25 DIY Retaining Walls To Add Value To Your Landscape

A DIY retaining wall will add value to your property, enhance the appearance of your landscape, and give you more usable space in the landscape. Building a retaining wall is an ideal solution for a landscape that has steep slopes to prevent soil erosion and eliminate the need for mowing.

Transform difficult to mow steep slopes into attractive level spaces that can be used as planting beds to grow colorful flowers or food-producing vegetable plants. Usable, steep landscape slopes can be made into usable pieces of property with some of these ideas for DIY retaining walls.

1- Lightweight DIY Retaining Wall

Retaining walls don’t have to be constructed from heavy-weight timbers, lightweight treated lumber will work in many landscapes.

Use this idea to create terraced planting beds in a steep landscape with wood retaining walls like this one by familyhandyman. The treated lumber used in this DIY project is lightweight and very durable. The lightweight panels make this a DIY project that one person can complete without the use of excavating equipment on steep sloping areas.

2- Block DIY Retaining Wall

Reclaim sloping portions of your landscape with a DIY retaining wall that will build up the area and make it into a usable space. Learn how to build a retaining wall like this one by instructables from blocks with these free plans.

Sloping areas in the landscape make them difficult to use for gardens, play areas, or outdoor living space, but building a retaining wall can change that. Construct an easy retaining wall and fill in the sloping area with fill dirt to create a level landscape that will increase the value of your property.

3- Brick DIY Retaining Wall

Learn how to build a small retaining wall using bricks with these step by step instructions. The landscape bricks used for this idea are large, textured gray landscape bricks but the idea can easily be adapted to other colors and sizes of bricks.

Great for use around a pool or outdoor kitchen. The DIY retaining wall like this one by blog.iseekplant is attractive and will prevent soil from washing down into the outdoor living space. Plant vines to trail down over the wall to further enhance the appearance.

4- Dry Stacked Retaining Wall

Step-by-step instructions will show you how to build this short, dry stacked retaining wall by diynetwork from fieldstone.

5- DIY Mortarless Retaining Wall

This is a great choice for a garden retaining wall for tiered gardening by makezine. This new diy retaining wall is created without mortar and provides the look of old world charm while helping to prevent soil erosion. You may also like to see diy climbing walls.

6- Stack Wood Retaining Wall

This diy retaining wall idea by bhg uses wood instead of rock to create. Easy DIY project will enable to you to keep soil and plants right where you want them with a minimal investment of time and energy.

7- Railroad Tie DIY Retaining Wall

Easy, practical and the treated timers will last forever as they retain the soil. Railroad ties like this one by instructables make heavy-duty barricades to keep the soil from eroding. The treated timers will also  help prevent garden pests from eating away at the wood and infesting surrounding plant life.

8-  Timber DIY Retaining Wall

Use these detailed, step-by-steps instructions on how to build a retaining wall from timber like this one by mitre10 to create your own landscape masterpiece.

9- Cinder Block DIY Retaining Wall

If cinder blocks are your preferred choice of building material, these detailed instructions will show you how to build a functional and beautiful cinder block retaining wall by diynetwork.

10- Stackable Rock Retaining Wall

Stackable rock allows you to create a retaining wall design that curves and flows with the natural landscape. Stackable to any height or design, use this DIY retaining wall idea by todayshomeowner and create your own unique design retaining wall.

11- Rock DIY Retaining Wall Video

Create a beautiful rock retaining wall like this one by thisoldhouse with this detailed instructional video. Written instructions are also on this website so you get all the visual details you will need for your DIY project.

12- Strong and Beautiful DIY Retaining Wall

When you have a lot of soil that needs to be retained, only the strongest retaining wall like this one by familyhandyman can do the job. These step-by-step instructions will show you why you may need a stronger retaining wall and how to build one with the strength that will stand the test of time. You may also like to see diy wall planters.

13- Interlocking Block Retaining Wall

Interlocking blocks allow you to build a concrete retaining wall like this one by diyadvice without having to pour concrete and without having to use mortar. The interlocking blocks lock into each other so you can create a strong concrete retaining wall in the desired height.

14- Post and Plank DIY Retaining Wall

When a strong and extreme retaining wall is needed to hold back the soil, this post and plank method by extremehowto will do the job attractively. Built with the same design as seawalls, this post and plank can retain all the soil you’ll ever need it to. You may also like to see diy privacy screen.

15- Small Concrete DIY Retaining Wall

When all you need is a small retaining wall like this one by bhg this poured concrete DIY model will work nicely. Step-by-step pictorial instructions will have your retaining wall up in no time.

16- Landscape Blocks DIY Retaining Wall

Landscape blocks can do much more than just edge a flower bed, they are also great for building a decorative diy retaining wall like this one by gardenclub.homedepot. Made from pre-cast concrete, landscape blocks come in a variety of colors, sizes and shapes.

17- Flower Bed DIY Retaining Wall

Build attractive and functional flower beds with these DIY instructions by lowes. Interlocking blocks can be stacked, cut and shaped to create any flower bed you want and the blocks are strong enough to stand up to all the dirt and plants you can fit inside the the flower bed.

18- DIY Retaining Wall In a Day

Sometimes the DIY project has to be completed in a hurry and this one can be done in a day. An attractive, functional wood retaining wall like this one can be built from start to finish in just one day.

Learn how to build a small retaining wall like this one by readersdigest like this one with these easy to follow directions. The low DIY retaining wall will prevent erosion and double as extra outdoor seating and create flat surfaces for planters.

Use this weekend to complete this DIY project and have a backyard barbecue with family and friends in your new level outdoor space.

19- Long-Lasting DIY Retaining Wall

This heavy duty block retaining wall will protect and beautify the landscape for years to come. These free plans will show you how to build a retaining wall like this one by constructionprotips with blocks the right way so you won’t have to move the blocks more than once.

Prevent back and muscle strain while you prevent soil erosion with these free DIY plans for a long-lasting block retaining wall. Increase the usable outdoor space in your landscape and add value to your property with an attractive block retaining wall.

20- Rock Retaining Wall

This is a great idea for landscapes that have lots of natural rocks. The rocks can be used to create an attractive rock retaining wall that blends in with the surrounding landscape.

This DIY retaining wall by laspilitas looks like it’s part of the natural landscape and is also used as a rock garden. A rock retaining wall like this one does not have to be perfectly straight, it just needs to hold the soil back to prevent erosion.

The imperfections make the rock wall look more natural and provide lots of crevices to plant low-moisture plants, like flowering sedum, to enhance the landscape appearance.

21- DIY Retaining Wall Blocks

Concrete retaining wall blocks make this DIY project very simple to complete. The concrete blocks are constructed to fit together without the use of mortar. The concrete blocks are also designed with a slight slope on the back side to help make them very efficient at retaining soil and preventing erosion.

Learn how to build a retaining wall like this one by thespruce with these specially designed concrete blocks so you can level a sloping landscape, increase usable outdoor space, and add value to your landscape.

22- DIY Block Retaining Wall

This YouTube video is a must-see for anyone considering building a DIY retaining wall. Watch how a steep, unusable portion of landscape is transformed into a usable, attractive outdoor space. Learn how to build a retaining wall like this one on youtube by watching professionals at work on this detailed YouTube video. Create more parking space and add a basketball goal with this great DIY idea.

A block retaining wall like this one will prevent your neighbor’s yard from washing down into your driveway, improve your home’s curb appeal, and increase the value of your property.

23- Masonry DIY Retaining Wall

Create an attractive masonry retaining wall along your driveway with this great idea. This YouTube video will show you how to transform a boring sloping front yard area beside the driveway into an attractive portion of landscape.

The masonry retaining wall like this one on youtube adds value to the property, enhances curb appeal of the home, and delineates the driveway from the front yard. This is a simple DIY project and you don’t have to be a mason to build this attractive retaining wall.

This block wall will also help promote better drainage of excess rainwater and direct the path of the water underground to prevent soil erosion and standing water in the driveway.

24- Timber DIY Retaining Wall

Step by step pictorial instructions along with a detailed video will show you how to build a small retaining wall from timber. This DIY retaining wall by bunnings is functional and attractive, adding value and beauty to the home.

This timber retaining wall is located close to the home and it creates an attractive addition to the landscape while it holds back the soil. The retaining wall creates three level surfaces – a lower one for a walkway next to the house; an upper level surface which can be used as a lawn or garden; and a flat surface along the tops of the timber which can be used to place planting containers of vegetables and flowers. You may also like to see landscape design software.

25- Pressure Treated Lumber Retaining Wall

Reshape a sloping landscape so it can be reclaimed for lawn, garden, or other outdoor recreational use with a pressure treated lumber retaining wall.

These free instructions will show you how to build a retaining wall like this one by diynetwork that is straight, functional, and attractive. The length and height of the retaining wall can be adapted to fit your unique landscape and the pressure treated lumber will ensure the wall remains sturdy for years to come.

The flat top of the wall can be used as extra outdoor seating or to place a container garden on. Increase usable outdoor space and add value to your property with a DIY retaining wall like this one.