260-Foot Retaining Wall and Fence Replacement for Pool Area

The old timber wall had run its course. Timber walls have a lifespan, and when they start to lean, bow, or fall apart, the soil behind them doesn't wait for you to catch up. In this case, the pool area needed real structural support - not a patch job, but a full replacement built to actually hold.

We pulled out the failed timber wall and came in with Cambridge Onyx Natural Sigma block and 13-inch coal caps for the entire run. The block has a clean, textured face that holds up year after year without the rot and shifting you get with wood. At 260 feet, this retaining wall construction job wasn't small - it followed the curve of the pool area and had to be done right the first time.

On top of the wall, we installed 270 feet of wood privacy fencing and finished it with a 5-foot gate. The fence sits directly on top of the retaining wall, which means the pool area now has both the structural support it needs and the security and privacy the homeowner wanted. That combination - wall plus fence - is something we get asked about a lot, and this is a solid example of how well it works when done together.

Timing matters with a job like this. A leaning or failing wall only gets worse with rain, freeze-thaw cycles, and the pressure of soil behind it. Waiting usually means more excavation, more grading, and more cost down the road. Getting ahead of it before the situation deteriorates is almost always the smarter call.

We also handled the grading around the perimeter once the wall was set. Getting the ground leveled and dressed out properly after a job this size is part of what makes the finished result look intentional rather than thrown together. The site is clean, the wall is solid, and the pool area has the support it should have had all along.