Herringbone
Maximum interlock. The strongest pattern for driveways and high-traffic walks.
Retaining Walls
Retaining Walls in New Orleans
Segmental block retaining walls that hold grade and move water off your lot, engineered for soft New Orleans soil and our high water table.
★★★★★
Licensed & insured
Serving the metro
Plenty of metro lots are not flat. A yard slopes toward the slab, a bed washes out every storm, or a low corner stays soggy for days after a New Orleans downpour. A retaining wall fixes the grade and gives you usable, level ground. On our soft alluvial delta soil with its high water table, the wall has to do two jobs at once: hold the soil back and let water out. Build it wrong and the same heavy rain that flooded the yard will push the wall apart.
Why segmental block walls work here
We build segmental retaining walls from interlocking concrete units. There is no mortar to crack and no footing to heave when the ground shifts. The blocks lock together by weight and geometry, so the wall flexes with our moving soil instead of fighting it. Just as important, a segmental wall is built to drain. Water that collects behind a poured or mortared wall has nowhere to go, and that pressure is what topples walls in a wet climate like ours. Our walls are designed to release it.
How we build it
- Excavate and compact a level leveling pad below grade
- Set the base course dead level, since every course above depends on it
- Backfill each course with clean angular drainage stone, not native soil
- Run a perforated drain pipe behind the wall to carry water out to daylight
- Separate stone from soil with filter fabric so the drainage path stays open
- Add geogrid soil reinforcement on taller walls for long-term stability
Walls over a certain height or holding a driveway or structure get engineered. Permit rules and any height triggers vary by parish, so we check the local office in Orleans, Jefferson, or St. Tammany before we dig.
What you get to choose
- Block style: straight-faced, tumbled, or split-face for a natural stone look
- Color: blended tones that match your home and pavers
- Caps: a finished cap course, with an option to build in seat-height walls
- Curves and tiers: stepped terraces that turn a steep slope into planting beds
Pairs well with
A retaining wall rarely travels alone. We tie it into drainage and grading so the water you redirect actually leaves the property, level the new grade for a paver patio, and connect the spaces with walkways and pathways. Tell us what the yard does in a storm and we will map the fix with a written scope and a price that holds.
Serving the New Orleans metro
We build retaining walls in New Orleans, Metairie, Kenner, River Ridge, Slidell, Covington, Mandeville, Madisonville, and Abita Springs.
How tall can a retaining wall be?
Short garden walls go in as a straightforward build. Once a wall gets tall enough to hold real load, it needs geogrid reinforcement and often an engineer and a parish permit. Height triggers vary by parish, so we confirm with the local office before we start.
Why does drainage matter so much for a wall?
Water is what kills retaining walls. With our high water table and heavy rain, soil behind a wall gets saturated and pushes hard. We build in drainage stone and a drain pipe so that pressure has a way out, which is the difference between a wall that lasts and one that bulges.
Can a retaining wall solve a wet, soggy yard?
Often, yes, when we pair it with grading. The wall holds the new grade and the drainage we build behind and around it carries water off to a lower point. We look at the whole lot, not just the wall, so the water has somewhere to go.
Do segmental walls crack like concrete?
No. There is no mortar or rigid footing to crack. The blocks interlock and flex with our shifting delta soil, and if settling ever moves a course we can reset it rather than demolish the wall.
Make it yours
Paver Styles & Patterns
The pattern is not just a look; it changes how the surface wears. We bring real samples to your estimate.
Running Bond
A clean, classic offset that suits most patios and modern homes.
Basketweave
A timeless woven look at home in courtyards and garden paths.
Cobblestone
Rounded, tumbled texture with old-world, French Quarter character.
How it works
The Big Easy Method
Every job runs the same way: transparent, on time, and engineered for our soil.
Free On-Site Consultation
We walk the space, read the grade and drainage, and talk ideas and budget. No pressure, no charge.
Custom Design & Quote
A layout, paver and color options, and a clear written estimate with a price that holds.
Engineered Base
We excavate and compact a deep base for soft delta soil, set edge restraints, and build in drainage.
Lay, Joint & Walkthrough
Pavers set tight, joints locked with polymeric sand, surface cleaned, and we walk the finished job with you.
Built for New Orleans ground
Why Pavers Win Here
South Louisiana ground is hard on hardscape. An engineered paver system holds up where a poured slab fails.
- Pavers flex with shifting ground instead of cracking like a slab
- Drainage engineered into every base, so water moves off your lot
- A settled section lifts and resets in an afternoon, never a tear-out
- Licensed, insured, and permit-ready, with the scope in writing
500+
Outdoor spaces built
15 yrs
Serving the metro
4.9
Average review rating
100%
Licensed & insured
More hardscape we build
Explore Our Services
Proof it holds up
Reviews From New Orleans Homeowners
★★★★★I wanted to revamp my outdoor living space, and they did an outstanding job with patio pavers. The attention to detail and the quality of their workmanship were remarkable. The patio is now the centerpiece of my backyard.
★★★★★Big Easy Paver Patios exceeded my expectations on my landscape construction. Their team was knowledgeable, professional, and dedicated to delivering exceptional results. I would not hesitate to hire them again.
★★★★★They did an exceptional job constructing my outdoor home deck. The attention to detail was evident throughout, and the result is aesthetically pleasing and structurally sound. I could not be happier.
Retaining Walls near you
Cities We Serve
Local retaining walls across the New Orleans metro and the Northshore.
Common questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does retaining walls cost in New Orleans?
Pricing depends on the size of the area, the paver you choose, and the base and drainage the site needs. Soft delta soil usually calls for a deeper compacted base than other parts of the country, and we price that into a written estimate before any work starts.
How long does the project take?
Most residential projects run three to five working days once we start: excavation and base prep, edge restraints, laying the pavers, and locking the joints. Larger scopes with walls, drainage, or an outdoor kitchen take longer, and we give you a firm timeline with your estimate.
Why pavers instead of poured concrete?
Our ground moves. A rigid slab cracks when the soil shifts and has to be torn out whole to repair. Interlocking pavers flex with the ground, let water through the joints, and a settled section resets in an afternoon.
Are you licensed and insured?
Yes. Big Easy Paver Patios is a licensed and insured Louisiana contractor. We pull the permits your parish requires and put the full scope in writing, so there are no surprises mid-project.
Ready when you are
Let's Build Your Outdoor Space
Free on-site estimate, written scope, and a price that does not change after we start. Tell us what you are picturing and we will show you what your yard can become.
No-pressure consult. Most estimates returned within 24 hours.