TERRA FIRMA RETAINING WALLS

We decided on a major backyard renovation which included a new pool and replacing our failing retaining walls. The primary retaining wall was quite large, roughly 45 ft in length by 15 ft in depth. We needed to ensure that we had a contractor who could do the job correctly, the first time. We did quite a bit of research on companies that claimed to be capable of building large retaining walls and then interviewed some of those contractors that were available in the greater Hamilton area and ended up selecting Terra Firma based on their previous experience, skills and total cost.We started working with Don on the design of our retaining walls and how they would tie into our pool and patio structures. There was quite a bit of back-and-forth communication regarding the design. Don was helpful in finding ways for us to get the esthetic we were looking for as well as keeping in mind the cost of the entire project. Once we had the design developed Don reviewed with us how he was going to technically install the retaining walls so that they would not fail in the future or comprise the structure of our house or pool.From the tear down of the existing retaining walls to the completion of the new retaining walls Don and his team worked safely and efficiently. During the project we ran into a couple surprises, like all large projects, Don was very receptive in discussing ideas on how to overcome the issues and not gouge us with extremely high change order pricing.We would highly recommend Terra Firma Retaining Walls, Don and his team. They were extremely professional, communicated well and were very personable during our entire project.

We highly recommend Don and his team.We had a outside retaining wall that had moved due to pressure. For years it prevented us from using our basement steps . I had received many quotes but all were ridiculously priced or the detail of work was not explained enough. With Dons quote i felt comfortable and had a full package explaining the project .The guys were so polite and professional throughout the project period which ran through the hottest two weeks of the year.As soon as there was a question Don contacted me and we agreed upon the next action.To excavate the area our hot tub had to be moved plus a fence. The guys did all this and replaced it completely at the end of the project.A few weeks after completion Don returned to do the courtesy check.If you are looking for a retaining wall repair don't hesitate to use Terra Firma .

Don and his team are very knowledgeable, professional, and dedicated to their craft. We are over the moon with our 70' wide and 5' tall retaining wall. As expected with this size of project, there were a few hiccups along the way, but Don managed through it all while keeping in close communication and providing thoughtful solutions to get the job done. Congrats on an amazing feat of engineering and natural beauty.

We had some serious water pooling issues in our backyard. We also discovered water flowing in from our neighbor's backyard into ours under the fence line. We called in a professional regrading/retaining company to help when we realized it was a bigger issue than we could handle. Most companies either weren't available at this time of year, or didn't get back to us at all. Don got back to us within a day and was able to come to our home for a site visit that same evening. Don was able to come up with a plan to address multiple issues within a day. A professional contract followed suit and we agreed on a plan. As things got underway, we discussed changes to the original plan, and Don and Tyler were able to accommodate our concerns and quickly adapt to a new plan. What started out as regrading the yard away from the house and building a retaining 6x6 wood wall/garden box along the fence line to address water coming in from the neighbor's yard to ours, turned into digging out a large portion of our overgrown back hill, digging out an old cast iron bathtub found IN the hill, digging out 2 huge tree stumps, removing an old chain link fence, removing 2 huge cedar trees, a large overgrown wild rose bush, another smaller tree and bringing in 1 tonne blocks stacked in 2 rows to retain the back hill. All of this with weeper behind all walls (fence line and back hill all connecting) and in front of them, all meeting and draining into a large french drain pit hidden behind our back shed. This pit also needed some retaining and the team was able to design and add this on as well. The amount of usable space we gained as a result of tackling the back hill is something we had only dreamed of being able to do before meeting this exceptional team. We never thought this was within reach for our budget. Don and Tyler made it happen. They were brilliant in their design and ability to think on the fly and create not only a highly functional design to ensure no further water issues in our backyard, but an architectural dream of a landscape, opening up space we never thought we'd be able to access, and creating a more linear, modern look at the same time. They even cleaned up our driveway and the street during and after the project was completed. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for any regrading or retaining needs in your home or business. We can't thank this team enough for their hard work, and for going the extra mile to ensure we are completely satisfied with the end result. Professional, courteous and highly skilled craftsmanship. Thanks Don, Tyler, and crew!! Sincerely, Cindy & Justin Forster, Bold St. Hamilton.

There are only a few times in your life when you come across a work ethic that is irreproachable....From the very first meeting with Terra Firma, it was apparent that Don is the ultimate expert in retaining wall engineering. Up until we met Don, we had met all walks of retaining wall contractors who gave us variations of the razzle dazzle sales pitch. Don is easily a cut above. He is honest, easy-going, very communicative, straightforward, and always has a solution for even the most challenging engineering situations. Just a brilliant guy. Normally a person dreads undertaking projects of this size, but with Don, it was a pleasure. The gig was finished efficiently, on-budget and even ahead of schedule. There were never any trust or safety issues and he is always ready to roll up his sleeves and get the job done. We were completely confident through the entire process that if he suggested something it was because he had carefully weighed all the options and was recommending the best option for his client. My family was in the construction industry for years, and I have yet to meet another professional with a work ethic like Don, and likely won't.

Dealt with Don a while ago to get a wooden retaining wall replaced with a graded slope. He was very polite but ultimately couldn't deliver on the promised start work date. After 8 weeks of delays we fired him and looked elsewhere. Others appear to have had success with Don but our experience wasn't positive at all.

My first interaction with Don was pretty straightforward; he was very professional, punctual, and more importantly, seemed very knowledgeable about his craft. There was no B.S with any of our interactions. His quote and start date were very reasonable. He arrived and completed the job exactly when he said he would. He and his crew were great workers, but good people as well. They were extremely professional and friendly (examples include friendly conversations, smiles, very polite, and checked in with neighbours to ensure everything was OK) and gave great suggestions to any issues that arose from the job. They worked very efficiently and finished my retaining wall earlier than estimated. After the job was complete, they did an extremely good job of making sure everything was cleaned up. I've worked on many crews myself and have not seen this level of finishing up" in quite some time; I was quite impressed because it saved me many hours of work after they were gone. I would highly recommend Don and his crew because they are quite transparent with their work and communicated quite well when something went awry or a change needed to be made. They were quite knowledgeable and confident in their work which is pretty obvious in their final product. I am very happy with the end results and have zero regrets hiring these guys for this job. I would easily hire them again if the need arises. Thanks again guys!"

Don and his team were great to work with. We had a 60 ft x 6 ft high wall erected to replace old railroad ties that hold back our pool on the escarpment in Burlington. The work was finished ahead of schedule and the kids loved watching the process.

We had a pressure treated wooden retaining wall that was situated on a severe slope and it was falling over. After a lot of back and forth with several different contractors we had the good fortune of coming across Don and his team from Terra Firma Retaining Walls. He explained to us the basics of how a retaining wall system functioned and how the new retaining wall should be built. Don consulted with a Geo-Technical engineer and a Structural engineer and provided us with a design for the new retaining wall.Work started on the scheduled date and progressed according to plan. Even though it was a challenging job to remove the existing retaining wall and soil behind it (the design called for 10' of soil behind the wall going down to a depth of 9' to be removed), Don and the crew was very skillful and knew exactly what they were doing. The work was done in a very methodical manner and I could see that the crew paid great attention to detail.Once the wall was completed the backyard was graded and erosion control blankets were laid down to protect the soil from eroding. Terra Firma Retaining Walls did an excellent job and we are very happy with the outcome. We would highly recommend Terra Firma Retaining Walls and Don to anyone whose looking to get a retaining wall built.

We recently had Don’s team rebuild raining walls in our front & back yards. The team was very knowledgeable, professional and efficient. Don explained the project steps in details and was always more than willing to answer questions. The work was done in a very timely manner and the result looks great, actually it exceeded our expectations. When the project was finished, the work site was left clean and neat. I highly recommend them for any retaining wall job.