Building Dry Stone Retaining Walls

This video shows how to build small drystone retaining walls from beginning to end; laying out the shape, digging the foundation, determining the wall angle, building the face, packing the back, and leveling the top. The techniques are suitable for all rock types, whether glacially rounded, angular, or flat-bedded.

A series of graphic drawing illustrates the principles of retaining wall construction, followed by two case studies showing on-site training classes. The first project is a low, two-foot wall suitable for a garden, with a Master Craftsman instructor who discusses the plans as well as the problems the class members encounter and solve. The second project is a four-foot wall that supports and equestrian trail and traverses a wet-weather water course in a Louisville park.

From small retaining walls in home gardens to road and trail walls in state and national parks, drystone is increasingly the material of choice. The flexibility of mortarless masonry is ideal for terraces and stream banks; it is functional, beautiful, and natural. Most projects do not require poer tools or machinery, and there is no need for harsh chemicals common in most construction.

The projects in the video were organized and managed by the Dry-Stone Conservancy. For instructions in print, you may want to consult the section on retaining walls in the DSC handbook, "Building and Repairing Drystone Fences and Retaining Walls."