Retaining walls and masonry across Southern California, engineered to hold
A wall that leans or cracks is a wall built without the drainage and footing behind it. Genesis builds engineered retaining walls, seating walls, and stone veneer in block and natural stone, with the base and drainage that keep them straight for decades. Serving Thousand Oaks, Moorpark, Simi Valley, Camarillo, Westlake Village, Calabasas, and across Ventura County and the San Fernando Valley. 15,000+ projects since 1993.
See our wall work before you call
Real retaining walls, seating walls, and veneer across Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, and Santa Barbara counties, built with the same crew as the hardscape.
Walls that hold ground and shape a yard
Retaining walls do the hard structural work of a landscape: they hold back slopes, create level, usable space, and manage where water goes. Done right, they also become one of the best-looking features in the yard. Genesis builds retaining walls with the engineering that matters, proper footings, gravel backfill, and drainage, so they never lean or bulge, and finishes them in block, natural stone, or stone veneer to match your hardscape. The same crew also builds the seating walls, planters, and veneer that turn a structural wall into part of the design.
Why drainage and footing decide whether a wall survives
Most failed retaining walls did not fail at the face, they failed behind it. Water builds up in the soil and pushes, and a wall without drainage and a proper base slowly leans, cracks, and bulges. Genesis builds the part you never see: a compacted footing, gravel backfill, drainage pipe, and weep points that let water move through instead of pushing on the wall. That hidden work is the difference between a wall that stands straight for decades and one that needs rebuilding in a few years, and it is exactly where the higher-value, higher-stakes wall work earns its keep.
From structural retaining walls to seating and veneer
One crew, licensed for masonry, builds every kind of wall a yard needs.
Structural Retaining Walls
- Hold back slopes and create level, usable space
- Engineered footings and drainage behind the face
- Segmental block or natural stone
- Permitted and built to code where required
Seating Walls, Planters & Veneer
- Seating walls around patios and fire pits
- Raised planters and tiered garden walls
- Stone veneer over a structural core
- Matched to your pavers and hardscape
From idea to finished wall in three steps
Free Design Consultation
The owner meets you at your home, reads the slope and drainage, and helps you choose the wall type, materials, and finish.
Custom Design & Flat Quote
Our designer plans the wall and handles engineering and permits where needed, with an honest, itemized quote. No pressure, no upsell scripts.
We Build It
One crew sets the footing, drainage, and structure, then the facing and caps on a set schedule, and we stand behind the work.
Since 1993 and 15,000+ projects, with the same team on your wall
Genesis is not a call center that dispatches subcontractors. The people who quote your wall are the people who build it, and they are named throughout our reviews. Genesis holds eight California contractor’s licenses covering masonry and concrete, so one team legally handles the engineering, the footing, the drainage, and the facing.
Roger Goodman
Owner
Founded Genesis in 1993 and still meets you at your home to run the estimate.
Daniel Gradin
Designer
Turns your ideas into a design and a flat, itemized quote.
Daniel Rossman
Designer
Designing Genesis outdoor spaces since 1993.
Jon Kantor
Designer
Designing Genesis outdoor spaces since 2008.
Alan Feder
Designer
Designing Genesis outdoor spaces since 2010.
Derek Sestan
Designer
Designs Genesis outdoor spaces from concept to itemized quote.
Vinnie Cacciotti
Designer
Designs Genesis outdoor spaces from concept to itemized quote.
Fernando Vasquez
Construction Manager
Leads your install and has been with Genesis since 1997.
Gabino Vazquez
Construction Manager
Leads your install and has been with Genesis since 1997.
Spread the cost of your retaining wall
A retaining wall protects and expands the usable part of your property. Genesis offers financing so you can start now and pay over time, with plans that fit a range of budgets.
Trusted across Google, Yelp & Houzz
“Roger showed up for the estimate in the rain and gave us a quote that was very reasonable. He helped us choose the stone and color. We had the driveway and front walkway done too.”
“Fernando explained the entire process and the sales tactics that others like System Pavers use to upsell. If you want honest advice and good work, go with Genesis.”
“I had some sunken areas in the pavers. Genesis kindly sent their crew and fixed it. Happy with their service and ethics.”
“Daniel led us from design through execution, and the BBQ island he designed is money. All my friends love it.”
“Fernando and his crew did an outstanding job creating beautiful tier planters with veneer and white capstones. We received many compliments from our neighbors.”
Retaining wall FAQ
Straight answers about retaining walls, seating walls, cost, and how Genesis works, from the owner-led team that actually does the job.
How much does a retaining wall cost?
Do retaining walls need engineering or a permit?
What materials do you build walls in?
Why is drainage so important for a retaining wall?
Can you build seating walls and planters too?
How long does a retaining wall take to build?
Ready to build a wall that lasts?
Book a free design consultation and get an honest, itemized quote from the owner, not a salesperson.