We've designed a great new backyard and started the excavation. I rented a Bobcat, Takeuchi TB-16 excavator, and 3 yard dump truck for a couple weekends, and Frank did a great job as truck driver and dirt load cleaner. Fifty cubic yards of dirt, three trees, and a brick patio have been removed so far.
I got bids from licensed landscapers for 100 feet of 4.5' retaining wall and miscellanenous other work. Each came in at about $48K, or about $400 per foot of wall. Tanya researched wall costs for elsewhere in the country and found $35 per foot is typical. Welcome to Marin.
So, it's time to learn about DIY retaining wall construction. "Concrete Masonry Unit" is the term used for what I used to call "cinderblock." You pour a sidewalk-like foundation with lots of rebar in it and sticking up from it. Then you stack courses of specially shaped cinderblock and more rebar. The cavities in the wall run top to bottom and get filled with concrete to complete the CMU wall. Don't forget to put a french drain behind the wall, and get a city inspection at every stage or you'll be jackhammering it apart later. No problem.
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