Site Work and Land Services in Breiningsville, PA

Breiningsville, PA Success Story

Retaining Wall Construction and Landscape Design for Sloped Residential Property

A homeowner in Breiningsville — a growing residential community in Lehigh County’s Upper Macungie Township, set in the gently hilly terrain west of Allentown — engaged J&J Services to address a rear yard slope that had made the majority of the property’s outdoor space unusable. The steep grade ran from the rear of the home down to the property line, creating an erosion-prone hillside that was difficult to maintain and impossible to use for outdoor living. The homeowner wanted usable level space and a finished landscape that felt intentional rather than like an afterthought.

Challenges
Upper Macungie Township’s residential developments frequently feature lots with significant grade changes — a result of the area’s rolling Lehigh Valley terrain and the grading practices of subdivision development that often leave rear yards with steep disturbed slopes. These slopes erode actively during heavy rains, deposit mulch and soil onto lower areas of the property, and make lawn establishment and maintenance both difficult and labor-intensive. Engineering a retaining wall system for a residential rear yard slope requires attention to wall height limits, drainage behind the wall structure, and the visual integration of the wall into the overall landscape — a structural solution that also has to look right.

Solution
J&J Services designed a two-tier retaining wall system using natural-face wall block appropriate for Breiningsville’s residential aesthetic — creating two terraced levels behind the home that converted the steep slope into usable flat areas. Drainage aggregate and perforated pipe were installed behind each wall course to manage the hydrostatic pressure that would otherwise cause wall failure over time. The two terraced areas were graded, amended with quality topsoil, and finished with sod installation to establish immediate ground cover and erosion control. Foundation plantings and low-maintenance shrub beds were integrated into the landscape plan to frame the terraced areas and complete the finished outdoor space.

Results
The homeowner gained two functional terraced outdoor areas that immediately became usable lawn and gathering space. The retaining walls provided the structural containment the slope required while presenting a clean, natural appearance that integrated well with the surrounding neighborhood aesthetic. Erosion from the rear slope was eliminated entirely.

“Our backyard was basically a steep hill we couldn’t use. J&J designed the wall system, built it properly with drainage behind it, sodded everything, and now we actually have a backyard. The walls look great too — not like an engineering fix, like they were supposed to be there.”
— Homeowner, Breiningsville, PA