Best retaining wall installation pros near Washington, DC

"We spent dozens and dozens of hours researching contractors. Save yourself a lot of time, meet with Cleber and CJ, and hire XtraCare. We have done a few renovations - interior and exterior - and this was by far our easiest, most hands-off project with the most stunning results. We worked with a landscape designer to design our backyard. She recommended XtraCare because the work, which required leveling a very steep and large backyard, was complex and because she had experience working with them in the past. I met with three contractors; the proposal from Cleber/XtraCare and my other top tier contractor were nearly the same which said to me that the proposal was the market rate. (My third proposal came from what I called my “cowboy” who was a one-man shop, working out of his truck and often hard to track down. His proposal was lower but I would have to manage everything if I went with him.). Based on my conversations with Cleber, I realized XtraCare would take care of everything, with little oversight and a priority on communication. This is exactly what we got. The excellent service started even before we signed the contract. The proposal was itemized and easy to follow and Cleber made himself available to speak about the proposal and my questions on a number of occasions. He also came to my home three times to ensure he got everything right in the proposal because again, this was a complicated projects with multiple retaining walls, over 50+ tons (yes, tons) of boulder, multiple walkways, and lots and lots of block and soil. Looking back, everything that Cleber anticipated was right. For example, he anticipated that our deck posts would need replacing so he was able to quote us that replacement on the proposal, with no charge until we know exactly what we were working with. Likewise, if he gets the poundage of boulders wrong, your account will be created which eased my mind (I thought 50 tons of boulders was crazy; I was wrong. We used 52). That sort of experience with drafting proposals is mutually beneficial as there were no surprises and I could anticipate how much this would cost at the end. After we signed, Mari was such a pleasure to work with. She handled our DC RiverSmart permeable paver application and refund, in addition to finalizing colors of the patio and walkways. When I was on the fence about colors, she worked with Angela to create a three color design between patio, borders and walls that added texture and interest to the landscape. Our project started in August 2020 which was easily one of the rainiest months I can remember. Like these things go, surprises always happen but we were prepared. Upon excavation under the deck, we uncovered 9 rotting deck posts (installed incorrectly by a previous owner and national deck building company!) but Cleber already anticipated this. The rain slowed the project down but the guys worked as much as they could with the weather, and even when they couldn’t work “on” the project, they were thinking about how to move it forward by bringing material on rainy days. Overall, XtraCare built about 7 retaining walls of different sizes including a beautiful curved one that requires DCRA inspection, five different walkways, two patio areas, five stair cases connecting various areas, and a permeable paver driveway. They laid out 52 tons of boulders to create two organic-looking retaining walls, laid out five pallets of sod, and cut and mulched a number of flower beds in this space. Our foreman Markus was really great, experienced, attentive to detail, and unafraid to ask me questions. CJ the project manager texted, called or stopped by nearly every day to manage the project and my expectations. Everyday, the crew left the place neat and tidy and every day, they worked their tails off and made progress on the project. Lastly, I didn’t feel nickeled and dimes the entire time like I have with previous renovations. XtraCare is focused on getting things right and making things look good, instead of opportunities for constant change orders like other contractors seem to do. In the end, the project took nearly three full months and was well worth the wait. It is stunning! We would recommend XtraCare in a heartbeat to anyone."

"Great drawings and very professional. I’m putting this project on hold until the fall. It appears there’s other items on the foundation wall that needs to be taken care of before the landscaping company can do their job"

"Very thorough preparation--removal of prior driveway, substantial excavation to permit required base of crushed stone and sand, concrete footings around perimeter of driveway to stabilize edges of paver driveway. Very nice work setting pavers, setting trim pavers on edges, trimming pavers to fit where driveway wasn't square, and applying polymeric sand to seal joints."

"Brothers Pavers Inc did an incredible job with this repair. This was my first time hiring anyone for this type of home repair, and I could not be happier with the result. They were thorough with the inspection/quote. Always communicative, easy to get a hold of and prompt with responses. Very polite, efficient, and reliable. I cannot recommend them highly enough."

"Repaired, dressed and painted an old and long-neglected basement floor for me — awesome work! Small family business, owner is directly involved in every quote and job."

At Wright Construction, we are committed to delivering top-tier residential and commercial construction services tailored to meet the unique needs of our clients. With a team of skilled professionals, we specialize in a comprehensive range of services, including painting, drywall installation, concrete work, electrical services, flooring, and roofing. Our expertise extends to complete bathroom and kitchen remodeling, where we transform spaces to reflect your vision with precision and quality craftsmanship. We pride ourselves on our attention to detail, dedication to customer satisfaction, and ability to bring any project to life, no matter the scale or complexity. At Wright Construction LLC, we treat each project as an opportunity to exceed expectations and build lasting relationships through our commitment to excellence.

"Mason and his team are great. This is the fourth project he has done for our house over the past 10 years and every time we are very impressed with the outcome. This project was a complete master bath gut and remodel including completely changing the footprint and expanding the size of the bathroom. There were unexpected challenges along the way regarding the existing structure and framing but Mason and his guys came up with solutions for everything and completed the project according to our vision. The project came out great and we have a wonderful new bathroom and large walk in master closet. I will hire again for any other projects that come up in the future"

"The five-month journey that we spent with Chris, Nicoleta, Nate, Elmer and all the team at GSB Builders has beaten any of our expectations and delivered a beautiful second-floor addition, which includes a master suite and office space. After a lot of hesitation, Chris, Nicoleta and Nate convinced us to take the step forward, captured our main ideas and proposed a design that has greatly improved, not only the space and appeal of our own house, but also the neighborhood. We really appreciated their listening to our ideas, down-to-earth and professional demeanor, and knowledge about all aspects of the construction which helped us overcome our initial fears ahead of an unknown journey. The construction was well executed by a professional team led by Elmer which was always friendly, tidy and respectful of the family’s privacy while workers had to enter the house. Their work ethic and professionalism is truly impressive. We valued the extreme responsiveness of Chris and Nicoleta during critical moments, such as during a thunderstorm which damaged part of the roof under construction. The GSB Builders team reacted swiftly to repair the parts damaged by the unexpected weather conditions, which avoided further damage to the house and major disruption in the family’s life. We truly appreciated Nicoleta’s design expertise and knowledgeable guidance on choosing bathroom fixtures, and her overall warm and approachable personality, which made this project also really fun. In fact, over the course of working together, we have come to appreciate each other deeply and have come to view Nicoleta and Chris as friends of the family. No major construction project is without bumps and stress along the road, and ours was no exception. What mattered is that we were always able to rely to the GSB team to do their best to rectify any problem and solidify our trust. We will continue working with the company on other projects in the future and will recommend their service to friends and family without any hesitation."

"Mark came out and surveyed the drainage problems that we were having that were causing flooding in our yard and threatening our house. He proposed a very robust solution that provided protection for our home and provided a really nice look for naturally correcting the problem. The team who did the work were great - they worked with Mark and I to implement the best solution to remedy the flooding and provide the best appearing solution. They re-shaped the yard, brought in dirt, built retaining walls, put down sod, put down river stone, and installed drain boxes and piping to control the rain water."

"Ed with E&R Home Solutions was very easy to work with. All of the staff is professional. Inspection and proposal was completed in a timely manner. New roof was installed on date promised. They worked very hard to complete it within one-day, working into the late evening. Clean-up was okay, we do still find nails occasionally (work was completed approx. 2 months ago). I'm sure they did the best they could given the late time and poor lighting. Overall we are very happy with the work and will hire them again in the future if needed. We will also recommend to friends and family."