Retaining Walls Installation in Green Bay, WI

JM Landscaping LLC has handled retaining walls installation in Green Bay, WI for residential and commercial properties since 1989. A retaining wall is not a decorative feature with structural benefits on the side. It is an engineered structure that holds back soil, manages water movement, and has to perform through decades of Wisconsin freeze-thaw cycles without shifting, leaning, or failing. When retaining walls installation is done correctly from the base up, the wall does its job quietly for decades. When it is not, the problems show up fast and cost significantly more to fix than the original installation would have cost to do right. If you have been looking for retaining walls installation near me with the experience and credentials to back up the work, JM Landscaping LLC has been building walls in Green Bay's specific soil and climate conditions for over 35 years.

Browse Through Some Of Our Beautiful Landscaping Projects We Did

Why Retaining Walls in Green Bay Demand Proper Engineering

Green Bay's climate puts retaining walls through more stress than most homeowners realize going in. Frost depth here runs 36 to 48 inches in a typical winter. The ground freezes, expands, and thaws in cycles that generate significant lateral pressure against any structure embedded in or adjacent to it. Clay-heavy soils, common across large portions of Brown County, hold moisture longer than sandy or loam soils, which means the ground behind a wall stays saturated longer in spring and freezes with higher moisture content in fall.


Without adequate base depth, proper batter built into the wall face, drainage aggregate behind the wall to relieve hydrostatic pressure, and geogrid reinforcement for walls over a certain height, those forces win. The wall leans. The base shifts. Sections separate. What looked like a solid installation at the end of the job becomes a liability within two or three frost seasons.



We have assessed and rebuilt enough failed walls from other contractors to understand exactly what the difference looks like between a wall that is built for Green Bay's conditions and one that is built to a generic specification with no accounting for what this climate actually does.

Types of Retaining Walls We Build

Block Retaining Walls

Block retaining walls are the most common choice for residential properties in Green Bay, and for good reason. Segmental retaining wall block is durable, available in a wide range of textures and colors, and engineered specifically for retaining wall construction applications. The interlocking design of most block systems provides inherent structural integrity that stacked stone or brick does not match.



We work with multiple block product lines and help clients select the right product for the specific application, whether that is a low garden terrace wall that prioritizes aesthetics, a taller structural wall holding back a significant grade change, or a combination of both across a larger property. Block selection, base preparation, batter angle, and drainage behind the wall are all determined by the specific conditions of the site, not by a default specification applied to every job.

Stone Retaining Walls

Stone retaining walls bring a natural, organic appearance to the landscape that manufactured block cannot replicate. Fieldstone, limestone, and granite boulder walls integrate into the surrounding landscape in a way that looks like it has always been there rather than recently installed.



Stone retaining walls require more skill to build well than block systems because the irregularity of natural stone means every course involves judgment calls about fit, stability, and batter that a uniform block system handles more predictably. We have been building stone walls in Green Bay long enough to understand how to select and set stone for long-term stability in conditions that include significant frost movement.

Concrete Retaining Walls

Concrete retaining walls are the choice when the structural demands of the site exceed what block or stone systems can reliably handle. Steep grades, heavy surcharge loads from vehicles or structures above the wall, and sites with significant water management challenges are situations where poured concrete or concrete block construction provides the strength margin the application requires.



As a retaining walls contractor with decades of experience across wall types and site conditions, we assess what the site actually needs rather than defaulting to a single material approach. Some sites call for concrete. Others are better served by block or stone. That determination comes from understanding the load, the drainage conditions, and the long-term performance expectations for the wall.

What We Build Retaining Walls For

Landscape Retaining Walls for Grade Management

Landscape retaining walls solve grade problems that would otherwise make portions of a property unusable or difficult to maintain. A steep slope that sheds water and erodes becomes a series of functional terraced levels with the right wall system in place. Low areas that pond water can be graded and retained to manage drainage correctly. Sloped driveways and entry areas can be cut and retained to create level parking and entry surfaces.



Grade management is one of the most practical applications of retaining wall construction and one where the functional value of the wall is immediately obvious. We assess the grade conditions, the water movement on the site, and the soil type before designing a wall system that addresses the problem correctly.

Garden Terracing and Landscape Integration

Retaining walls as part of a larger landscape design create planting terraces, outdoor room definition, and structural framing for garden beds. A well-built garden terrace wall in Green Bay can provide decades of planting space that would not otherwise exist on a sloped lot, and it integrates plantings into the hardscape in a way that makes the entire landscape feel designed rather than assembled.



We build garden terrace walls as standalone projects and as part of larger landscape renovation and installation work that combines hardscape with planting design across the full property.

Commercial Retaining Wall Construction

Commercial sites often involve larger scale retaining wall construction than residential projects, with corresponding demands on engineering, timeline, and coordination with other site work. Parking lot perimeter walls, slope stabilization for commercial buildings, and grade management on multi-unit residential developments are among the commercial applications we handle regularly throughout Brown County.



Commercial retaining walls installation from JM Landscaping LLC is held to the same preparation and installation standards we apply to every residential project. The scale changes. The approach does not.

The JM Landscaping LLC Difference

Founded in 1989, still family-owned, and based in Green Bay. ICPI-certified installers. Bell Guard Authorized Contractor. Wisconsin Landscape Association member. Fully insured with a workmanship warranty on every project. Free estimates and free consultations available before any work begins.


Homeowners and property managers searching for retaining walls installation near me in Brown County will find that those credentials matter when the alternative is a crew that builds to a generic standard without accounting for what Green Bay's climate demands. We have been in this market long enough to see what holds up and what does not, and our walls reflect that.

Serving Green Bay and Brown County

JM Landscaping LLC provides retaining walls installation in Green Bay, WI and throughout the surrounding region, including De Pere, Ashwaubenon, Allouez, Howard, Suamico, Bellevue, Pulaski, and Luxemburg. We have worked in virtually every neighborhood in Brown County continuously since 1989.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How deep does the base need to be for a retaining wall in Green Bay?


    Base depth for retaining wall construction in Green Bay needs to account for the local frost depth, which runs 36 to 48 inches in a typical winter. The first course of a retaining wall needs to be set below frost depth to prevent the base from heaving through freeze-thaw cycles. The exact depth depends on wall height, soil conditions, and the drainage situation behind the wall. We determine the correct base specification for each project during the site assessment.

  • What is the purpose of drainage behind a retaining wall?


    Hydrostatic pressure, the pressure that builds up when water saturates the soil behind a wall and has nowhere to go, is one of the primary forces that causes retaining walls to lean and fail over time. Drainage aggregate, typically a clean crushed stone, installed behind the wall gives water a path to move through and out rather than building pressure against the wall face. Drain tile at the base of the wall moves that water away from the structure. Without these drainage elements, even a well-built wall faces accelerated stress in Green Bay's wet spring conditions.


  • How tall can a retaining wall be before it requires engineering or permits?


    In most jurisdictions, retaining walls over four feet in height require a permit and may require an engineered design. Green Bay's permit requirements follow general Wisconsin building code guidelines, though specifics can vary by location and site conditions. We work through permit requirements as part of the planning process for every project and advise on what applies to your specific situation during the initial consultation.


  • Can an existing failing retaining wall be repaired rather than rebuilt?


    It depends on why the wall is failing and how far the failure has progressed. If the issue is drainage, sometimes drainage corrections behind the wall can stabilize it without full reconstruction. If the base has moved significantly or the wall has shifted out of batter, rebuilding from the base is typically the only reliable path. We assess existing walls honestly and tell you what the actual options are rather than defaulting to whichever answer is most convenient.


  • How do I get started with retaining walls installation in Green Bay, WI?


    Call JM Landscaping LLC at 920-494-9118 or email blake@jm-landscaping.com to schedule a free consultation. We come to the property, assess the site conditions and grade, and provide a written estimate before any work begins. We serve clients Monday through Saturday, 8am to 5pm.

Get Your Free Estimate

JM Landscaping LLC | Green Bay, WI | Family-owned since 1989 Call 920-494-9118 or visit jm-landscaping.com

Serving Green Bay, De Pere, Ashwaubenon, Allouez, Howard, Suamico, Bellevue, and communities throughout Brown County.