How to Build a Concrete Block Retaining Wall! 2026

How to Build a Concrete Block Retaining Wall, a retaining wall on the property line and raise the land to level it, so I could reclaim this part of my yard and improve the look of my property. It's important to note that I've never built any type of wall before, so this was my first attempt and I'm really pleased with the results.

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This project used approximately 165 cinder blocks, 30 bags of gravel and my finished wall was 39 feet long. The total cost was around $1,000. It took me about 80-90 hours to build from start to finish.

Step 1: Tools and Supplies

Supplies:

• Wall blocks and caps
• Gravel
• Stakes
• Fluorescent Yellow Nylon Mason Line
• Protective fabric
• Earth
• Construction adhesive

Tools:

• Shovel
• Rubber mallet
• Bubble level
• Trolley
• Manual tamper (optional but recommended)
• Caulking gun

Step 2: Introduction

A word of warning before we begin: the vast majority of time spent working on this wall was measuring, remeasuring, leveling, and measuring again. Stacking all the blocks once everything was measured took about 1 hour.

Your first steps should be to decide where you want your wall and place the stakes accordingly. Run your masonry line tightly between your stakes and hook your rope level to it to make sure it is level.

Check this, because you won't want to do this part again later. Measure your front of the block to the back.

Then dig a trench about 3 inches larger than that. You will need to make sure you have room for gravel in front and behind your blocks to allow water to drain. Dig your trench deep enough to allow you to place 1-2 inches of gravel while leaving your first row of blocks partially buried. My blocks were 4 inches tall.

I dug a 4 inch deep trench and filled it with 2 inches of gravel. I then packed the gravel with a manual tamper.

This left my block 2 inches off the ground. You can see in the photo that I also have gravel in front and behind the block.

Step 3: Prepare your block

The blocks I used were interlocking. They had a lip on the back that is meant to grip the back of the block beneath it and prevent it from sliding forward.

This provides strength to the wall and allows it to resist the push of the weight of all the dirt behind it.

The bottom row of blocks is much easier to level and move around. Use your pickaxe to cut the edge of each block that will be resting on the gravel.

Step 4: Level your block

Once you have placed your first block in the compacted gravel, place your torpedo level on top of the block. It will not be level.

Add and remove gravel from under your block until it is level. If it moves away a little, try hitting the top of the block with a rubber mallet. The first block I leveled took me about 10 minutes.

After the first few, it got a little faster. Double check to make sure your block is perfectly in line with the string.

In the third photo, you can see the chainaligned with the back of each block. I later changed my method to align it with the front of each block because the wall looked straighter that way.

Step 5: Add blocks

Most of the time, building your wall will be spent on this step. Place the next block next to the one you just leveled. Use your torpedo level on the edges of the two blocks to determine if your new block is too high or too low relative to your well-leveled block.

Add or remove gravel until the two joining edges are at the same height. (Photo 1) Then place your level in the center of the block and add or remove gravel until it is level.

Check the edges of the 2 blocks again to make sure they are still against each other. Go back to the beginning of this step and repeat until your wall is as long as you would like it to be.

Step 6: Intensification

As you continue to place and level your bottom row, you may notice that you need to dig deeper and deeper to place a block that is level with the previous one.

If this happens, you may want to consider stepping on your wall. (or down, depending on your terrain) To do this, stop your row and place gravel around the block.

Instead of placing the next block next to the previous one, place it on top and exactly in the middle. Fill underneath with gravel and level this new top block. Then continue as usual.

Step 7: Move Along

Once the first row is complete, straight and level, fill the empty space behind the wall with gravel.

Now place your drop cloth on top of your block and place your second row of blocks on top so they can hold the cloth.

Be sure to stagger the blocks.

Step 8: Gravel

Place gravel against the wall inside your landscape fabric until it almost reaches the top of the wall. Then place soil on the other side to raise the soil to the same height.

Once they are even, you can place the next row of bricks.

After the row is complete, repeat your gravel and soil filling.

Step 9: Tapas

If you want your wall to have a finish, you'll want to add caps on top. The caps are just a solid concrete block that will be glued to the top of the block.

Step 10: Ready!

Now is the time to step back and admire your work! If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to add them to the comments.

Get more information at Perfectidea.com and on our Facebook for more How to Build a Conte Wallntion of Concrete Blocks.

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