Get matched with top retaining wall installation pros in Mclean, VA

"We contracted with Mottern about 10 years ago to have a retaining wall built to replace a poorly constructed wall holding up the driveway. The wall was block on footer and it has held beautifully. When we original had the wall built, we decided against covering it with decorative stone. Jeff told us at the time that they would come back and add it if we ever changed our mind. Here we are ten years later deciding to add the stone. We called Mottern because the wall they built has had no issues (previous iterations of the wall had plenty of issues). The stone covering job was done quickly and professionally and looks great. If you're looking for quality, Mottern is for you."

"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."

"We had an older brick patio that did not work for us. The team came a carefully removed and stacked bricks, leveled ground, placed pavers and wall- looks amazing ! They also worked within our timeline and budget ! Highly RECOMMEND"

"Horizon Landscaping Designs did a superb job of refurbishing the retaining wall on our property. It required a significant effort as it was over 20 years old and beginning to collapse. The work was completed in only two days and the crew worked nonstop to get it done. The work was flawless and the wall is in top condition now. The cost was reasonable and well worth the quality of the work. We highly recommend Horizon!"

"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"

"The front yard of my townhouse was a mess. I had mostly weeds and dirt and a burning bush and tree that was out of control. Juilo and his crew came in and within two days, removed the burning bush, trimmed the remaining bushes, trimmed back the tree and installed a beautiful retaining wall, with river stone and perennials, and added new sod. My front lawn is now beautiful, thanks to ET. General Contractor, Inc. I highly recommend them for your landscaping project!"

"We've now worked with Diversified Contractors twice and have enjoyed the experience both times. In terms of pricing, quality of work, and ease to work with and modify a design during a build, you can't go wrong. We worked with Mike, and have recommended him to our family and neighbors and all have the same experience. We can be picky and demanding of any project for this kind of spend, and we solicited multiple bids each time (2 years apart), and DC was still the best. My neighbors are already asking who we used and the compliments flood everytime we have a gathering on the patio. No brainer. Go with DC."

"Garcia Landscaping Inc recently built two retaining walls and provided a slate overlay on our sidewalk. The company exceeded our expectations in every way - we could not be more pleased! The quote for the work was reasonable and the resulting products are of very high workmanship. The Garcia Landscaping team was polite and provided extra care in their work - for example, they dug up and saved a tree that I expected would be cut down. When the work was finished, they left my property immaculate. We would recommend them to anyone and would use their service again."

"They were amazing. I mean it really looks good. I think that if I paid less, it might not have looked quite as good. They were really professionals that knew what they were doing. The way they did the retaining wall just looks really really nice. I would give them higher than an A in some way. They were so nice. There were so many of them, and they worked so fast. They were experts. The salesman was also excellent because he took into part what I was trying to convey, and he designed it. He kept showing me, and we kept sort of tweaking it. You want that. They were punctual. They were scheduled for a week or so later, and I called and asked if they could come earlier because they had an opening in their schedule. They like to keep their crews working constantly, and I had really wanted it done as soon as possible. So I agreed. They came and they were right on time. They worked very hard. They always cleaned up after themselves. I mean so many leave a mess or leave a part of it undone. Plus, it just exceeded my expectations of how it looked in the end."

"Shiraz and Abdul from Atlas GC were a pleasure to work with. Project Scope: Demo & rebuild 4' x 25' timber retaining wall w/ drainage stone, piping, etc. Rebuild wood fence on top of retaining wall Demo wood patio, install paver system & border river rock *They also worked with my HOA to install a walkway with stone pavers and an 8x8 timber staircase adjacent to the retaining wall Background: Our project started with the desire to demo and rebuild a failing ~4' timber retaining wall in our rear patio which extended beyond our property line into public space. Our HOA opted to build a stair instead of their section of the retaining wall. As you can imagine, this got a little complicated as it required a number of different reviews and permits from the city. I opted to manage the permitting myself, which involved a number of revisions to drawings and schedule delays. AtlasGC was very patient and accommodating during this process and also helped me work with the city to get the drawings approved. The city-driven changes to the design introduced added cost after their initial quote, but in order to keep the project from falling further behind schedule, they moved forward and absorbed the added cost. Communication/Professionalism: Shiraz and Abdul were very communicative and professional during the entire process. During the design evolution, Shiraz assembled a number of revised quotes which were very clear, timely and professionally assembled. We discussed a number of different options for the construction of the wall and he was very transparent regarding price, time, etc. During construction Abdul, Melvin and his crew were very respectful of the area and kept a clean construction site. Once started, the project progressed quickly and completed within the established timeframe. AtlasGC was also very patient and obliged to a couple of requests I made to make adjustments to their completed work per my personal preferences. They did this free of charge, without hesitation. Pricing: We had a number of contractors provide quotes on the project and AtlasGC was by far the most competitive. So competitive, in fact, that we decided to also have them hardscape our entire patio with a beautiful stone paving system. I highly recommend AtlasGC for their work, professionalism, collaborative spirit, and competitive pricing."