07/01/2026
🧠 McClain Intelligence™ #005
What I Notice In Less Than 30 Seconds
This homeowner contacted us because they believed their retaining wall was failing.
After evaluating the site, the wall wasn’t my biggest concern.
The water was.
👀 What I Notice
✔️ Downspouts discharging near the wall
✔️ No effective drainage system behind the stone
✔️ Poor grading allowing water to collect
✔️ A wall functioning like a retaining wall without the drainage details typically needed to support one
This is a problem we see throughout Tulsa and surrounding communities.
Too often, contractors build what looks like a retaining wall but skip the drainage, backfill, compaction, and water management that determine whether it performs long-term.
Water doesn’t usually create problems overnight.
It builds pressure over time until homeowners begin seeing movement, settlement, or signs that something isn’t right.
💡 McClain Intelligence
The best solution isn’t always rebuilding the wall.
The first step is identifying why the wall is showing signs of distress. In this case, our recommendation focused on correcting the drainage and water management issues before recommending unnecessary structural work.
That’s how you protect both the structure and the homeowner’s investment.
❓ Community Question
If this was your property, what would you do first?
🅰️ Focus on rebuilding the wall
🅱️ Find out why the wall is under stress
👇 Comment A or B below.
📍McClain Fence & Excavating Co.
Serving Tulsa, Broken Arrow, Bixby, Jenks, Owasso, Sapulpa, Sand Springs, Claremore, and surrounding Oklahoma communities with retaining walls, drainage solutions, excavation, commercial fencing, residential fencing, grading, erosion control, and site development.
