How Soaring Concrete Costs Are Changing How People Landscape Their Yards

Whether you wish to build a retaining wall in your yard, make an addition to your house, or use the best material for garden paths and steps, you can't overlook concrete. However, this composite material's rising costs may give you pause and alter your landscaping plans. To understand why this is happening and how it's affecting designers, builders, and homeowners, Hunker exclusively interviewed Brad Holley, owner of The UnDesign in Dallas. 

"Concrete is a delicate mixture of ingredients, and every single ingredient in it must first be extracted from the earth," he said. "Whether they're being scooped, drilled, pushed, cut, crushed, blasted or mined right out of the ground, every related action requires a lot of gas and a lot of oil." In short, Holley said, "the primary driver of rising concrete costs has everything to do with the energy and fuel required to acquire, create and distribute that concrete." And since both fuel and electricity costs are on the rise, this material is getting more expensive. 

Despite this, Holley said, "concrete has always been (and currently still is) one of the most economical choices you have when you need a hard, sturdy surface anywhere in a construction or renovation project." This isn't to say people aren't being cautious; some, he said, are putting their dreams on hold. But others are "choosing to avoid the markup and convenience of hiring a contractor and instead, logging on to 'YouTube University' and learning how to DIY their way through a project all by themselves." He also said that some cut down a project's scope, compromise on its size, or opt for comparatively economical alternatives.

Though concrete is prized for providing a smooth surface and helping keep furniture in place, there are landscaping projects that don't require it. For instance, you can ditch the concrete and try a few stylish alternatives for your driveway. Building an outdoor gathering space, around a cozy fire pit or welcoming patio, is another instance where concrete isn't a necessity, Holley told us. "You could look into dry-laid pavers, or even covering your gathering space with crushed gravel. And if crushed gravel sounds compelling to you, you can even think about utilizing different types and colors at the same time to create beautiful designs and contrasting borders."

Concrete is also popular for exterior walls. "Whether we're talking about retaining walls or planter bed walls," he said, "steel-reinforced concrete has always been a favorite because even when the ground shifts and the concrete cracks, it still stays together and continues to hold whatever it needs to." But if you're worried about the related costs, forget pricey concrete, as there's a cheaper way to build a retaining wall, he said. "You can connsider stacking stones, blocks or even landscaping timbers to create your walls." 

However, Holley said, before going this route there's a caveat you should be aware of. "I do want to point out though that when walls get to a certain height, or when the load they're holding gets to a certain threshold, concrete will eventually become necessary again, so it's not always avoidable."

While your pockets will feel the pinch if you use concrete for landscaping projects, you can't substitute other materials where structural integrity is a priority. "Anytime you have an area or feature that will be under a heavy load, or needs to withstand lateral forces, concrete is often the only option," Holley said. "Whether you need a tall retaining wall that's going to be holding back 6 vertical feet of earth or an engineered slab that will be supporting a large greenhouse or outdoor living structure, there is no substitute for concrete." It won't buckle under pressure.

Additionally, he said, you should rely on concrete when adding a water feature, like a small pond or fountain, to your yard. This is especially important if you're digging deep or you want the walls to be steep. "The reason being, when it rains, soil becomes saturated. Any time you have saturated soil that is also sloped ... it will want to move, slide or shift with the added weight of the water — water which is also moving horizontally through the soil."

You should also go for concrete if you want to plant trees in your yard and keep them separated, Holley advises. Landscaping fabric can work, he says, but tends to wear out with time and isn't as effective at keeping the roots in check. "Over time, even a concrete wall can shift and crack," he adds. "But it's going to offer some of the highest reliability in the long term."