On a sloped lot, a retaining wall and the drainage are one project. The wall holds the grade, and the drainage decides whether the wall lasts, because wet clay pushes and water trapped behind a wall builds pressure until something gives. Across DFW, walls run $35 to $95 per square foot of wall face, with most home walls landing between $5,000 and $28,000, and drainage projects run $2,000-$25,000 depending on the system. Westover Hills lots tend to sit in the upper halves of those ranges because the lots are large and the ground actually rolls.
What each project level includes
DFW ranges for the wall itself:
| Project level | Typical range | What it covers |
|---|
| Short wall | $5,000-$12,000 | A low segmental-block wall with proper base and drainage. |
| Mid wall | $13,000-$28,000 | A taller or longer wall with reinforcement, drainage, and caps. |
| Engineered / stone | $30,000-$50,000+ | Engineered walls, boulder or natural-stone walls, or multi-tier terracing. |
Why a wall on a slope needs drainage behind it
Walls here almost never fail because of the blocks. They fail because water collected behind the wall had nowhere to go. Every wall we build gets clean washed stone behind the face, a drain pipe at the base running to open ground, and fabric so the drainage never clogs. On a slope that matters double, because the uphill ground delivers water to the back of the wall every time it rains.
French drain, surface drains, or regrading?
The wall's built-in drainage handles the water that reaches the wall. The rest of the lot may need its own fix, and these are the DFW ranges:
- French drain, $2,000 to $5,000 for one problem spot, $3,500 to $9,000 for a larger system. For ground that stays soggy. Perforated pipe in gravel collects water out of the soil itself.
- Surface drains, $2,000 to $5,000. For low spots that hold water after rain.
- Regrading and swales, $4,000 to $15,000. For water running the wrong direction, often the real fix on a slope.
Water crossing a patio or driveway is a different problem; our trench drain vs French drain guide covers which catch fits which.
Built-in wall drainage or a separate drain run?
Both have a job. The stone and pipe behind the wall are not optional; they are part of every wall built correctly. A separate drain run enters the picture when water arrives from beyond the wall, when the ground downhill of the wall stays wet, or when the only workable exit point for the water is a long way from the wall itself. On large Westover Hills lots that exit run is often the biggest drainage line item, because the water has to travel a long way to leave the property.
What drives cost on a Westover Hills lot
- Height and length. More wall face is more material and more labor.
- Material. Segmental block costs less than the natural stone these estates usually call for.
- Equipment access. Established landscapes and long drives decide whether machines reach the work or material moves by hand.
- Soil moved. Terracing a real slope means real excavation.
- Drain line length and exit point. Where the water can go, and how far away that is.
Approvals are their own step here: Westover Hills is its own town, so check requirements with the Town of Westover Hills before you build. We prepare the plans and work with the Town and registered licensed trades to get permits filed and inspections scheduled.
Plan the wall, the drainage, and the patio together
Most walls here are built in service of something: a terrace that becomes usable yard, a patio that needs level ground, an outdoor room on a lot that rolls. The excavation, the wall, the drain lines, and the hardscape share the same ground, so designing them as one project through our retaining walls and drainage solutions work costs less than sequencing them apart. Our outdoor living in Westover Hills guide covers the larger project, and landscape lighting is usually the finishing layer.
City-wide wall pricing is in the Dallas retaining wall cost guide, and everything we build in the neighborhood is on our Westover Hills page.
Figures are typical Dallas–Fort Worth ranges for planning, not a quote. Your exact investment depends on site conditions, materials, and the scope of your project.
