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Add-On Biz: Retaining walls
1 Aug, 2006 By: Stephanie Ricca Landscape ManagementRein in profits with these hardscape projects
DTR Associates' David Thorn has noticed a design/build trend emerging over the last few years: "Since 9-11, my client base has requested landscapes that create a sense of peace and safety," says this company president. "Instead of taking extensive trips outside of the country, my clients want to create their own vacation spots in their backyards. Outdoor kitchens, fireplaces, fire pits and spas often require stone or brick walls."
Retaining walls function primarily as decorative enclosure elements or as a means of stabilizing landscapes on sloped surfaces. Today landscapers interested in branching out into hardscape construction have options ranging from pre-constructed retaining wall systems to a wealth of natural materials they can use for custom projects.
Trends and value
Thorn, whose Northeast Ohio-based company focuses mostly on residential work, says retaining walls are a big part of his installations. "Clients are becoming more educated and appreciative of landscaping and the value it adds to a home," he says. "If stonework is done property, it can last the lifetime of a home."
Thorn custom designs his projects to fit the client's needs as well as to blend in with the site and complement the home's architecture. While natural materials like barnstone, sandstone and limestone are his primary choices, his crews often use interlocking systems like Unilock's. "For severe slopes, when cost is an issue, we use alternative methods," he says. "It's more efficient to install and affordable. There are also a few newer tumbled options that look less commercialized and blend better in a natural setting."
Installation and pricing
"A qualified contractor should understand drainage principles and construction techniques relating to all wall systems before adding this to his list of services," Thorn advises.
Construction knowledge is a must, since contractors have to have the basics of grading, drainage, settling and other hardscape skills mastered.
Getting into this line of service can have a payoff, Thorn says, if you're willing to go the extra mile.
"Hire the right installer, estimate the project competitively but accurately and install it under the estimated hours," he says. "The toughest challenge is finding an affordable foreman who is passionate about the construction end of the business, and who also understands the need to finish under the estimated production hours."
If your company adds the service, consider marketing it to your current customers with a mailer. Building additional business from your existing client base is easy and economical.
Under those conditions, retaining walls can be moneymakers, Thorn says. "Clients are more landscape-savvy and are asking for more sophisticated projects that often involve retaining walls," he says.
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