn't hesitate to use them again for any other project we have. Thank you!!!!
We had been scouting for a landscaping company for quite some time and we are so glad we decided on Haughey Brothers! Devan & Ethan were very thorough, professional and all the employees were extremely kind and efficient. Great communication and never hesitated to answer any of our questions. They revamped our entire front yard along with the side of the house adding color and life back to it! Looking forward to more projects in the future!
Thank you to Ethan and his team! Our property looks the best its ever been, with new shrubs, trimming, and landscaping details. We appreciate working with you and trust your guidance for our property. Great work!!
Request Your Estimate
Are You An Existing Customer?
If we've worked for you before, we would have created a client hub account for you in our project management software. You can have quick access to our convenient client hub to submit a new job request and much more!
Our Client Hub Also Offers 24/7 Access To:
Create New Job Requests
See Approved Quotes
See Pending Quotes
See Next Scheduled Visit
Access Invoices & Receipts
Secure Payment Portal
New To Haughey Brothers Landscaping?
Please fill out the form below so we can get the necessary details to give you accurate information and pricing on the landscaping projects you'd like us to do.
More Retaining Wall Information
Enhancing Your Retaining Wall: Upgrades for Functionality and Aesthetics
Retaining walls are a fundamental aspect of landscaping, offering both functional support and aesthetic appeal to outdoor spaces. Whether you’re aiming to prevent soil erosion, create leveled gardening spaces, or enhance the…
Read More...Retaining Wall Failures: A Comprehensive Guide
Retaining walls are fundamental in transforming and stabilizing sloped terrains into functional landscapes. However, when these structures fail, they can pose significant risks and financial burdens. Understanding the causes, including the role…
Read More...Choosing Between Segmental Or Boulder Retaining Walls
When it comes to managing sloped landscapes and enhancing outdoor living spaces, retaining walls play a pivotal role. Among the most popular choices are segmental retaining walls and those constructed from natural…
Read More...Ideas for a Sloped Yard
If you live in a hilly town, sloped neighborhood, or rolling countryside, you know how intimidating it can feel when you are trying to landscape. Sloped yards can be difficult to walk…
Read More...