Walls in Ascension Parish are short, but wet clay pushes hard on them. We build with a wide footing, steel and a drain behind the wall. Walls near ditches, servitudes or fill need a check with the permit office before work.
Ascension Parish is flat, so retaining walls here are rarely tall. Most of the ones we build hold the edge of a raised building pad, line a pond or ditch bank, form a planter along a driveway, or step a yard down to a pool. A low wall still carries a real load. Wet clay is heavy, and when it swells it pushes sideways on anything in its way.
Drainage is what keeps a wall straight. We put free-draining stone and a pipe behind the wall and give the water an outlet, so pressure does not build during a week of rain. The footing is poured wide, on firm ground below the topsoil, with steel that ties up into the wall. Frost is not a design factor in south Louisiana. Soft, wet soil and water pressure are.
Walls near a ditch, a servitude or a lot line need care. A wall must not narrow a drainage ditch or hold water back on a neighbor, and the parish drainage rules limit how much fill a wall can retain on a lot. For a wall that supports a driveway, a slab or a pool deck, or one near a canal bank, we ask for an engineer's design. We could not confirm a published height that triggers a permit, so we check for your address.
Retaining walls in Gonzales: common questions
Why is my short wall leaning after a wet month?
Saturated clay weighs more and swells. If there is no drain behind the wall, water pressure adds to the push. A wall with a slight lean and no cracks can sometimes be relieved with drainage. A cracked or sliding wall is rebuilt.
Do I need an engineer for a wall in Gonzales?
We could not confirm a specific height rule from the city or the parish, so we ask for your address. As good practice, any wall holding up a driveway, a building pad or a pool deck should be engineered.
Can a wall go along the ditch at the back of my lot?
Often not without approval. Ditches and swales usually lie in a drainage servitude, and nothing may block or narrow them. Ask the parish or the city first. We can meet the inspector on site if that helps.
How it works
- Free estimate: Call, text or book online. We visit and measure.
- Written quote: Clear pricing with finish options.
- Prep & forms: We excavate, grade, compact the base and set forms and reinforcement.
- Pour, finish & cure: We pour, finish, cut control joints and tell you when you can use it.