26 Retaining Wall Ideas Perfect for Sloped Backyards

Retaining walls help to fortify sloped backyards (and front or side yards) against soil erosion and make it easier to add landscaping ranging from green grass to plants, wildflowers, rock gardens, outdoor staircases, or water features. Whether your backyard is a gently sloping lawn, rolling hills, or a steep patch of untamed rocks and dirt, these retaining wall ideas for sloped backyards in a range of styles and settings will help you to optimize your landscape design and make your outdoor space more beautiful and usable.

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Boulder Retaining Wall

Design by JLF Architects / Construction by Big D Signature / Photo by Lucy Call

Reflecting the surrounding mountain terrain, JLF Architects and Big-D Signature used boulders to create a retaining wall between the main house and garage/guest quarters of this Park City, UT. A newly constructed wall made of remnant stone on the other side of the smaller building adds a sense of history to the property.

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Bucolic Stone Retaining Wall

Design by Crisp Architects / Photo by Rob Karosis

This lushly planted sloping backyard from Crisp Architects includes a stone staircase and retaining wall that lends it a bucolic feel.

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Desert Retaining Wall

Michelle Boudreau Design

This Palm Springs backyard pool area from Michelle Boudreau Design has a retaining wall with a stepped stucco edge that creates a focal point on the sloped periphery. The slope is planted with a spare selection of desert-friendly vegetation and complemented with palm trees and privacy hedges.

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Multi-Level Retaining Wall

KG Designs

Stacked gray stone adds texture to this tiered backyard retaining wall from KG Designs, planted with green plants and white and purple flowers that soften the modern Seattle backyard patio and outdoor living space.

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Local Stone Retaining Wall

Design by JLF Architects / Photo by Audrey Hall

JLF Architects built a retaining wall to protect the downstairs patio space from water runoff on this sloping site in Hudson River Valley, NY. The retaining wall is built from large rocks and landscaped with stacked soil beds that echo the natural setting and local stone.

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Gently Curved Retaining Wall

Design by Crisp Architects / Photo by Rob Karosis

Retaining walls follow the curves of the gently sloping green lawn of this charming old home renovation from Crisp Architects to create an organic feel.

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Steep Slope Staircase Retaining Walls

Fantastic Frank

Sloped retaining walls on either side of the staircase leading downhill to the pool area add structure to this large and lushly landscaped Mediterranean hillside property from Fantastic Frank.

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Retaining Wall for Trees

Light and Dwell

This sloped side yard retaining wall from Light and Dwell is planted with young trees, while edged beds beneath it are filled with shrubs to line the footpath.

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Flagstone Retaining Wall

Design by Leanne Ford Interiors / Photo by Tessa Neustadt

This Southern California backyard patio from Leanne Ford Interiors is made possible by a flagstone retaining wall that flows seamlessly into a built-in outdoor banquette and flooring in the same finish for a cohesive look.

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Double Staircase Retaining Walls

Interior Design by Martha O'Hara Interiors / Brickhouse Architecture / Construction by John Kraemer & Sons / Photo by Spacecrafting

Martha O'Hara Interiors creates a smooth transition between this Lake Minnetonka, MN home and its sloping manicured lawns by having a series of retaining walls around a pair of staircases.

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Retaining Wall With Integrated Fountain

Lady Landscape

This raised backyard patio from Lady Landscape is planted with ivy, greenery, and flowers, structured by stone steps and a pair of retaining walls that separate it from the back deck. An integrated retaining wall fountain, that spills into a lily pond between the two spaces, adds a whimsical water feature for an enchanted garden effect that is illuminated by warm ambient lighting.

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Flower-Topped Retaining Wall

Fantastic Frank

Contrasting organic and manmade materials, this stone retaining wall lining the glass-walled staircase of this backyard pool from Fantastic Frank provides a place for multi-colored flowers to bloom.

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Triple Staircase Retaining Walls

Design by Crisp Architects / Photo by Rob Karosis

Triple retaining walls help structure this sprawling backyard from Crisp Architects and create an easy transition between the back porch and the outdoor patio on the gently sloping lawn below.

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Steep Sloped Hillside Retaining Wall

Home Consultant

A series of modern, concrete multi-level retaining walls allow for generous landscaping that maximizes the steep and dense lot of this Southern California hillside home from Home Consultant.

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Landscaped Retaining Walls

Fantastic Frank

A large palm tree is planted on a section of this sprawling hilly back lawn from Fantastic Frank that is structured by a stone retaining wall that matches the facade of the home.

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Outdoor Patio Retaining Wall

Afro Bohemian Living

A retaining wall helped turn this backyard space from Afro Bohemian Living into a flourishing garden planted with white, pink, and purple flowers of varying heights to add texture. The retaining wall also serves as a back for a wooden bench that adds extra seating.

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Modern Retaining Wall

Interior Design by Martha O'Hara Interiors / Cornerstone Architecture / Construction by Olson Defendorf / Photo by Andrea Calo

A series of retaining walls that mimic the clean lines of this Austin, TX home from Martha O'Hara Interiors help to integrate it into the contours of the existing hilltop lot.

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Curved Retaining Wall

Fantastic Frank

A wrap-around retaining wall follows the curves of this gently sloping backyard pool area from Fantastic Frank, planted with Mediterranean trees and vegetation that befit the Spanish island setting.

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Slightly Sloped Retaining Wall

Design by Amy Leferink of Interior Impressions

This small rustic boulder retaining wall from Amy Leferink of Interior Impressions helps to integrate the two-story home into the existing lot while providing a place to landscape the outdoor patio.

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Sloped Lawn Retaining Wall

Home Consultant

A vivid patch of green lawn is planted inside a bright white retaining wall that matches the modern style of this Southern California home perched above the street from Home Consultant.

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Driveway Retaining Wall

Fantastic Frank

A low retaining wall lines the long, sloping driveway of this hillside property from Fantastic Frank, giving grass, trees, and plants a chance to grow without inhibiting flow.

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Wood and Stone Retaining Wall

Fantastic Frank

This tiered wood and stone retaining wall from Fantastic Frank is generously planted to give it an organic and integrated feel.

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Stepped Retaining Wall

Fantastic Frank

The retaining wall on the periphery of this Ibiza backyard pool area from Fantastic Frank adds structure to the outdoor space and protects the lawn and pool deck.

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Vegetable Garden Retaining Wall

Home Consultant

Home Consultant restructured the slightly sloping backyard of this Southern California home to include a retaining wall along one side of the fence for a fledgling vegetable garden.

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Double Retaining Wall

Brophy Interiors

A double landscaped retaining wall creates a transition between the back patio of this contemporary home from Brophy Interiors and the steep drop to the flat lawn below.

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Staircase Retaining Wall

Fantastic Frank

The sloping backyard of this property from Fantastic Frank has multiple levels, including a reclaimed wood and rock retaining wall lining the staircase leading to an open-air deck.

FAQ

What do you do with a steep sloped backyard?

A steep sloped backyard can be structured with retaining walls that will hold back soil erosion and allow you to plant vegetation or flowers. Adding integrated steps or staircases will make it easier to navigate between levels so that the outdoor space is more user-friendly. You can also take advantage of a steep sloped backyard to build in a water feature such as a waterfall.
How do you landscape a sloped backyard on a budget?

To cover a sloped backyard without breaking the budget, you can plant creeping ground cover plants, use existing boulders to build a rock garden, or erect a footpath that will make it easier to move up and down the slope.