BEE LAWN SPECIAL | Contact us TODAY about BEE FRIENDLY LAWNS
BEE LAWN SPECIAL | Contact us TODAY about BEE FRIENDLY LAWNS
Planning a retaining wall in Edina? The building code is only part of the picture, because the city’s retaining wall checklist also points to two watershed districts, Nine Mile Creek and Minnehaha Creek, and a larger project may need a district permit before the city signs off. As retaining wall builders working across Edina, Minnehaha Falls Landscaping plans for that from the first visit. We design the wall, line up the approvals it needs, and build it on the drained, compacted base that a Minnesota wall depends on.
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We are long time customers of Minnehaha Falls Landscaping. As I sit on my porch watching the monarch butterflies enjoying my pollinator garden I appreciate the service we’ve had over the years. It started with their snow removal service as we decided doing it ourselves was too much. Next up were the pollinator gardens and replacing our lawn with no mow bee gardens. This year we added garden maintenance to the mix so gardening is not a chore but is enjoyable. We recommend them very highly.
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Minnehaha Falls landscaping did an amazing job transforming our yard. They added beautiful plantings that made the yard feel fresh and new. The lighting they installed really makes everything shine at night. They were professional, creative and very easy to work with. We have had so many compliments from our neighbors! I highly recommend to anyone!
– Laura J.
Edina publishes a checklist of what it needs before approving a residential retaining wall. One item comes from outside City Hall: an issued permit from the watershed district that covers your property when the project triggers one.
| Watershed district | When a district permit applies |
| Nine Mile Creek Watershed District | Work that disturbs more than 50 cubic yards of material or 5,000 square feet of land |
| Minnehaha Creek Watershed District | Land disturbance of 5,000 square feet or more, under its erosion and sediment control rule |
Mature yards bring their own constraints, from established trees to older walls that were never drained properly. Each retaining wall design below starts from those conditions, and our guide to retaining wall materials and construction covers the rest.
Natural stone and boulders suit established neighborhoods, where a new wall should look like it has always been part of the yard. We choose stone to complement the house and set it on a compacted, drained base so it stays in place through freeze-thaw. Native plantings along the top help the wall settle into the landscape.
When a wall climbs past four feet or carries a driveway or patio above it, segmental block with geogrid reinforcement gives the structure the strength it needs. For walls over four feet, Edina asks for engineer-signed drawings and calculations, so we coordinate with a Minnesota-licensed engineer and build to that design, course by course, with drainage behind every layer.
Mature trees are part of what makes many Edina yards feel settled, and a footing trench cut through the wrong roots can cost you the tree. We lay out walls to limit root disturbance where we can, and our soil-first approach means the tree’s needs get as much attention as the wall’s.
An Edina wall can involve the city, a watershed district, and sometimes an engineer, so we keep the steps simple on your end. Here’s the short version of our consultation-to-follow-up process as it applies to retaining walls.
We walk the slope, note trees, drainage, and anything above the planned wall, and confirm which watershed district covers your lot. If you have a property survey, this is the time to share it.
We put the design on paper with a line-item price and note any city or watershed permits the wall will need.
We prepare and submit those permit applications, coordinating with a Minnesota-licensed engineer when the wall needs a signed design.
Erosion controls go in first, then the base, drain tile, washed stone backfill, and the wall itself. We restore disturbed ground, tour the finished wall with you, and return at six months and one year.
When a wall involves the city, a watershed district, and sometimes an engineer, it helps to work with a builder who has been at this for decades. Our roots go back to the Lindgren family in 1957, and owners Russ Henry and Chesney Engquist have carried that experience into every project since 2017.
Edina is one of the Twin Cities communities where we build retaining walls, and we’d be glad to add your yard to the list.
Not every slope needs a wall, and not every wall needs a watershed permit. The only way to know is to take a look. Invite us out, and we’ll walk the yard with you, sort out what your project really involves, and give you a plan you can move forward with confidently.
Under Minnesota's building code, a wall four feet or shorter, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top, generally doesn't need one unless it supports a surcharge like a driveway, and Edina doesn't add a separate city zoning permit for these shorter walls the way some nearby cities do. Walls over four feet need a building permit, a three-foot setback, and drawings, a cross-section, and calculations signed by a Minnesota-licensed engineer. Wall height doesn't decide watershed permits, though, so a short wall that's part of a larger project can still need one.
Only if the project crosses the district's threshold. Nine Mile Creek Watershed District permits generally apply when work disturbs more than 50 cubic yards of material or 5,000 square feet, and Minnehaha Creek Watershed District's erosion control rule applies at 5,000 square feet of land disturbance. A wall built alongside a new patio or major regrading is more likely to reach those numbers.
Edina's checklist points to two districts, Nine Mile Creek and Minnehaha Creek. Each publishes a map of its boundaries, and we confirm yours during the site visit.
Often, yes, with care. We position footings and excavation to limit root damage where we can, and for permitted projects, Edina's checklist can call for a tree protection plan. If a wall would put a significant tree at risk, we'll talk through alternatives first.
A property survey helps if you have one, since Edina's checklist asks for a full site survey on permitted projects. Photos of where water runs, or pools after a storm, are useful too. Otherwise, just bring your ideas for how you'd like to use the space.
As the education and advocacy branch, we work with community partners to create safe places for our pollinators, one garden, yard, business, school, church, conversation at a time. We know that together, we can build the buzz!
As the construction branch of Minnehaha Falls Landscaping, we build outdoor decks, steps, railings, pergolas, fences, and planters. When it gets colder, we step inside to remodel living spaces with creativity and craftsmanship, including cabinetry.
As the gardening branch, we work within your landscape to grow plants, flowers, shrubs and woodland gardens that are beautiful, restorative, and safe for birds, people, pets, and pollinators. We also install bee-friendly lawns and do spring and fall clean-up.
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