Project Write-Up · Retaining Wall Replacement · Carrollton, TX
Crosstie Garden Wall Replaced with Stone in Carrollton, TX
A single course of crossties ran along the fence, holding a bed above the pool deck. The timbers had rotted, the bed had spilled over them and the whole strip had gone to weeds. The ties came out and a low mortared stone wall went in on the same line, with weep holes at the base and a clean bed behind it, replanted.
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What We Found
This is the wall most pool yards have and nobody thinks about: a low timber border along the fence holding a planting bed a foot or so above the deck. The crossties had rotted soft, the soil had slumped over the top of them, and the bed had gone to weeds and leaf litter.
Low does not mean unimportant. That bed drains toward the pool deck, and once the ties let go, every rain washes soil and mulch onto the deck and into the water. The fix is small, but it is the difference between a yard that looks kept and one that looks like it is losing.
The decision: a real wall, sized for the job
Replacing the ties with more timber would repeat the problem in a few years, because a wet planting bed is exactly where wood rots fastest. A mortared stone wall does not care how wet the bed is, holds a clean line against the fence, and finishes the pool surround properly.
It did not need to be tall. It needed to hold the soil, drain, and look right next to the deck. So it was built to the height of the bed and no more, with weep holes so the bed sheds water through the wall instead of over it.
How the Build Ran
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Quote and plan
Nathan walked the fence line, measured the run and gave a written, guaranteed price for the wall and the bed behind it.
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Old ties out
The rotten crossties and the weeds behind them were removed and hauled off, and the bed cut back to a clean line.
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Stone wall in
The natural stone was laid and mortared on a proper base along the fence line, with weep holes set at the bottom of the face.
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Bed and clean-up
The bed was backfilled with fresh soil, replanted, and the deck and walkway washed down on the way out.
Have a border wall that has rotted out? Send a photo with your quote request and Nathan will tell you what he is seeing before he comes out.
Project Specifications
| Existing wall | Single-course crossties along the fence line, rotted through |
|---|---|
| Replacement | Natural stone, mortared, built to the height of the bed |
| Drainage | Weep holes at the base of the face |
| Bed | Fresh soil behind the wall, replanted |
| Permits | Checked with the city; obtained and managed by us where required |
| Warranty | 5 years on the wall structure, in writing |
The Result
The fence line now has a straight stone wall with a level top, a tidy bed of new plantings behind it, and a clean edge where the deck meets the lawn. The soil stays where it is put.
It is a small wall and a small job, and it changed how the whole pool side of the yard reads. That is usually how border walls go.
Carrollton Retaining Wall Questions
Do you build small garden and border walls, or only large structural ones?
Both. A border wall holding a planting bed is still a retaining wall, and it fails the same way a tall one does when it is built from timber. We build them in stone, sized for the bed they hold.
Why did the crossties rot so fast?
A planting bed is watered on purpose and drains slowly, so the ties sit wet for most of the year. Wood in permanent contact with damp soil rots from the back face forward, which is why they look fine until they suddenly do not.
Can you replace a wall right next to a pool without damaging the deck?
Yes. This wall sat a step from the pool deck. The work is done by hand where it has to be, the deck is protected, and everything is washed down before we leave.
Does a low wall need a footing and weep holes?
It needs a proper base and a way for water to get out, yes. The scale is smaller, but a low wall with no drainage still heaves and cracks in Blackland clay. The weep holes on this wall are at the base of the face.
How much does a border wall like this cost?
It depends on the length, the stone and what has to happen to the bed behind it. Nathan quotes a firm written price at the free on-site visit, and that price is the bill.
How long does a job like this take?
A border wall of this size is usually a short job once the ties are out. Nathan gives you a realistic timeline for your wall at the quote.
Free On-Site Quote
Get a free quote on your Carrollton retaining wall
Tell us roughly how long the wall is and what it is holding back. Nathan will come out, usually the same or next day, and give you a written price that holds.
- Price Quoted Is GuaranteedThe written quote is the price. No change orders once we start.
- We Handle All Permits & PaperworkCity submittals, engineering and inspections — all of it, start to finish.
- 5-Year WarrantyOn the wall structure. In writing, on every wall we build.
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Same-day or next-day, across the metroplex.
Carrollton Retaining Walls and Pool Removal
This job is one of many we have completed in Carrollton and the communities around it. Whichever service you are weighing up, start here.
Retaining walls in Carrollton
New walls, replacements and repairs across Carrollton, engineered for the local soil.
Pool removal in Carrollton
Full and partial swimming pool demolition in Carrollton, with backfill and final grade.
Retaining Wall Installation & Replacement
How we build and replace walls across DFW: materials, drainage, engineering and what a wall should cost.
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Who You Actually Deal With
Nathan Rodriguez
General Manager · On site, every job
Nathan runs every DFW job personally. He is a Fort Worth native with more than 20 years of hands-on residential construction experience, and he walks the site for the quote, is there when the crew breaks ground, and signs off the final grade himself.
That is also why the quoted price holds. The person who priced the work is the person standing in your yard, so nothing gets discovered later that should have been seen on day one.
Ready to replace a timber wall before it lets go?
Free on-site quote, same day or next day. The price Nathan quotes is guaranteed, and every wall carries a 5-year written warranty.