Signs Your Retaining Wall Is Failing (and What to Do)
The main signs of a failing retaining wall are leaning or tilting, bulging in the middle, new cracks or loose stones, and soil or water pushing through the face. Most failures trace back to the same few causes: water trapped behind the wall, a weak footing, or a wall built taller than its design allows.
Catching these signs early can mean a repair instead of a full rebuild. Here's what each one means and when to call for retaining wall repair.
Leaning or Tilting
A retaining wall should stand straight or lean slightly back into the slope it holds. If the top starts leaning out toward the yard, the soil behind it is winning.
Hold a level or a tight string line against the face, and take a photo from the same spot every few months. Leaning that gets worse after heavy rain points to water pressure. If the lean is obvious, keep children, pets and vehicles away from the wall until it's inspected.
Bulging and Bowing
A wall that pushes out in the middle while its ends stay put is bowing under pressure. In block walls, this often means water pressure or missing reinforcement. In stone walls, you'll see individual stones pushed forward out of line.
Cracks and Loose Stones
Watch for:
Stair-step cracks running through mortared joints.
Vertical cracks where part of the wall has settled.
Caps or blocks that have shifted, or stones that have fallen out.
A thin crack in old mortar can be cosmetic. A crack that keeps widening, or shows up alongside leaning, is not.
Soil or Water Seeping Through
Muddy water running out of the joints after rain.
Soil washing out at the base of the wall.
Ground sinking or cracking along the top of the slope.
All three mean water isn't draining properly behind the wall: the drain pipe is missing or clogged, or soil has washed into the drainage gravel. Our guide to drainage behind a retaining wall explains how that system should work.
Why Walls Fail: Drainage, Footing and Height
Water. North Texas clay swells when it's wet. Without drainage gravel, a perforated pipe and clear outlets, that pressure pushes the wall outward. Downspouts or runoff pouring over the top make it worse, and fixing that water with yard drainage often stops the damage from coming back.
Footing. A shallow or poorly compacted base lets the bottom course settle or wash out, and the whole wall follows.
Height and design. A wall built taller than its material can handle without reinforcement will eventually move. Material matters too; our comparison of stone, block and wood retaining walls explains why wood walls fail first.
Extra weight. Driveways, sheds, pools and large trees near the top edge add load the wall may not have been built for.
Repair or Rebuild?
A repair often works when:
The damage is limited to one section.
The cause can be fixed, such as a clogged outlet or a downspout dumping water above the wall.
Most of the wall is still straight.
Repairs can include rebuilding a section, adding or clearing drainage, resetting caps and loose stones, or repointing mortar.
A rebuild is usually needed when:
The wall leans along most of its length.
The footing has failed.
The wall is too tall for its original design, or the wood has rotted.
Taller walls, and walls holding up a driveway or structure, may need an engineered design when they're rebuilt. For what a new wall involves, see what affects retaining wall cost. We inspect and repair retaining walls across Fort Worth, Benbrook, Aledo and nearby cities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a leaning retaining wall dangerous?
It can be. A wall that leans noticeably or keeps moving after rain can collapse, especially when it holds back a lot of soil. Keep people and vehicles clear and have it inspected soon.
Can a leaning retaining wall be straightened?
Sometimes. A damaged section can often be taken down and rebuilt with proper drainage and footing. A wall that leans along most of its length usually needs to be rebuilt.
Why do retaining walls fail in North Texas?
Most often because of water. Clay soil holds water and swells, and without drainage behind the wall that pressure pushes it outward. Weak footings and walls built too tall for their design are the other common causes.
How can I make my retaining wall last longer?
Keep weep holes and outlets clear, send downspouts and runoff away from the top of the wall, and avoid parking or building anything heavy near its top edge.
Worried about your wall? Bob's Landscape & Irrigation Solutions inspects, repairs and rebuilds retaining walls across Fort Worth and nearby cities. Call 817-381-2128 or request a free estimate.
About the author: This guide was written by the team at Bob's Landscape & Irrigation Solutions. The company's founder started it in 2009 as a side business while teaching middle school engineering in Birdville ISD for 14 years, then took it full time. Today the team handles irrigation, drainage, retaining walls, dirt work and artificial turf across Fort Worth and surrounding cities.
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