Staples Landscaping designs and builds in-house, so the crew grading your Del Mar yard is the same team that drew it. One contract, one point of accountability, one standard from the first site walk to the final walkthrough.
Zone
Coastal
Permits through
City of Del Mar
Water agency
San Dieguito Water District
Zip codes
92014
How we build retaining walls
- Engineered design and stamped plans for anything over three feet or carrying surcharge
- Footing excavation to competent soil, verified rather than assumed
- Drain rock, filter fabric and a perforated drain line behind every wall we build
- Geogrid reinforcement layers where the design calls for them
- Cap and finish detailing so a structural element reads as designed, not utilitarian
What the ground is like in Del Mar
Sandy loam near the beach transitioning to heavier clay in the Del Mar Heights and Crest Canyon edges. Drainage behavior changes dramatically over a few blocks. Corrosion drives hardware and reinforcement choices near the ocean, and coastal permitting can add review time on anything that changes grade.
Climate and exposure
Cool, humid, and consistently breezy. Long marine-layer mornings mean low-light-tolerant plants outperform full-sun favorites in west-facing yards. We match materials, finishes and plant choices to that exposure instead of installing the same package across every zip code in the county.
Working on Del Mar properties
Compact lots with tight setbacks and shared property lines. Vertical elements — screens, privacy planting, level changes — do more work than square footage. Access dictates equipment, equipment dictates schedule, and we price both honestly before you sign anything.
Approvals and permitting in City of Del Mar
Del Mar has its own design review process and a strict view ordinance. Anything that grows or builds tall gets evaluated against neighbors' sightlines. City of Del Mar permits with coastal overlay considerations. Lagoon-adjacent properties can add runoff and grading requirements.
Budget range in Del Mar
$45–$110 per face foot, depending on height, engineering and access. Run your own numbers with the San Diego cost calculator — it accounts for access, soil and finish level, which is where Del Mar projects diverge from the county average.
Built by us · Near Del Mar
Hillside Retaining Wall & Yard Reclaim
La Mesa
A full level of new backyard where a hillside used to be, and stormwater that leaves the property instead of pooling at the house.
See This ProjectRetaining Walls in Del Mar: common questions
- Do I need a permit for a retaining wall in Del Mar?
- City of Del Mar permits with coastal overlay considerations. Lagoon-adjacent properties can add runoff and grading requirements. As a general rule, walls over three feet — or any wall carrying a slope or driveway above it — often require engineering and a permit through City of Del Mar, though requirements vary by project and jurisdiction.
- Why do so many Del Mar retaining walls fail?
- Most often drainage. Water builds hydrostatic pressure behind a wall with no drain rock or outlet, and the wall leans. Every wall we build gets a drainage system behind it.
- Are you licensed to work in Del Mar?
- Yes. Staples Landscaping holds California contractor license #1159370 and pulls permits through City of Del Mar on projects that require them. You can verify the license directly with the CSLB.
- What does retaining walls cost in Del Mar?
- As a planning range, $45–$110 per face foot, depending on height, engineering and access. Every quote we give is based on your actual site — access, grade, soil and drainage move the number more than the material itself.
- Which parts of Del Mar do you serve?
- All of it, including Del Mar Heights, Olde Del Mar, Crest Canyon, Del Mar Village. We work throughout San Diego County and keep a single crew on your project start to finish.
Other services in Del Mar
Retaining Walls nearby
See the full retaining walls service page or everything we do in Del Mar. Licensed and insured — CSLB #1159370.