Request a Structural Review
This intake is for retaining walls where failure would affect safety, access, or adjacent structures. The objective is to identify the governing failure mechanism (water, loading, bearing, soil behavior), confirm whether engineering is required, and define a defensible remediation pathway before construction decisions lock in cost and risk.
What This Review Is For
Most clients reach out after noticing movement or cracking near a home, driveway, or pool. Once movement initiates it rarely stabilizes without intervention—especially where drainage and surcharge remain unresolved. The goal is to prevent an incorrect scope and identify when engineering and approvals are triggered.
Best Fit
- Leaning, cracking, bulging, rotation, or separation
- Walls near homes, pools, driveways, entries, or access routes
- Sites with water paths, slopes, soft ground, or constrained access
What You Get
- Initial risk framing and scope direction
- Clarity on repair vs rebuild vs engineered remediation
- Coordination with structural engineers where required
Why This Saves Money
- Prevents rebuilding the wrong wall, the wrong way
- Identifies water + loading drivers early
- Reduces redesign, permit, and “surprise scope” escalation
Submit Details
Send the information below by email. If you’re unsure on any item, send what you have—clear photos matter most. Include wide shots (context) and close-ups (mechanism clues).
Site + Geometry
- Address (or nearest intersection)
- Approx wall height and length
- What’s above and below (terrace, slope, walkway, driveway)
Water + Loading
- Downspouts, surface runoff, ponding, staining
- Driveway/vehicle zones, deck/pool proximity, storage loads
- Any recent changes (grading, hardscape, excavation)
Photos to Include
- Wide view of the full wall run
- Close-ups of cracks, bulges, rotation, separations
- Drain outlets / weeps / water paths (if visible)
Send Your Intake
Email photos + details to assessments@rockback.ca. If it’s time-sensitive, call 416.802.3884 or email emergency@rockback.ca.
- Subject line suggestion: Structural Review – [Street / Neighborhood]
- Optional: include any prior engineering, surveys, or permit notes
- Optional: include when the movement was first noticed and whether it is accelerating
Structural reviews and remediation are delivered by Rockback Environmental , specializing in structural retaining walls, slope stabilization, and complex site conditions across Toronto and the GTA.
Permits & Regulated Areas
Retaining walls may require permits depending on height, adjacency to public access, and site conditions. In regulated areas, conservation authority review may be required. Early review clarifies what applies before construction starts—so scope, engineering, and approvals align from day one.