20 Impressive Retaining Wall Ideas for Greater Curb Appeal

Are you looking to gain more customers for your landscaping business? Then you need to attract them with a portfolio of impressive lawns, gardens, and other landscapes you’ve put together. In particular, customers looking to add retaining walls to their backyards would benefit from a portfolio of extraordinary retaining wall ideas.

A retaining wall consists of a wall structure made of stones, brick, or wood that keeps the soil behind it in place.

To really boost the curb appeal of a home, especially if it’s up for sale, sellers may gain a higher price for the house if they implement one of the following incredible retaining wall ideas.

Keep reading to learn about 20 impressive retaining wall ideas below. Now, let’s get right into it!

1. Retaining Wall that Spotlights a Tree

A great way to make a front yard or backyard stand out is to highlight a tall tree by building a retaining wall around the green conifer or deciduous tree.

Customers who have a gorgeous oak tree in their yard that they want to spotlight should work with expert landscapers to build the perfect retaining wall around it. As a landscaper, you can add lighting to the tree at night to make it stand out 24 hours per day.

A retaining wall can protect the tree’s roots from eroding. You’ll also have room to plant a flower bed above the retaining wall.

2. Multiple Different Sizes of Stones

Out of all the retaining wall ideas for the backyard, it’s a great design plan to use many different sizes of stacked stones to build the perfect wall for trees and plants.

You can also use different shapes to make the stones stand out and provide a gorgeous view of the backyard. Another great idea is to include varying colors that make the retaining wall pop. For customers looking to sell their property, this type of wall will quickly increase your home’s curb appeal.

3. Stone Wall with a Waterfall

One of the most beautiful scenes you can make as a landscaper includes building a stone wall with a waterfall design. When it comes to retention wall ideas, adding a water element is truly innovative and quite attractive.

Such a waterfall is sure to impress the neighbors next door and especially any home buyers. The retaining wall with this water feature is essential for supporting the soil around the waterfall. You can make a large waterfall that stands out in the backyard or you can create a small and peaceful landscape.

4. Retaining Wall with an Outdoor Grill Built Into It

Do your customers love grilling outdoors and want to make a small outdoor kitchen? Then consider running this idea by them. They’ll love the concept of a retaining wall with a grill built right into it.

Also, growing an herb garden behind the outdoor kitchen countertops is advised. That makes it easy to pick some basil and other ingredients to throw on top of a shishkabob that you can then cook right on the grill. You can even build a stove top right in the retaining wall as well.

5. Natural Stone Retention Wall

If you’ve chosen a natural stone, it will look like it belongs right in the backyard. It will adhere to the nature scenes and garden views of one’s backyard. Out of all stone retaining wall ideas, the natural stone retention wall has the perfect colors and textures to blend into the background while also attracting the eye.

Instead, it will help highlight other important features in the yard, such as a colorful flower bed or a tall oak tree. Flagstones and fieldstones are two of the most common natural stones landscapers can choose from.

6. Retaining Wall Moving Upwards on a Slope

Building a retaining wall that holds the soil on an upward slope may seem complex, but it can be done. Managing a slope when landscaping can get difficult, which is why a retaining wall is essential. The wall will keep the soil and land together when planting bushes or flowers.

Landscapers should have the right materials available for building a retaining wall on a slope. With the right tools, landscapers can make that hilly area look great! 

7. Wood-Based Retaining Wall For Small Trees, Bushes, and Flower Pots

When it comes to garden retaining wall ideas, choose a timber-based or wood-based retaining wall when planting flower pots, bushes, and small trees. Wooden walls tend to take more time to put together than a wooden retaining fence.

However, it looks modern and attractive. You can essentially take any timber and use it to build your customers a retaining wall. So, if you have any wood left over from another project, you can use it to build the appropriate wall. 

8. Brick Retaining Wall

You can also make a more traditional brick-style retaining wall. This is a more cost-efficient way of building this type of wall. So, if you have a small budget, then you may want to consider using bricks. This provides a clean and neat look that your customers will love. 

Best of all, their costs won’t get too high when you implement brick instead of natural stone. Creating brick walls is also easy to work with as compared to boulders or other heavy materials.  

9. White, Rectangular Landscaping Blocks Used for Retaining Wall

You might want to use landscaping concrete blocks to build your retaining wall. For a clean look, try white, rectangular landscaping blocks for the wall.

You’ll find that it’s easy to install and you can get the project done rather quickly. These blocks have an overhanging lip and a self-locking flange at the back. Usually, you won’t need any mortar or adhesive to keep these landscaping blocks together.

Once you’ve finished making a concrete retaining wall out of the blocks, you can plant bushes or flower beds on top.  

10. Stone Veneer-Based Wall

Stone Veneers are also a beautiful material to use when building a retention wall. The stone veneer is also known as a faux stone. It’s man-made and looks almost exactly like natural stone.

You can get stone veneers of different textures, styles, colors, shapes, and patterns. As such, customers can have more choices in their retaining walls. This also provides a more attractive look and is a reasonable choice when you can’t get your hands on natural stone. 

Unless your customers actually prefer natural stone, you should consider using stone veneer for building the wall.

11. Large Boulder-based Wall 

Large boulders for the retention wall can also make a backyard look outstanding. They’ll tie in the look of tall oak trees, a green lawn, and any bushes or flower beds. 

Large boulders make things look more impressive and you don’t need to choose small bricks or landscaping blocks. Best of all, large boulders will help better retain the soil and prevent erosion.

However, moving boulders can become difficult if you lack the right equipment. Make sure you have the tools necessary to move this material in place. Explain to your consumers how important landscaping experts are when choosing a boulder-based retaining wall.

12. Rock Retaining Wall Holding Plants as a Centerpiece

You can add a centerpiece to the front yard if you want to get the attention of potential home buyers and look great for the whole neighborhood. 

With a circular retaining wall, you’ll have a great centerpiece and focal point showcasing gorgeous flowers and plants. 

Usually, this type of retaining wall is used to highlight a vibrant and colorful flower bed. You can even put in an elegant water element or feature a small tree within the centerpiece.

13. Rock Retaining Wall with Staircase Built Within

You can always add stairs when building the rock retaining wall. Consider making the staircase coming down from a porch in the backyard. If your yard has a slope or a small hill going down from the home, then the residents living there would greatly benefit from a staircase. 

This also allows the residents to access any outdoor space in the backyard that was previously blocked. Adding stairs will also make it much easier to landscape the yard or garden as well.

14. Wood-Based Retaining Walls for Vegetable Gardens

Are you looking to put together a space for a vegetable garden for your customers? If so, you can build a wooden retention wall to help hold the soil, vines, and vegetables.

Garden beds along with flower beds are often positioned inside wooden small retaining walls. If your clients aren’t looking to add flowers to their backyard, then suggest the benefits of vegetable gardens. That way, they can grab cucumbers and tomatoes from their backyard whenever they make dinner.

15. Retaining Walls to Hold Flower Beds

If there’s a slope in the front yard, then make a retaining wall with a higher level and one with a lower level. Fill up the higher level with gorgeous and colorful flower beds to attract more home buyers and provide more value for the house.

This landscaping design will also keep people focused on the bright flowers instead of the material of the retaining walls. As such, you can choose a less expensive option for building the retaining wall.

16. Retaining Wall with a Fence Built On Top to Protect Front Yard

When considering a new landscaping design, consider building both a retaining wall and a fence on top to provide more privacy for the residents.

If the family you’re working for has young children or dogs, the fence will also keep everyone safe. A fence will protect everyone and ensure no one falls off the drop in front of the retaining wall. Fences will also help keep out trespassers. Wooden fences are a relatively cost-effective option for landscapers.

17. Cinder Block Retaining Wall

If your clients are looking for a wall made of extremely strong materials, consider building a cinder block retention wall. It’s a great idea if you have any cinder blocks left over from a different project. You can use cinder block retaining walls when creating a landscape for gardens or flower beds. Cinder blocks are perfect for raised garden beds or vertical gardens. 

The impenetrable material will bring a simple and modern feel to the retaining wall.

18. Retaining Wall Made of Corten Steel

If your clients live in a desert or even tropical landscape, then a retention wall using Corten steel can make your yard look more rugged and attractive. The Corten steel wall is strong and durable. It’s made with multiple alloys and the steel on top is constructed with a protective coating of rust.

You won’t need to paint it and you’ll find it’s easy to maintain this type of retention wall. Best of all, Corten steel is corrosion-resistant.

19. Patchwork Stone-Based Wall

A patchwork stone-based wall involves choosing two or three different colors of stone blocks. The stones should be the same size and shape, but the different colors will make a beautiful patchwork blanket look on the retention wall. You can either put the blocks together in a pattern or make it look less uniform to give it a more interesting and relaxed design.

If you want to give a warm and cozy feeling to the backyard, use stones or blocks with slightly rounded edges as well as light brown colors.

20. Irregularly-Shaped Stones Used for Retaining Wall

You can use flagstone stones with irregular shapes to make a retaining wall that stands out. Different sizes including huge stones and smaller, rectangular ones can really make the landscape look impressive.

This retaining wall design will dominate the landscape in your yard. Your clients will love the modern and rugged feel of this retaining wall. Make sure you have the equipment necessary to move some of the large and irregularly shaped stones.

Before You Go

After reading through these 20 incredible retaining wall ideas, you’ll have the right landscaping designs to show your clients. Any one of these ideas is sure to wow your customers and leave them with only good things to say. 

Whether you build brick-style, wooden, or natural stone retaining walls, your clients are sure to leave you great reviews!