Stone and block retaining walls that hold grade, stop erosion and turn slopes into usable lawn, patio and planting space. Drainage is designed before the first stone is set, because drainage is what decides whether a wall lasts.
A retaining wall on Martha's Vineyard holds back soil where a slope makes the ground unstable or unusable. Infinity builds fieldstone, granite, stone veneer and segmental block walls on compacted footings with free-draining stone and a drain pipe behind them. In Massachusetts, walls up to 4 feet tall, measured from the bottom of the footing, are exempt from a building permit unless they hold back a driveway, slope or structure.
Hardscaping
When a Retaining Wall is Needed
Grade changes
Any slope you want to turn into level lawn, patio or garden needs a retaining structure. A yard that drops 2 to 3 feet over a 10-foot run usually needs one wall or a pair of low terraced walls.
Slope and bank stabilization
Sandy Vineyard soil erodes fast in heavy rain and wind. A wall at the bottom of a slope stops the movement and holds the grade. On coastal banks, the wall has to be permitted and designed with the conservation commission in mind.
Planting bed containment
Raised beds along a foundation or a property line are a common use. These walls run 18 to 36 inches tall and carry less load, but they still need drainage so water doesn't pool against them.
Driveways and parking
Where a driveway cuts into a slope, a retaining wall holds the cut bank. Walls next to driveways carry vehicle load, which changes the engineering (see the permits section below).
Hardscaping
Materials for Vineyard Retaining Walls
Natural fieldstone. The traditional island look, laid dry or in mortar. It suits everything from old cottages to new construction. Dry-laid fieldstone lets water drain through the face and works well for lower walls.
Granite. Cut granite gives a cleaner, more formal line next to patios and entries, and makes durable caps and steps.
Stone veneer over a block core. A concrete block wall faced with natural stone and capped with bluestone or granite. It gives the look of a solid stone wall with a consistent, strong core, which is useful on long curves and exposed coastal sites.
Segmental retaining wall block. Engineered interlocking block systems are the most predictable choice for taller walls. With geogrid reinforcement layered into the backfill, they can hold heights that would need a much heavier gravity wall in stone.
Timber. Pressure-treated timber is the cheapest wall and the shortest-lived. It rots in contact with wet soil and usually needs replacing in 10 to 20 years.
Recent Work
Project photos
A selection of recent hardscaping projects across Martha's Vineyard.
Stone retaining wall and bedsStone wall along the waterLong fieldstone retaining wall
Service Details
Recent Retaining Wall Projects
Three walls from our own crews, each solving a different problem.
Curved stone wall on a coastal bluff
A long curved wall along the top of an ocean bluff, holding the lawn edge above coastal shrubs. It starts on a crushed-stone footing that follows the curve, rises in concrete block, and is finished in stone veneer with a cap and path lights. Wind, salt spray and a bank that can't be disturbed more than necessary shaped every choice on this site.
Crushed-stone footing following the curveBlock core going up on the bluffStone veneer and cap, finished
Rotting timber wall replaced with block
The old landscape timbers along this backyard had rotted and were letting the grade slump toward the house and deck. We removed them, built a segmental block retaining wall on a compacted base with drainage stone behind it, and set block steps into the wall so the upper yard connects to the deck.
Before: rotting timbersNew block wall on a compacted baseFinished wall with steps to the upper yard
Fieldstone terrace wall at a new home
A curved fieldstone wall that raises a level terrace in front of a new house, built during the site work before the lawn and planting went in. Fieldstone matched the style of the house and gives the terrace a finished edge from the driveway side.
Raised terrace at a new buildThe curve and cap, up close
We don't publish prices because every slope is different, but these are the factors that set the cost of every wall we quote.
Factor
Why it changes the cost
What we check on site
Height and length
Taller walls need deeper footings, more material and often reinforcement. Cost rises faster than height.
How much grade you need to hold and where the wall has to run
Material
Timber, segmental block, stone veneer over block, fieldstone and cut granite differ widely in material and labor.
The look you want and what surrounds the wall
Load behind the wall
Driveways, parked cars, buildings and steep slopes above the wall add pressure and can require engineering.
What sits within a few feet of the top of the wall
Soil and water
Sand drains well but bears less. Wet spots, clay pockets and roof runoff need more drainage.
Test digs, where water runs in a storm, downspouts
Curves, steps and corners
Curves, built-in steps, returns and caps take more cutting and setting time.
How the wall meets the house, patio and lawn
Access and site protection
Tight lots, bluffs and work next to finished landscapes slow the job down.
Machine access and what has to be protected
Permits and engineering
Walls over 4 feet, walls with a surcharge and walls near wetlands or coastal banks need design and filings.
Distance to wetlands and the shore, wall height
Service Details
Wall Height, Engineering and Permits
Under the Massachusetts building code, a retaining wall that is not over 4 feet tall, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, is exempt from a building permit, unless it supports a surcharge. A surcharge is extra load above the wall: a driveway, parking, a building, or a slope that keeps rising behind it.
Walls taller than that, or walls carrying a surcharge, need a building permit and usually an engineered design, including footing size and geogrid reinforcement for block walls.
Height and load aren't the only triggers on the Vineyard:
Wetlands and coastal banks: work within 100 feet of a wetland resource area, which includes coastal banks and beaches, needs a filing with the town conservation commission under the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act. Island towns add their own wetland bylaws on top of that.
Historic districts: walls visible from the street in a local historic district, such as Edgartown's, can need Historic District Commission approval.
Large projects: walls that are part of a major new build or redevelopment can fall under a Martha's Vineyard Commission review.
For big grade changes, two or three terraced walls of 2 to 3 feet are often simpler to build, easier to permit and better looking than one tall wall. We identify these thresholds at the site visit and bring in an engineer when the wall needs one.
Geogrid layers tie a taller block wall into the soil behind it
Service Details
Drainage Behind Retaining Walls
Every wall we build includes drainage sized to its height, the soil and the water it will see:
Free-draining crushed stone (clean stone, no fines) against the back of the wall instead of native soil
A 4-inch perforated pipe at the base, carried to daylight or a dry well
Weep holes or open joints so water that reaches the wall can get out without building pressure
Filter fabric between the drainage stone and the soil where fine sand could wash in
Where roof downspouts or a driveway send water toward the wall, we deal with that water first. Too little drainage is the most common reason retaining walls fail.
Plan your next step
A clear starting point for your property
A few details help us understand the work before the first conversation.
How you will use the space
Tell us whether you need room to dine, gather around a fire or move comfortably between entrances.
Levels, drainage and access
Share photographs of slopes, steps and the route our crew would use to reach the work area.
Materials and timing
Bring examples of stone finishes you like and any deadlines so the scope can be planned together.
Not for most garden walls. Under the Massachusetts building code, a retaining wall up to 4 feet tall, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top, is exempt from a building permit unless it holds back a surcharge such as a driveway, a building or a rising slope. Taller walls need a permit and usually an engineered design. On the Vineyard, walls near wetlands or coastal banks also need a conservation commission filing, whatever their height.
The four common types are gravity walls, which hold soil with their own weight (fieldstone, stone and large block); cantilever walls, reinforced concrete with a footing that uses the soil's weight; sheet pile walls, thin steel, vinyl or wood sheets driven into the ground; and anchored walls, tied back into the slope with cables or rods. Residential walls on the Vineyard are almost always gravity walls, including segmental block reinforced with geogrid.
A dry-laid wall has no mortar: stones are shaped and fitted so weight holds them together, and water drains through the joints. A mortared wall is bonded with mortar on a concrete footing, which makes it stiffer for taller or more formal walls, but it needs weep holes to drain. Dry-laid fieldstone is a classic choice for lower walls on the island.
Yes. Sand drains well, which helps. It also bears less load than dense soil, so the footing and base have to be sized for it. We compact the base in layers and adjust the footing to the site.
Timber costs the least to build but has the shortest life in wet soil. Segmental block is usually the most cost-effective long-lasting wall. Fieldstone and stone veneer cost more but are the look many Vineyard homeowners want.
A well-built stone or block wall should last 25 to 50 years. Timber walls often need replacing within 10 to 20. When walls fail early, the cause is almost always drainage.
Yes. A wall 18 to 24 inches tall with a wide, flat cap works well as seating around a patio or fire pit. We often design low walls around a [patio](/hardscaping/patio-installation/) to do both jobs.
Ask how the drainage will be built, how deep the footing goes, and who decides if the wall needs an engineer. Look at walls they built several winters ago, and confirm their Massachusetts Home Improvement Contractor registration and insurance.
