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JATEngineering

Retaining wall engineering · California

Over 4 Feet? Your Retaining Wall Needs Engineering. Here It Is.

Design and calculations for new and replacement retaining walls — sized for your soil, height and surcharge, and packaged for your city's permit counter.

Tell us about the wall

60 seconds · Free · No obligation

Step 1 of 4

Roughly how tall is the wall?
  • Licensed PE engineers · CA & NV

    Every project is reviewed and approved by a licensed engineer — never automated.

  • Signed & sealed

    Stamped drawings and calculations where your jurisdiction requires them.

  • Serving California

    Statewide — incl. Roseville, Sacramento, San Jose

  • No commitment until you accept

    Free scope review, one fixed price in writing, corrections included per proposal.

Permits usually require engineering when…

  • The wall retains more than 4 feet, measured from the bottom of the footing
  • Anything sits above it — a driveway, pool, slope or structure (surcharge)
  • It replaces a failing wall the city has noticed
  • It's part of a graded lot, hillside or terraced yard

Sound familiar? Get My Free Quote →

How it works

From this page to permit-ready plans.

  1. 1

    Today — about a minute

    Answer a few questions & tell us where to send the quote

    Plans, photos, sketches or a permit letter. Don't have everything? Send what you've got.

  2. 2

    Within 1 business day

    Free scope review → fixed-price proposal

    A defined scope, one price and a stated turnaround. Your quote stays valid for 30 days.

  3. 3

    After you accept online

    Engineering starts — track it live

    E-sign, pay the deposit by card or ACH, and watch status through delivery on your dashboard.

Your quote

One fixed price. In writing. Before you commit.

  • Free scope review — you pay nothing to find out what your project needs
  • A fixed price for a defined scope; additional work is only ever quoted, never surprise-billed
  • Your quote stays valid for 30 days while you line up your contractor
  • Plan-check correction rounds included per the proposal
Get My Free Quote

Pricing, honestly

What actually drives the price

No two projects price the same — these are the factors our engineers scope. You get one fixed number after a free review, not an hourly meter.

Height and length

Taller walls see exponentially more soil pressure; long runs may need segmented designs.

What's above the wall

Driveways, slopes and structures add surcharge loads to the design.

Wall type

CMU, poured concrete and segmental systems each carry their own details and calcs.

Soil and drainage

Weep holes, drain rock and geogrid depend on conditions behind the wall.

The risk is on us: free scope review, fixed price, and no commitment until you accept.

Get My Free Quote

Deliverables

What you receive

A complete, engineer-reviewed structural package — the same documents a full-service firm produces, delivered through your project dashboard.

What you receive

Sample structural framing plan sheet with grid lines, a new glulam beam and posts

Structural drawings

Framing plans, foundation plans and shear-wall schedules keyed to your architectural set — sheet-numbered and plan-check ready.

Sample structural calculation page for a flush beam with checks marked OK

Structural calculations

Gravity and lateral calculations that match the drawings, member by member, so plan checkers can follow the load path.

Sample connection detail showing a beam bearing on a post with a post cap and through-bolts

Details & connections

Beam-to-post, holdown, footing and connection details your framer can build from — no guesswork on site.

Plus permit-correction responses and revisions through the same project. Get My Free Quote →

Who reviews your engineering

A licensed structural engineer signs off on every set.

Commercial, data center and residential structures across California and Nevada. Produces and reviews code-compliant structural drawings and calculations, coordinating with architects, contractors and plan checkers.

  • CBC
  • IBC
  • ASCE 7
  • ASCE 41
  • AISC
  • ACI 318
  • NDS
  • TMS

Before you ask

Does my wall really need a permit?+

In most California jurisdictions, walls over 4 feet (from the footing) or any wall with a surcharge need a permit with engineering. Tell us your city in the intake and we'll confirm what applies before you commit.

What does retaining wall engineering cost?+

Fixed-price after a free scope review based on height, length and site conditions. No commitment until you accept the proposal.

Can my landscaper build from your plans?+

Yes — the package includes the wall section, footing, reinforcement and drainage details a contractor builds from, plus the calculations the city files.

Over 4 Feet? Your Retaining Wall Needs Engineering. Here It Is.

A few quick questions, a free scope review, and a fixed-price quote — usually within one business day.

No commitment required to submit a project for review.