A garden retaining wall does more than hold back soil. It carves flat, usable space out of a slope, frames your beds and lawn, and gives the whole yard clean lines. But even a low wall has a real job to do. When soil and water push against a wall with no base and no drainage, it bows, leans, and topples in a few short years.
McCoy builds garden retaining walls that stay straight and hold their grade for decades. We set every wall on a compacted base, add drainage behind it, and lock the courses together so they carry the load. Raised beds, terraced gardens, and tidy grade changes all get built to handle Ontario freeze and thaw.
No two McCoy walls are identical. Here are the garden walls we build most often across Oakville, Burlington, Mississauga, and Milton homes.
Low walls that lift and frame planting beds.
Stepped walls that turn a slope into planting levels.
Walls that create flat, usable lawn out of a slope.
Clean, uniform segmental block walls in many colours.
Low natural stone walls for a softer, organic look.
Garden walls that double as seating and tie into steps.
A terraced garden wall with raised beds and integrated steps, turning a sloped yard into usable space.
Wall caps that double as seating edges
Integrated low-voltage lighting along the wall line
Raised beds and terraces built into the grade change
Engineered drainage behind the wall that relieves water pressure
1Share your goals, space, and timeline.
2We walk the property, assess the grade, drainage, and access.
3Wall design, material selection, and investment in writing.
4Owner-led crew, clear communication, clean job site.
5Confirm every detail, hand off care tips.
Most garden walls take a few days to 2 weeks on-site once we start, depending on size. Peak season books 6 to 12 weeks ahead, call early.
Every wall is scoped to the length, the height, the material, and features like steps or seating. There is no flat per foot quoting that misses the real story. We build the written estimate after the on-site visit, so the number you see is the number you pay. No surprises, no escalations.
It depends on the length, the height, and the material. A short raised bed wall is far less than a tall terraced wall with steps. We give you a written estimate after the on-site visit, not a guess over the phone.
Yes. Even a low wall holds back soil and water. Without drainage behind it, water builds up and pushes the wall out of line over a few seasons. We add drainage on every wall so it holds up for the long term.
Block walls give a clean, uniform look and come in many colours. Natural stone gives a softer, organic look where every piece is different. We walk you through both during the design phase based on your yard and budget.
Yes. A low wall with a smooth cap makes great built-in seating around a patio or fire feature. We plan the height and cap for comfortable seating when that is the goal.
Not when it is built right. A compacted base, locked courses, and drainage behind the wall keep it straight through freeze and thaw. That is why our 3-year warranty covers shifting, settling, and leaning.
Yes. Terracing a slope into levels is one of the best ways to make a hilly yard usable. We plan the tiers, drainage, and steps so the whole slope becomes planting beds or flat space you can actually use.
Share a little about what you want built and we'll set up a no-pressure consultation. Every hardscape is backed by our 3-year warranty.
