Concrete Retaining Walls in Des Moines, Iowa A Poured Wall That Holds Grade Where Stacked Block Slowly Gives
One continuous rebar-reinforced wall with weep holes, gravel backfill, and drain tile, poured by our own Des Moines crew.
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Concrete Retaining Walls in Des Moines, Iowa, Built to Hold Grade Near the River Confluence
A stacked-block wall and a poured concrete wall solve the same slope differently. Segmental block leans on gravity and the weight of each unit to hold a grade. A poured wall is one continuous, rebar-reinforced structure that takes the soil's push as a single piece, which is why it holds taller and stays plumb longer near the Des Moines and Raccoon River confluence. The mix also carries the 5 to 7 percent air entrainment the ACI recommends for freeze-thaw, so the face doesn't scale through a hard Polk County winter.
The wall you see is the smaller half of the job. Most walls fail at the back, where slow-draining till traps water and turns it into hydrostatic pressure. We build weep holes, a gravel chase, and drain tile at the footing into every wall so that water leaves before it can shove the concrete out of line.
Concrete Retaining Walls JLB Pours in Des Moines
Structural concrete retaining walls — footings below the frost line, rebar reinforcement, and full drainage with weep holes and gravel backfill.
Finishes that suit an older neighborhood
A structural wall does not have to read like a bunker.
Sherman Hill and Drake sit on lots terraced generations ago around homes from the 1880s through the 1920s, and a raw gray slab looks wrong against that brick and stone. We pour board-form, broom, and faced finishes so a wall doing serious work still belongs in the yard.
The finish is skin; the structure underneath stays the same.
Whichever face you pick, the rebar schedule, footing depth, and drainage are unchanged. You are choosing how the wall looks, not how hard it works.
Control joints keep cracking honest
Concrete shrinks as it cures, and a long wall will crack somewhere.
We place vertical control joints at planned intervals so the shrinkage relieves itself at the joint instead of wandering across the face. On the longer runs that older Des Moines lots tend to need, that spacing is what keeps the wall looking intentional.
Value measured over decades, not seasons
A poured wall costs more up front and far less over its life.
Reset a leaning block wall twice and you have paid for a poured one that never moved. Built on a footing below the 42-inch frost line with drainage that actually works, a JLB wall holds its grade for decades.
One crew owns the wall from dig to backfill.
We excavate, pour the footing, form and pour the stem, set the drainage, and backfill in lifts, with no handoffs. The free site walk reads how your lot drains before we put a number on it.
A board-form poured wall holding grade on a terraced Sherman Hill lot, drainage built in behind the face.
What Makes Des Moines Concrete Different?
Central Iowa concrete endures 100 to 120 freeze-thaw cycles in a single winter. Each cycle expands trapped moisture and opens micro-fractures, which is why air-entrained mixes and correct joint placement matter far more here than in milder climates.
How JLB Handles Retaining Walls in Des Moines
Free On-Site Inspection
We measure the area, check how it drains, and assess the base before quoting.
Tear-Out & Haul-Off
The old driveway comes out and we remove the debris so we start on solid ground.
Subgrade Prep
We compact and grade the base so the slab bears evenly over central-Iowa soil.
Forming & Reinforcement
Forms are set to grade and we add rebar or mesh where the load calls for it.
Air-Entrained Pour
We place a 5-7% air-entrained mix built for Iowa freeze-thaw.
Finish & Saw-Cut Joints
Broom or decorative finish, then control joints cut at planned intervals.
Cure & Protect
We protect the pour while it cures so it gains full strength without scaling.
Why Des Moines Homeowners Choose JLB for Retaining Walls
Footings set below Iowa's 42-inch frost line
Rebar-reinforced for structural strength
Full drainage systems — weep holes, gravel backfill, and drain tile — to manage persistent hydrostatic pressure from the till
JLB's own in-house crew
Concrete Retaining Walls in Des Moines — FAQ
Over its life, yes. A poured wall is one rebar-reinforced piece that stays plumb for decades, while a block wall often needs resetting as it leans. Two resets usually cost more than the poured wall would have.
Almost always at the back, not the face. Slow-draining till traps water that becomes hydrostatic pressure and pushes the wall out of line. JLB builds weep holes, a gravel chase, and drain tile into every wall to relieve it.
Yes. JLB pours board-form, broom, and faced finishes so a wall fits the brick and stone of neighborhoods like Sherman Hill and Drake. The finish changes the look only; the reinforcement and drainage stay the same.
Concrete shrinks as it cures and will crack somewhere. Vertical control joints at planned intervals direct that shrinkage to the joint instead of across the visible face, which keeps a long Des Moines wall looking intentional.
5 to 7 percent entrained air, the ACI range for freeze-thaw concrete. Those microscopic pockets give freezing water room to expand so the wall face does not scale through a central-Iowa winter.
Get Your Free Retaining Walls Estimate in Des Moines
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Retaining Walls Near You
Our Central Iowa Offices
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JLB Basement Waterproofing & Foundation Repair — Des Moines
97 Indiana Ave Suite #1Des Moines, IA, 50314(515) 717-8560 View on Google Maps
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