Articles on: Proposals

Retaining Wall

If this is your first time working in landscape sections, we recommend checking out the Beds article first. It walks through the basics and provides a more detailed look at creating sections in Elevation Advisor.




Adding the Retaining Wall Section


To begin:


  1. Navigate to your proposal and click Edit in the top right corner.
  2. Select Retaining Wall from the template library.
  3. Click Save to add it to your project.


Figure 1: Entering measurements for the Retaining Wall Section.





Once the section is added, follow these steps to input wall details accurately:


  1. Height and Length of the wall (e.g., 4' H × 10' L).


  • The software will automatically calculate the square footage.


  1. Chimney Drain (a vertical drainage system),

If your design includes a chimney drain (a vertical drainage system), enter its depth in inches. If not, leave this field at zero.


  1. Geogrid Layers

Specify the number of layers and the length of each layer (e.g., three layers at 6 feet).



Use subsections to capture variations in wall height or features.



Check the Core Fill Block box if you're using gravel or similar fill inside the block cavities. Then, enter:


  1. Base Block Depth (typically 10–12 inches for a 4-foot wall)
  2. Wall Block Depth (commonly 10–12 inches for standard retaining wall blocks).



Materials & Labor Setup





Figure 2: Entering materials and labor for the Retaining Wall Section.



Scroll to the Materials/Labor section to configure the components of the wall.

  • The system includes a preset for Subgrading/Subgrade Compaction, which calculates labor time for soil preparation.


→ Default: 1 minute per 10 square feet
→ You can adjust this value by clicking the blue edit button.



To assign materials:


  • Click Connect Item and choose products from your materials catalog.



To customize the list:


  • Use the Edit button to remove or modify preset line items.
  • Click Add Material to include additional components.



Finalizing the Section


Once materials are set, you can:


  • Change Crew Size, Add labor, equipment, or subcontractors
  • Enter a Description of Services to explain the scope of work
  • Add Crew Notes for internal communication



If you need help with these steps, refer to the Beds article, which walks through the process in detail.

Updated on: 06/27/2026

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