The order a segmental retaining wall goes together

A segmental wall goes together over time, not in layers added at the end: excavate a level trench, compact a stone base and bury the first course, then stack courses with a setback while the drainage stone, pipe and geogrid rise with the wall, and finish with glued caps, filter fabric, and grade pitched away.

What this diagram shows

A four-panel walkthrough of the segmental retaining-wall build order in cross-section. Panel 1: a level trench is excavated below grade, wide enough for drainage stone behind the block line. Panel 2: a compacted stone base is placed and the first course of block is leveled and buried below grade. Panel 3: courses are stacked with a setback while a drainage-stone chimney, a perforated pipe at the base, and geogrid reinforcement into the retained soil rise with each course. Panel 4: capstones are glued on with a front overhang, filter fabric is folded over the top of the stone, and the finish grade is pitched away from the wall.

Use this diagram — free

You're welcome to use this diagram on your own site, blog, handout, or lesson at no cost. The only condition is a visible credit link back to the source page. Copy the snippet below and paste it into your page — the credit is already included.

Embed code (HTML)

<figure style="margin:0;max-width:800px">
  <a href="https://remodelcalculators.com/construction-diagrams/retaining-wall-build-sequence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">
    <img src="https://remodelcalculators.com/illustrations/retaining-wall-build-sequence.svg" alt="A four-panel walkthrough of the segmental retaining-wall build order in cross-section. Panel 1: a level trench is excavated below grade, wide enough for drainage stone behind the block line. Panel 2: a compacted stone base is placed and the first course of block is leveled and buried below grade. Panel 3: courses are stacked with a setback while a drainage-stone chimney, a perforated pipe at the base, and geogrid reinforcement into the retained soil rise with each course. Panel 4: capstones are glued on with a front overhang, filter fabric is folded over the top of the stone, and the finish grade is pitched away from the wall." width="800" height="560" style="width:100%;height:auto;border:0" loading="lazy">
  </a>
  <figcaption style="font:14px/1.4 -apple-system,sans-serif;margin-top:6px;color:#555">
    Diagram: <a href="https://remodelcalculators.com/construction-diagrams/retaining-wall-build-sequence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The order a segmental retaining wall goes together</a> — courtesy of <a href="https://remodelcalculators.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RemodelCalculators.com</a>
  </figcaption>
</figure>

Please keep the credit link intact and don't alter the diagram itself. Redistribution as part of a competing diagram library or template pack isn't permitted. Questions? Reach us via the site.