EP Henry block retaining walls
Authorized EP Henry installer. Segmental block walls in the EP Henry product family — the most common residential retaining wall system in the Philly suburbs. Designed to spec, set on a compacted base, batter built in.
Specialty · Retaining Walls
Retaining wall installation in Philadelphia.
What we offer
Retaining wall work across Philadelphia.
A retaining wall holds back grade so something else (a yard, a driveway, a patio) can sit level. Three common materials handle 95% of residential retaining wall jobs — segmental block (EP Henry), poured concrete, and field stone. We install all three, and we know which one matters for your specific grade-change problem.
Poured concrete retaining walls
Poured-concrete walls for taller or more demanding retaining work — reinforced with rebar, footing-anchored, finished with broom or board-form texture. The strongest residential retaining wall option per linear foot.
Field-stone retaining walls
Local field stone or Pennsylvania bluestone retaining walls — the right look on older Philly properties or where a manufactured block product would feel out of place. Slower to build, more visual character.
Retaining wall repair
Existing retaining wall failing? Bowing, leaning, blown-out section, dropped cap blocks. We assess on site and repair or replace based on whether the foundation is salvageable.
Footings & drainage
The cheap retaining walls fail because the footing was wrong or the back-drain wasn’t there. We pour footings to spec, install the drain, backfill with crushed stone — the work behind the wall is what makes it last.
Tiered & decorative walls
Multi-step tiered walls for steeper grade changes, decorative cap details, planter walls — retaining walls that do more than hold dirt. Designed with the patio, walkway, or yard layout in mind.
Wall details
The four things most retaining walls get wrong.
A retaining wall isn’t just stacked block. The visible part is maybe 25% of the work — the rest is footing, batter, drainage, and base. Get those four wrong and the wall blows out the first wet spring.
Compacted base
Excavated to depth (below frost line where it matters), filled with 6″ of crushed stone, mechanically compacted. The base is what the whole wall sits on — if it settles, every block above moves.
Batter (lean-back)
Retaining walls lean back into the grade. Block systems have built-in batter (typically 1°–3° per course); we set the first course to grade and let the system hold the lean. Plumb walls fall over.
Drain behind the wall
Perforated drain pipe behind the wall, daylighted to where water can exit. Crushed stone backfill so the drain doesn’t clog. Water pressure behind a wall is what blows it out — we don’t skip the drain.
Geo-grid for taller walls
Walls over ~4′ need geo-grid reinforcement extending back into the retained soil. It’s the difference between a retaining wall and a "wall that’ll fall in three years." Standard on every wall we install over height.
Why Marcello
Retaining walls built to stay where they’re put.
EP Henry authorized installer.
Authorized to install the EP Henry block product family — which means we’ve been trained to spec on the engineering and the install method. Not "we stack their blocks." Real authorized installer status.
Engineering matters more than aesthetics.
A pretty retaining wall that fails in three years isn’t worth the money. We design footing depth, batter, drainage, and reinforcement before we worry about how it’ll look from the patio.
Drainage included, not upsold.
Cheap retaining wall installers leave the drain off the quote and skip the crushed-stone backfill. We don’t. The drain is part of every retaining wall we install — not a line item you can decline.
Owner-installed, owner-finished.
Marcello and his father are on most jobs themselves. The hands that quote the wall are the hands that set the first course. No subbed-out crew showing up day of.
Recent walls
Recent retaining walls across the city.
Note: dedicated retaining wall photo set in the queue for the next photo intake. The shots below are placeholders from related concrete and stone work; we’ll swap in EP Henry block install photos and finished retaining wall jobs once new photos are sourced.
Featured · EP Henry installer
Segmental wall block · Philadelphia
Mid-build
EP Henry block · Philadelphia
Capstones
Cap detail · Philadelphia
Just-finished
EP Henry retaining wall · Philadelphia
What to expect
What happens when you hire us.
You call. We pick up.
No call center. No answering service. Most days it’s Marcello himself on the line. We’ll talk through the project and schedule a free walk-through.
We come out. Free walk-through.
We measure, talk through what you’re looking for, and walk the existing condition with you. You’ll get a written quote with a clear scope — no pushy sales.
Schedule confirmed. Materials lined up.
We confirm the start window with you, line up materials and equipment, and walk you through what to move (cars, hose reels, anything along the work line) before the crew arrives.
Excavate, set base, build wall, backfill.
Excavate to depth, compact the crushed-stone base, set the first course to grade, build up with batter, install the drain and crushed-stone backfill, cap. Most residential retaining walls wrap in 2–5 days on site depending on length.
FAQ
Retaining wall questions, answered.
EP Henry block, poured concrete, or stone — which retaining wall is right for me?
Depends on grade, height, look, and budget. EP Henry block is the most common residential retaining wall — flexible, well-engineered, lots of color/style options. Poured concrete is the strongest option — right for taller walls or where load matters. Field stone is the natural look for older properties or wooded yards.
We install all three. The right one comes out of the on-site assessment.
How tall can a retaining wall be?
Up to 4′ without geo-grid reinforcement. Above that, the wall needs engineered geo-grid extending back into the retained soil; above 6′ in some jurisdictions you also need engineering stamp and possibly a permit.
For taller grade changes we sometimes recommend a tiered system (two shorter walls with a planted bench between) instead of one tall wall — better engineering, better look.
Do I need a permit for a retaining wall in Philadelphia?
Sometimes — it depends on height, location (right-of-way vs. private), and whether structural engineering is involved. We assess case by case at the estimate. If a permit is needed, we’ll handle it or walk you through the process if you’d rather file it yourself.
How long does a retaining wall last?
Properly engineered and installed: 50+ years. The components that fail are usually the drainage (the back-drain clogs) or the cap (water gets in through the top). Both are maintainable.
Cheap or DIY retaining walls without proper base, batter, drainage, or backfill usually start failing in 5–10 years.
Can you fix an existing retaining wall that’s leaning?
Sometimes. A wall leaning slightly often has a base or drainage problem — we can disassemble, fix the base, and re-set. A wall that’s leaning visibly more than a few inches off plumb usually needs full rebuild — the geometry has gone past repair.
Free on-site assessment to make the call.
How much does retaining wall installation cost?
Cost depends on length, height, material, base depth, drainage requirements, and access. We don’t publish per-foot pricing because the variation between an easy ground-level run and a steep back-yard install is too high for a flat number to be honest.
Free on-site estimate, written quote with a single number.
Other services
Other yard & grade work we’re good at.
Closely related
Concrete Patios
Patios on the level grade behind the retaining wall — often poured the same project as the wall install.
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When stone is the look
Stone Wall Repairs
Repair existing stone walls or build new field-stone retaining walls when block doesn’t fit the property.
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Up the grade
Concrete Steps
Steps from yard grade to the upper level on a tiered retaining wall — built into the same project.
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Drives on a slope
Concrete Driveways
Sloped driveways often need a small retaining wall on one or both sides to hold the grade.
View ServiceWalls by location
Philadelphia & the surrounding counties.
Mayfair · Bustleton · Holmesburg · Bucks · Montgomery · Delaware
From our neighbors
Real Philadelphia walls. Real customers.
★★★★★
Verified
“I contracted with Marcello Family Concrete to replace my driveway, sidewalk, and steps from the driveway to the front door. The Marcello crew was AMAZING. They showed up on time, worked efficiently, and cleaned up as they went along. They’re true craftsmen who take tremendous pride in their work.”
★★★★★
Verified
“I had Marcello family Concrete come and do three of my pads out front. I could not be happier with the quality of work and the expertise of his workers. They were on time, did a great job, cleaned up everything when they were done. I would recommend this company to anybody.”
Get a free estimate
Need a retaining wall?
Free walk-through. Written quote with a clear scope. No call center, no sales script — Marcello will pick up the phone himself.
Marcello Family Cement Work
Est. 1997
BBB A+ Accredited
Licensed & Insured