Retaining Wall Installation in Portland, OR: 110 Feet of Belgard Diamond Pro Replacing an Old Rock Terrace

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Sta-Built Construction replaced an old moss-covered rock terrace in a Portland, OR backyard with 110 linear feet of Belgard Diamond Pro split-face retaining wall, about 4 feet tall, plus a set of eight 4-foot-wide Weston Stone steps up to the shed level. The job finished in June 2026.

Before and after

The problem

This yard sits on two levels. A shed and a play slide occupy the upper terrace along the back fence, and the lawn runs below it. The two levels were held apart by an old dry-stacked rock wall. Photos from the first site visit in February 2026 show the rocks buried in moss with soil and plantings spilling through the gaps. There were no built steps up to the shed level.

What the project manager found

The pre-construction walk in April added three items to the plan. First, the old rock wall and the soil behind it had to come out along a roughly 94-foot run, about 70 cubic yards of demolition that had not been counted in the original estimate. Second, one very large stump about 5 feet across, plus several 12-inch stumps, sat in the path of the wall and needed grinding. Third, the homeowners wanted the wall to stand straight rather than lean back into the slope, which changed the block choice.

The solution

Sta-Built built a single 110-foot segmental retaining wall about 4 feet tall along the fence line, with a set of eight steps near the shed connecting the lawn to the upper level. A standard lipped wall block sets each course back slightly, which gives the wall a visible lean called batter. Because the homeowners wanted no batter, the block was switched to Belgard Diamond Pro PS, the version of the Diamond Pro line the design team specified for a no-batter build.

The steps and the short return walls beside them are seen from both sides, and a retaining wall block only has one finished face. The crew lead flagged this during the redesign, so the steps and returns were ordered in Belgard Weston Stone, a block finished on both faces, in the same Victorian color as the main wall.

The materials

Everything came from SiteOne. The main wall is Belgard Diamond Pro PS split-face block in Victorian, a gray and tan blend that reads as natural stone from the lawn. It is capped with Diamond XL wall caps in the same color along all 110 feet. The steps and their return walls are Belgard Weston Stone in Victorian. Behind the wall, the order included geogrid reinforcement, which the work order calls for across 86 linear feet of the run, and perforated ADS drain pipe with a filter sock to carry water out from behind the wall.

How it was built

The crew started the last week of May 2026. A Takeuchi mini excavator pulled the old rock wall and cut the trench along the full 110 feet, with 15 cubic yards of soil and debris hauled off site. The base was prepared and compacted along the whole run before the first course went down. The work order called for 86 feet of geogrid tied back into the compacted backfill as the courses rose, and the material order included perforated drain pipe for behind the wall. By June 5 the wall was several courses high, and by June 8 the full wall was built, capped, and the steps were in. Final photos were taken June 10 after backfill and grading.

The finished result

The upper terrace now sits behind a straight, capped block wall instead of a crumbling pile of rock, and the shed level is reached by a proper set of steps instead of a scramble up the slope. The lower lawn gained a clean, flat edge along its full length, and the 4-foot height gives the homeowners a real usable upper yard around the shed and play area.

What a project like this costs

Project investment range: $28,100 to $44,100. This range reflects the scope of this completed project and is not a current quote.

Wall length and height set most of this price: 440 square feet of wall face is a lot of block, cap, base, and geogrid. The 70 cubic yards of demolition, stump grinding, and hauling added real labor that a wall built on open ground would not need. The eight Weston Stone steps and the vertical-face block choice also cost more than a plain lipped wall of the same length.

See more on our retaining wall page. We build walls throughout the Portland area from our Portland service area. Related project: a 1,004 sq ft paver patio and walkway in Portland, OR.

Related questions

How much does a 110 foot retaining wall cost in Portland, OR?

This 110-foot, 4-foot-tall wall with eight steps, demolition of an old rock wall, and stump grinding came in between $28,100 and $44,100. A shorter or lower wall on open ground would sit well below that; more height, harder access, or more demolition pushes it up.

What block was used for this retaining wall?

Belgard Diamond Pro PS split-face block in Victorian for the wall, Diamond XL caps in Victorian, and Belgard Weston Stone in Victorian for the steps and return walls, all supplied by SiteOne. Geogrid and perforated drain pipe with a sock went in behind the wall.

How was the old rock wall replaced?

A mini excavator removed the old stacked rock and the soil behind it, about 15 cubic yards hauled off, and ground out the stumps in the way. The crew prepared and compacted a base along all 110 feet, then built the block wall course by course with geogrid tied back into compacted backfill and a drain pipe at the base.

Why were the steps built from a different block than the wall?

Retaining wall block like Diamond Pro has one finished face, because the back is buried. The steps and the short walls beside them are visible from both sides, so they were built from Weston Stone, which is finished on both faces, in the same Victorian color.

Does Sta-Built build retaining walls in Portland?

Yes. This project is in Portland, and Sta-Built builds segmental retaining walls, seat walls, and garden walls throughout the Portland metro area from the Vancouver, WA showroom. Oregon license: 242261.

Planning something similar?

If an old rock or timber wall is giving way in your yard, Sta-Built can walk the slope and recommend the right wall system. Schedule a free design consultation.

This project documentation was prepared by Sta-Built Construction from the project records and photos from our crew, September 2026. Technical review by Ben Metsker, Manager.