Drainage Behind Retaining Wall: How to Stop Retaining Walls from Failing

Why do retaining walls fail?

There are many reasons why a retaining wall will fail. However, the unifying thread through all of those failures is water. Walls fail because the builder did not use enough class 5 fill. Without the right amount of base material, water builds up underneath the wall and pushes the base layer out. Retaining walls also fail because the base layer was not leveled properly. An unlevel base layer allows areas for water to wash away certain sections more than others, which creates an unstable wall. In other failed walls, we’ve seen water collect behind the wall. This collected water freezes and expands which pushes on the wall, causing it to fall over. The common thread through all of these problems is improper preparation for water.

Having an experienced landscape company build your retaining wall will take all the headaches and worries out of your wall.

Use crushed stone behind the wall

Use fabric behind the wall

Use drainage tubing behind the wall

Use the correct stones

Ensure your retaining wall stands strong for years to come by using the correct type of stones for your project and by choosing a design t hat works well for your soil and lawn type. Our experts are happy to provide solutions for your retaining wall needs; just give us a call at 763-568-7251.

< Older Post

Newer Post >

Ready to Start on Your Next Project?

Call us at (763) 568-7251 or visit our quote page.

How We Restored a Backyard Swale in Shoreview, MN

By Daniel . • July 9, 2026

The legendary architect Louis Sullivan coined a phrase that has driven architecture and design ever since: "form follows function." While aesthetics are critical to buildings and landscapes alike, that physical beauty must always remain secondary to the fundamentals of good design. In Shoreview, Minnesota, just outside St. Paul , we encountered a landscape where, unfortunately, function followed form. Here, the realities and principles of effective drainage were downstream of their original builder's aesthetic choices. That meant water from snowmelt and rainfall was streaming into parts of the lawn where it wasn't meant to be. The standing water that had been allowed to collect in the back and side yards was putting a considerable amount of the property out of play. In order to reclaim usable space and rethink the way the land handled water, this Shoreview homeowner entrusted KG Landscape with identifying key issues, presenting potential solutions, and doing the necessary work the client decided upon to restore their lawn.

A landscape showing a lawn with freshly dug trenches and a curved dirt path leading toward two dark buildings by a lake.

Waterlogged by the Lake: How We Solved a Challenging Drainage Problem in Orono, MN

By Kent Gliadon • July 9, 2026

On the shores of Lake Minnetonka, perhaps the most famous of Minnesota's 10,000 lakes, an Orono, Minnesota homeowner was struggling with a back yard that was becoming more marsh than yard. The yard was a scenic one. The back porch opened up to the top of a small hill, which rolled down toward the lakefront and the boathouse. This flat space between the hill and the water would be ideal for backyard barbecues, some low-stakes games of bocce and badminton, or simply a spot to lay down a towel and get some summer reading done. Instead, this area was too waterlogged to enjoy. The runoff from the hilltop combined with unfavorable soil composition were limiting the use of the yard, closing off space while even diminishing the quality of the turf. How would this homeowner be able to reclaim this unusable land without disrupting the Lake Minnetonka shoreline that made the property so attractive? To find a solution, they turned to KG Landscape.