Pittsburgh is a city of hills. If your yard slopes, chances are you need a retaining wall — or the one you have needs replacing. Kelley Construction designs and builds segmental block, natural boulder, and cut-stone retaining walls across Allegheny County. We handle everything from small garden-tier walls to large engineered structures that hold back entire hillsides.
Walls over four feet tall in most municipalities require engineered drawings and permits. We handle that process. Our walls are built with proper drainage (perforated pipe, gravel backfill, weep holes) so hydrostatic pressure doesn't build up behind the face — which is the number one reason retaining walls fail in western Pennsylvania.
If the wall is over 4 feet tall (measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall), most Pittsburgh-area municipalities require stamped engineering drawings. We coordinate that for you.
A properly built segmental block wall with good drainage should last 50+ years. Natural stone and poured concrete can last even longer. The key is drainage behind the wall and a solid footing underneath.
It depends on how far it's gone. Sometimes we can relieve pressure, add drainage, and anchor the wall back. Other times a full rebuild is the better investment. We'll give you an honest assessment during the site visit.
