Aledo, Texas · Retaining wall and hardscape engineering statewide
469.834.7446mike@dirtsavers.com
DIRTSAVERSRetaining Wall & Hardscape Engineering

Out of Aledo, working all over Texas

Retaining walls and hardscape, engineered and sealed.

DirtSavers engineers retaining walls, screen walls, entry monuments and shade structures for contractors, builders and developers across Texas. Sealed plans for permit, designed with construction and cost in mind.

  • 45,000+ homesites on our walls
  • 2,000+ sealed designs since 2011
  • Texas Firm F-14138
Tall stone retaining wall with a fence along a greenbelt in Flower MoundTall stone retaining wall along an industrial site in IrvingStone entry monument with tapered stone towers and a steel arch in SaginawStone retaining wall corner with column caps in Fort WorthStone entry monument with two tall stone towers carrying a steel sign panel in DentonTiered stone retaining walls around a pond in Princeton
Lakeside at Silveron · Flower Mound
Sealed designs
2,000+
Coverage
223 Texas cities
In business
Since 2011
TBPE Firm No.
F-14138

What we design

Sealed engineering for the walls and structures that go in after the dirt work. Take one apart in 3D →

Retaining walls

Gravity, segmental and concrete walls

  • Masonry and stone gravity walls
  • Segmental block with geogrid
  • Cantilevered concrete walls
  • Gabion and shotcrete walls
Retaining wall design →
Screen walls

Brick, stone and CMU screen walls

Perimeter, thoroughfare and property line screen walls, with the piers, columns and foundations under them.

Screen wall design →
Entry monuments

Monuments, columns and signs

Community entries, logo columns, sign walls and overhead features, with sealed drawings for permit.

Entry monument design →
Shade structures

Pavilions and shade structures

Foundations for manufactured shade structures, and custom steel and timber pavilions and cabanas.

Shade structure design →
Construction observation

Pier, footing and wall observation

Observation of piers, footings and wall construction, proposed as a separate scope and scheduled around your construction.

Construction observation →
Global stability

Slope and wall stability checks

A check of the slope, the wall and the soil together, for tall walls, tiered walls and walls on slopes or next to water.

How walls fail and global stability →

Why DirtSavers

We value your business and your time. These are the things we make a priority on every job.

Your schedule is a priorityLet us know your bid date or permit deadline up front, and we plan the work with it in mind.
You reach the engineerCalls and emails go straight to the engineer on your job, so questions from the office or the field get a prompt answer.
Walls and hardscape are our focusRetaining walls, screen walls, entry monuments and shade structures are what we design every day, on more than 2,000 sealed designs since 2011.
The design decides what the wall costsThe engineering fee is a small part of what a wall costs. The design decides the rest: the right wall type for the site, foundations sized to what the site needs, and details that are faster to build. Strength, durability and safety stay the same whatever the budget.
Plans that build in the fieldOur designs come from a background in construction surveying and cost estimating. Plans that build right the first time mean fewer questions, change orders and repairs.
Field visits on your timelineWhen observation is part of the job, visits are set around your drilling and pours so construction keeps moving.

By the numbers

Counted from our plan sets, 2011 to today. The lots are homesites that sit on or against a wall we engineered.

45,000+homesites on DirtSavers walls
1,800+retaining wall projects
750+commercial and multifamily sites
300+communities and commercial sites with our hardscape features
2,000+sealed designs since 2011
28 fttallest single wall, with tiered systems holding 30+ ft of grade
223Texas cities across 31 counties
39communities that came back for three or more phases

What clients say

“DirtSavers has been my go-to third party retaining wall engineer for 10+ years. They have designed the retaining walls on hundreds of my projects and have continually provided excellent consultation and service.”

Trey Bingham · Vice President, C&W Stoneworks

“DirtSavers provides quality, accurate and timely services. Ratliff has worked hard to earn a great reputation, and we trust DirtSavers to keep us in high standing in our industry.”

Bobby Kinser · Director of Field Operations, Ratliff Hardscape

“When it comes to retaining wall engineering, DirtSavers is our go-to at Rock Steady Walls. Their dependable service, clear communication, and practical designs give us the confidence to keep sending projects their way.”

Reginald Singh · Owner, Rock Steady Walls

“Quick turnaround, very responsive, and quality design that leaves no doubt about the longevity of the wall.”

Garrett Seagraves · Ameriwall Masonry

“DirtSavers turns our designs around quickly. Always efficient and professional.”

Alec Johns · Sage and Stone Landscapes

Recent work

Walls, columns and entries we engineered. See the projects →

Tiered stone walls around a pond, Acorn North Ph 2, Princeton
Acorn North Ph 2 · PrincetonTiered stone walls at a pond
Tall stone retaining wall before paving, Valley View Industrial, Irving
Valley View Industrial · IrvingTall stone wall with a global stability check
Tiered stone walls with a fence on top, Oxenfree at Stonebriar, Frisco
Oxenfree at Stonebriar · FriscoTiered stone walls
Stone entry monument with a sign wall, tapered stone towers and a steel arch, Beltmill, Saginaw
Beltmill · SaginawStone entry monument with a steel arch
Brick screen wall with brick columns and stone caps, Morningside, Weatherford
Morningside · WeatherfordBrick screen wall

Global stability

A wall can be built right and still move.

If the ground under and behind the wall slides, the wall goes with it. A global stability analysis checks the slope, the wall and the soil together, before anything is built.

When your job needs one →
Illustration of tiered block walls carried downhill by a deep slope failure, with the slip surface marked
Illustration · Deep slip surface through tiered wallsGS
1

How a job runs

From first call to sealed drawings, plus observation when the job calls for it.

STEP 1

Call or send plans

Plans if you have them. If not, photos, a sketch or an address are enough to start.

STEP 2

Proposal

A written proposal covering scope, fee and schedule. Design starts when it is accepted.

STEP 3

Design and sealed drawings

We engineer the walls or structures and deliver a P.E. sealed plan set for city or owner review.

STEP 4

Construction observation

Separately scoped and not part of every engagement. When needed, visits are proposed on their own and tied to the construction schedule.

Common questions

What do you need to get started?

The site or grading plan, the landscape or hardscape plan, and the geotechnical report, if available. Email them to plans@dirtsavers.com or use the upload link on the Send Plans page.

Will you design to the wall style we build?

Yes. Send your typical section or a photo of a wall you have built. If the calculations work, we design and seal it your way. See wall design for contractors.

Do I need plans before I call?

No. Call or email with whatever you have: photos, a sketch, an address or just a question. We will tell you what is needed and follow up with a proposal.

How fast can you turn a design around?

It depends on the size of the job and what we have to work from. Tell us your bid date or permit deadline up front and we will let you know what we can do.

Do you work outside Dallas-Fort Worth?

Yes. Design work is done remotely for projects anywhere in Texas. Field visits outside Dallas-Fort Worth are arranged project by project. How that works.

Is construction observation included?

Not automatically. Construction observation is a separate scope and is not part of every design engagement. When a project needs it, we propose it separately, with visits tied to the construction schedule and a written report after each visit.

Can you look at a wall that is leaning or failing?

Yes. We investigate existing walls and provide repair recommendations. See leaning and failing walls.

Plans, photos or just an address. Send what you have for a proposal.

Send plans