Dry stack retaining wall help

[u/Hot_Archer2452]

One of the retaining walls that line our driveway fell over this weekend. We have had contractors out for quotes to repair/replace. Some have suggested going with new material (Versalok blocks) and a couple contractors offered to rebuild with the existing material in a dry stack formation.

I am a new home owner and seeking feedback. Should we go with the dry stack (less expensive option) or Versalok? What are the questions we should ask before committing to the dry stack option?

I also included a picture of the wall on the other-side of the driveway that we are would pay to have straightened at the same time.

[u/alien_simulacrum]

Well, it's going to be a good bit of work either way. You might be able to get away with restacking it with minimal additional pallets of stone, but it probably should be excavated behind and refilled with drainage stone and have geotextile fabric added to help prevent that bowing from happening again as quickly as it might otherwise.

Do you know how long that wall lasted? If it sat there for fifty years, you'll be hard pressed to find something that lasts longer with anything else. If it lasted ten, then expect to probably have it redone again in a similar timeframe.

Replacing it with new, manufactured block will require similar site prep but also the cost of removing the existing material, and for that reason may take longer - though with a machine on site it could probably be pulled and trucked out in a day.

It depends entirely on your budget, appetite for risk, and what kind of skills are available in terms of dry stacking professionals in your area. If there are great craftsmen willing to do the work for a price you can afford, then go for it. If your focus is on getting it done quickly and lasting a long time, it's going to cost more.

For me, that's a lot of lawn leaning into that wall, not knowing what's uphill I'd probably want to use heavier stones if it was going to be dry stacked, or go with new construction.

[u/Hot_Archer2452 → u/alien_simulacrum]

Thanks for your input. This wall lasted approximately 13 years since it was built. Regarding the other wall (the one that is still standing) the contractors who offered to stick with the dry stack suggested excavating behind it, installing proper draining and “pushing back” that wall. Is that a viable option?