How to Make a Sloped Backyard Usable in Oklahoma City
Stop fighting the slope and build levels into it. Retaining walls hold the ground back and give you flat terraces. Steps connect one level to the next. Once that's done, a hill you walked around becomes space you actually use.
A lot of Oklahoma City (OKC) backyards have a slope somewhere — down from the house, toward a back fence, or around a pool. Most people just mow it and leave it. That's a big piece of the yard doing nothing.
MASB Construction & Remodeling LLC built exactly this in an Edmond backyard: block retaining walls, a raised terrace, wide lit steps, planting beds, and a walkway down to the rest of the yard, all around the family's existing pool. Marco Barrón, owner and general contractor with 27 years in business, plans the levels with you in the yard before anything is dug.
Here is how it works, step by step.
Our Edmond Terrace and Retaining Wall Build
This is the project behind this guide. Here is what went into it:
- Block retaining walls that hold the raised terrace up above the lawn
- Wide steps built into the walls, so you walk up from the lawn instead of climbing a hill
- Small lights set into the steps, so they're easy to see at night
- A turf area and light gray pavers on the upper terrace, with room for chairs
- Planting beds along the top of the walls, with trees and dark rock
- A long, narrow fire feature set into the pavers behind glass
- A curving walkway from the terrace down across the lawn to a fire pit area at the back of the yard
- All of it built around the family's existing pool
It's not just a wall — it's a yard you can walk through, sit in, and use after dark. See the full Edmond hardscape project.
Signs a Retaining Wall or Terrace Would Help
You don't need a steep hill for this to make sense. These are the signs Marco looks for.
- Part of the yard is too steep to set a chair or a table on
- Rain runs across the yard toward the house or washes soil and mulch away
- You walk around the slope instead of through it
- Grass won't stay put on the steep part, or it's hard to mow
- The yard has one flat spot, and everything is crowded onto it
If two or three of these sound like your yard, levels are worth a look.
What a Retaining Wall Actually Does
In plain words, a retaining wall does four jobs.
- It holds the soil back, so the ground behind it stays put
- It turns a slope into flat ground you can actually use
- It gives you a clean edge for steps, planting beds, and seating
- It helps control where rainwater goes, instead of letting it run wherever it wants
That last job matters in Oklahoma, where a hard rain can move a lot of water across a yard in a short time.
How to Plan the Levels
The walls come last in the thinking. First decide what the yard needs to do.
- What goes on each level — seating, a fire feature, a play area, grass
- Where the steps go, so the walk from the back door to the yard feels natural
- How wide the steps and paths should be for the people who'll use them
- Where the water goes when it rains hard
- Lighting on steps and paths, so the yard works after dark
Marco marks the levels and the wall lines on the ground with you, so you can see the plan before any digging starts.
How Long Does It Take?
Retaining walls and terraces are one of the bigger outdoor jobs we build.
- Larger outdoor builds, like terraces, retaining walls, and walkways, typically take about 4 to 8 weeks or more
- Longer walls, more steps, and more levels push toward the longer end
- The exact length depends on your yard, and you get it before work starts
For the full picture, read how long an outdoor living project takes.
What Drives the Cost
There is no flat price for this kind of work — one short wall and a full set of terraces are very different jobs.
- How long and how tall the retaining walls are
- How many levels and how many steps
- The area of pavers, turf, or concrete on each level
- Fire features, planting beds, and lighting
- Walkways that connect the levels to the rest of the yard
Marco walks your yard and gives you an itemized quote before any work begins. No surprise charges.
What to Expect During the Build
A terrace build follows a set order, so the yard stays manageable while we work.
- The levels and the wall lines marked on the ground and walked with you
- Digging and grading, so each level sits where it was planned
- The retaining walls built, then the steps
- Pavers, turf, walkways, and any fire feature
- Planting, lighting, final cleanup, and a walkthrough with Marco
For more on living through the job, read what to expect during an outdoor living project. If you're still deciding whether it pays off, read is an outdoor living space worth it.
Retaining Walls and Terraces Across the OKC Metro
We build retaining walls, terraces, and walkways across the OKC metro — Oklahoma City, Edmond, Norman, Moore, Yukon, Mustang, and nearby communities within about 30 miles. See our outdoor living services and our Edmond outdoor living page. Want a place to gather on one of the new levels? Read how to plan a backyard fire pit area, or, for shade, pergola or covered patio.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a retaining wall for a sloped backyard?
If you want flat ground you can use on a slope, usually yes. A retaining wall holds the soil back so the ground behind it stays level, and it gives you a clean edge for steps, planting beds, and seating. Marco walks your yard and tells you where walls make sense and where they don't.
How long does it take to build retaining walls and a terrace?
Larger outdoor builds, like terraces, retaining walls, and walkways, typically take about 4 to 8 weeks or more. Longer walls, more steps, and more levels push toward the longer end. You get a realistic schedule before work starts.
How much does a retaining wall and terrace project cost in Oklahoma City?
There's no flat price. Cost depends on how long and how tall the walls are, how many levels and steps you need, the pavers, turf, or concrete on each level, and any fire features, planting, or lighting. Marco walks your yard and gives you an itemized quote before any work begins.
Can you build terraces around an existing pool?
Yes. In Edmond we built block retaining walls, a raised terrace with turf and pavers, lit steps, planting beds, and a fire feature around the family's existing pool, plus a walkway down to a fire pit area at the back of the yard.
Do you build retaining walls outside Oklahoma City?
Yes. We work across the OKC metro, including Edmond, Norman, Moore, Yukon, and Mustang, and nearby communities within about 30 miles of Oklahoma City.
Got a Slope You're Not Using?
Schedule a free in-home consultation. Marco will walk your yard with you, show you where levels, walls, and steps could go, and give you an itemized quote before any work begins.
Schedule Free ConsultationOr call Marco directly: (405) 361-4293