15+ Majestic Stamped Concrete Retaining Walls to Accentuate your Landscape

Whether you live on a hillside or you want to create a decorative landscape, you might need retaining walls to provide support to your slopes of soil.

These walls are meant to retain soil, and the retained soil is usually known as backfill.

Retaining walls can be structured with various building techniques and materials, such as stamped concrete.

Stamped concrete is basically concrete with patterns, textures, or embosses to resemble wood, tile, stone, flagstone, slate, brick, or any other textures and patterns.

For retaining walls, this material will give you a nice decorative look for your landscape.

Apart from that, compared to other materials, there are many benefits of using stamped concrete retaining walls:

1. Strength: stamped concrete is known as a solid material, an essential quality when you’re holding up tons of soil and water. After being installed, the concrete retaining wall will be set in place, increasing its strength further.
2. Durability: stamped concrete walls can last for a century.
3. Resistance: This is the right wall if you want a material that is rustproof, rot-proof, and fireproof. Precast concrete can also be resistant to harsh winter climates.
4. Easy to install: Usually, it is easier and faster to install a stamped concrete retaining wall compared to other materials and structures.
5. Flexibility: Stamped concrete will let you build angles, curves, or even a staircase in the retaining walls with a minimum effort.
6. Low maintenance: stamped concrete walls only need a simple cleaning. You should only clean it once annually and inspect it occasionally for wear, tears, and cracks. Those cracks are easy to patch with mortar too.
7. Affordability: When it comes to cost, installing a stamped concrete retaining wall is in mid-range cost. So it won’t cost you much.

If you are convinced to build a stamped concrete retaining wall, here are some pictures to inspire you:

1. Mountain Style Stamped Concrete Retaining Walls with Steps, Ramp, and Sidewalk

This landscape has a mountain-style design, thanks to the rock-shaped stamped concrete. The retaining walls here are constructed with stamped concrete that mimics rocks perfectly.

It appears that the walls are not high because they are not meant to retain a huge amount of soil. Instead, these retaining walls are useful to create a gardening area.

Yes, they are used to keep the soil in its place too, but they are not meant to provide support for a hillside garden.

There are steps, a ramp, and a sidewalk that are made of concrete, too, a less textured concrete.

The retaining walls have some steps in the center, complete with a hand railing. Those steps lead to the sidewalk that opens to other entry steps. Such a long but beautiful way to enter this house.

2. Dark Tan and Stone Pattern Stamped Concrete Retaining Wall

Many people confuse this stamped concrete with rocks. It is because this textured retaining wall looks as if they were made of natural rocks.

However, rocks are not shiny and glossy like this. So, it is clear that this wall features a faux-rock material, which is stamped concrete.

The dark tan look and stone pattern of this stamped concrete retaining wall really gives a classic look to the entire landscape. This wall is used to retain the soil, so it is secured in its place in a garden box.

Since there are multiple levels in this landscape, the wall is needed to make the garden in the upper level. Below the garden box, it is a stamped concrete patio that can be used as a driveway.

3. Timeless Textured Stamped Concrete Retaining Wall in a Traditional Landscape

This is a timeless and classic design of a retaining wall. It is obvious that this wall was built to retain a large amount of soil so it won’t tumble down to the driveway on its side.

This area is located on a slope. So, retaining walls are very much needed.

The walls are made of stamped concrete with a stone-like shape and texture. Its gray color blends seamlessly with the concrete driveway below.

Yet, the textured wall gives more character and visual appeal to the entire look. Even though basically this is a traditional exterior design, but the textured wall makes it look timeless.

4. Angular Low Stamped Concrete Retaining Walls of a Hillside Landscaping

This is an excellent example of modern hillside landscaping. Unlike the other hillside area, this landscape features lovely angular low-stamped concrete retaining walls.

Usually, a property that is located in a sloped area uses a simple classic retaining wall that runs along the front side of the house. This is different. Instead of stretching along the front side of the house, the walls are shaped at a perfect angle.

The walls are low. It is because basically, this front yard mainly has been paved with the concrete paver, so it doesn’t need many walls to retain the remaining soil.

The retaining walls were created along with the paver, so the walkway is surrounded by a lovely garden bordered by the wall.

The stamped concrete of these walls looks like stones and rocks. Combined with regular concrete, this rock-like stamped concrete delivers a mid-century modern look.

5. Stamped Concrete Retaining Wall for a Detached Spa and a Sloped Garden

This retaining wall is useful to retain the soil on a hillside.

The sloped garden is bordered by a wall that is similar to the detached spa. Those walls are made of stamped concrete that looks like rocks. It seems that the stamped concrete is capped by travertine.

A polished cap like this makes the walls are able to be sat upon. Thus, those walls can be used as a bench or extra seating too.

The walls are installed in multiple levels, creating terracing that runs along the perimeter of the garden.

This is a mid-sized Tuscan backyard featuring a rectangular lap hot tub. We can see here that the stamped concrete wall is not only useful to retain soil on a hillside but also to retain water like this in a spa.

6. Rustic Staircase Completed with Stamped Concrete Retaining Walls in Both Sides

Retaining walls are not only structured like a regular wall or designed to be a bench.

In this picture, you see the retaining walls are not like a wall at all. Instead, they are constructed to be an L-shaped outdoor staircase. The staircase is used as an access to and from the lower ground patio.

The stamped concrete here is used for the walls and the steps, even though they are in a different color.

The risers are in a natural brick color, while the walls are in a dark color. Both create a timeless look because dark and natural color combination is never out of style and can fit any design.

The stamped concrete for the risers and the walls take a stone form. The walls look like rocks, while the risers are more like bricks.

The walls are useful to retain the soil. In order to keep it in its place, the homeowners also added pebbles around the terraced garden.

7. Large Modern Backyard with Stamped Concrete Retaining Walls

This is a perfect example of a spacious modern backyard.

The retaining walls are used to keep back the soil in the side yard of this property in the upper level.

The retaining walls are also completed with a metal fence on the side of the house to border the area. However, the walls were installed in an L-shape here. The other L part of this wall is meant to keep the soil at the front side of the house.

It seems that similar retaining walls are also used to set the detached spa. The faux-rock stamped concrete delivers a nice modern look to this front and side yard.

The retaining walls and the spa are both completed with a cap to create a flow and uniformed look too, and so they are safe to sit upon.

8. Traditional Style Stamped Concrete Retaining Wall Beside the Pool

This is another retaining wall that is used to create a gardening spot in a multiple-level landscape.

This traditionally styled landscape has several levels. The top area is meant for a gardening spot with planted grass in it, secured by a retaining wall. In the lower level, there is a gravel area with some bushes against the retaining wall. That area is bordered by a concrete slab in multiple levels, too, creating steps, bordering the pool.

The decorative stamped concrete retaining walls here look a lot like polished stone and wood. The tan color looks flawless paired with the wooden fence above and the concrete paver below around the pool.

Basically, the walls here are useful to frame the pool side.

9. Rock Shaped Stamped Concrete Retaining Wall with Rock Fountain

Who said that retaining walls are only useful for a large area?

This landscape plan proves otherwise. It appears that this small patio and garden are located on the upper level of the main property. That is why the retaining walls are needed.

The walls are made of rock-shaped stamped concrete. Those walls were installed to keep the soils around the water fountain feature stay in their places.

The water fountain is located in the central, surrounded by several areas of gardening spots secured by the retaining walls.

The homeowners chose this textured rock-like stamped concrete to match the real rocks constructed by the water fountain. So, even though basically there are two different materials in this landscape, the entire area looks flawless and congruous.

10. Decorative Stamped Concrete Retaining Wall with Attached Outdoor Staircase

It seems that the retaining walls here are used for a basement window well.

Retaining walls can also be used for that purpose because basements that have window wells are usually located underground. And in order to provide an emergency exit, the homeowners need to build access from an underground basement to the upper ground. Hence, the retaining walls.

These walls are meant to provide support for the soil surrounding.

The concrete here is shaped like bricks with more texture, a decorative stamped concrete that is perfect for a contemporary look.

There is a built-in planter box made of a similar stamped concrete here, which indicates that this is a window well.

In order to give an easy way out, there is an attached staircase that seems to be made of regular concrete. The less structured staircase seems to contrast to the stamped concrete walls surrounding it.

11. Small Contemporary Backyard with Stamped Concrete Retaining Wall and Bench Cap

This is a small and simple contemporary backyard with a patio. Even though it is a simple patio, it is completed with a fire pit, making it a perfect spot for a small intimate get-together.

There is no seating area, but the low retaining wall is completed with a huge slab as a cap that can be used as a bench.

The retaining wall is made of stamped concrete. It is less textured than the previous example, but it is ideal for a simpler and smaller area like this.

The wall is angular and is meant to keep back the soil. It is because this patio is located on lower ground than the main property.

It seems that the fire pit is also made of similar stamped concrete. The patio paver, the fire pit, the bench, and the retaining walls are made of the same material, creating a flow and uniformed look.

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12. Four-story Structure of Large Stamped Concrete Retaining Walls

This is an elegant yard with a beautiful garden. It features a four-story structure, including large stamped concrete retaining walls.

The retaining walls with multiple levels like this deliver an amphitheater-like seating, minus the circular shape.

These retaining walls create terraced concrete planters as well as a living wall, an ideal example of contemporary landscaping.

These walls are low because, basically, they are not meant to hold back a huge amount of soil on a hillside. Instead, they provide multiple levels of huge planter boxes. And these boxes are not planted with exotic or colorful plants.

They are only for mown grasses, so the walls are clearly visible, creating an excellent focal point.

13. Wood Weathered Look on Stamped Concrete Retaining Walls

The stamped concrete retaining walls give more character to this contemporary landscape. It is obvious that this backyard is located on the lower ground. Thus, the retaining walls are needed to keep the soil in its place.

There are two retaining walls here, the larger one and the smaller one. The larger wall is meant to retain a huge amount of soil from the yard above, while the smaller one is simply used as a huge planter box, completed with some bushes and shrubs.

In the smaller retaining wall, there are attached lights that are useful to highlight the area. Those are MS wall lights that have 13 different finishes choices. You can purchase them at fxl.com. Those lights were drilled and installed to the retaining walls after they were formed and poured.

The stamped concrete retaining walls have a wood weathered look, creating a more unique design. The wood-look was attained by attaching a rough cut to the concrete forms.

However, if you want to have this same pattern, you can buy a form liner with a similar design. It may be more expensive, but it is easier to do. The forms can be purchased at formliners.com.

14. Terraced Stamped Concrete Retaining Walls with a Staircase in the Center

These terraced retaining walls feature a concrete staircase in the middle. The walls are made of stamped concrete that shapes like textured bricks, completed with a cap on top of them, so those walls can also be used as a bench.

The staircase here is an access for the homeowners to reach the upper ground because it seems that the retaining walls in this picture are useful to keep the soil in its place.

This landscape is basically not located on a hillside, but the homeowners simply intended to create a staircase with a terraced garden. Thus, the soil needs to be secured right in its place.

These multiple-level retaining walls provide each box in each level. Thus, there are two pairs of huge planter boxes here that can be used for gardening.

15. Brick-shaped Stamped Concrete Retaining Walls with Steps

The retaining walls in this picture are mainly used to create a gardening area.

Since the landscape has multiple levels, the walls are required to hold back the soil to prevent an avalanche. There are concrete steps in the middle of these walls to access the upper level of the landscape.

The stamped concrete here has a brick shape. It is a classic and safe option for you if you want a simple yet textured look for your landscape.

The steps lead to the concrete driveway in the upper level, which is bordered by the garden secured by retaining walls.

16. Mid-sized Backyard with Low Bench Stamped Concrete Retaining Walls

Retaining walls are not solely useful to retain soil in a huge amount. They can also be used to provide support for a leveled ground. This circular retaining wall is an ideal example of that. For a more leveled ground, it doesn’t need a huge or tall wall.

This is a low wall that is completed with a stone cap. Thus, like the previous picture, this low retaining wall can also be used as a bench.

The stamped concrete here has a brick shape with a more textured surface. The patio paver is also made of stamped concrete, although it has a different finish with the retaining wall.

The combination of two different finishes stamped concrete in a mid-sized backyard like this creates a nice traditional yet simple look, especially when there is no additional seating area or any decorative items here.

The retaining wall here is useful to border the garden. The annual flowers in the garden perfectly accentuate the entire stamped concrete patio.

17. Tips When Installing Retaining Walls

After looking at the pictures above, it is safe to say that retaining walls can be used for many different purposes in your landscape.

Whether using them to create a pretty sloping yard on a hillside, preventing soil erosion, or taming a slope to free more useable space, make sure you make the most of your walls by following these tips:

1. Creating spaces: If your yard consists of several levels, retaining walls can be used to create outdoor spaces. To attain this, consider using a geometric theme, like naturalistic, rectangular, or circular form theme. The walls can consist of sharp edges or shear angles to accompany your modern yard. Or, you can create walls that wind through the yard to create a natural flow. Spaces created by walls like this deliver a cozy and intimate look.
2. Terracing: Instead of using a large retaining wall, you can create multiple steps of smaller walls. Terracing ideas like this can convert a hillside slope into a beautiful, lush garden. Terraces can be filled with shrubs, grasses, or flowers to add dimension, enhance visual interest, and provide amphitheater-like seating.
3. Drainage: You can install a drainage system to avoid bulging, cracks, and any other destruction during snowmelt or heavy rain. Installing a drainage system is not as challenging as it sounds. Behind your retaining walls, you can add a simple backfill of stamped gravel. However, in exceptional cases, you need professional help to make provision for weep holes or a perforated pipe.

Good luck with your project!