Tiered boulder wall & cut stone steps
Woodbury, MN
Rotting timbers out. Something built to last a lifetime in.
Mike's Woodbury property had a tiered timber wall system that had been slowly losing the battle with Minnesota's climate for years. Rotting, warping, and overgrown — it wasn't just an eyesore. It was a failing structure holding up a significant amount of grade alongside his home.
He wanted the whole area reimagined — not just rebuilt. Curved boulder walls wrapping around to create distinct planting sections, cut natural stone steps flowing up to the side yard, and a design that looked intentional rather than remedial.
What tied everything together was the curves. The wall doesn't just run straight across the slope — it sweeps and wraps, creating separate planting beds that give the space structure and depth. The cut stone steps don't just connect the levels — they become a feature in their own right.
Rotting timbers. An overgrown slope going nowhere.
Decades of freeze-thaw cycles had done what they always do to timber walls — warped them, rotted them, pushed them forward. The whole system needed to come out before anything new could go in.
Woodbury, MN — demo day · Kubota KX040 with CMP 360° grapple · 2025
The CMP grapple made demo and placement look easy
Most crews tear out a timber wall with a standard bucket and a lot of manual labor. Heritage Outdoors runs a CMP 360° grapple on the Kubota KX040 mini-excavator — a completely different animal.
The grapple rotates a full 360 degrees with 2x the rotational torque of a standard sorting grapple. That means it can grab rotting timbers, twist them free, and place them in a pile — then turn around and set a 400-lb boulder exactly where it needs to go without breaking a sweat. Demo and installation on the same machine, same day.
Timbers out. Boulders in. The slope taking shape.
With the timber walls demolished, the slope was excavated and graded. Then the real work begins — boulders set row by row, with boulder fabric tucked behind each course before backfilling. That fabric is what prevents soil from washing through the gaps between stones over time. Every course of stone is set with the next one in mind — the puzzle logic of boulder wall work applied to a tiered, curved layout.
Woodbury, MN — excavation, boulder fabric, walls, and steps taking shape · 2025
Curved walls. Cut stone steps. A side yard that finally makes sense.
Tiered boulder walls sweep and curve around distinct planting sections — the kind of organic layout that looks like it grew out of the landscape rather than being imposed on it. Cut natural stone steps wrap from the lower yard up to the side yard, flanked by the boulder wall on one side and river rock on the other. A Japanese stone lantern centers the upper planting bed. The whole thing reads as one cohesive design.
Completed tiered boulder wall & cut stone steps — Woodbury, MN — 2025 · Heritage Outdoors LLC
Boulder wall questions we hear all the time
How much does a boulder retaining wall cost in the Twin Cities?
Boulder walls with Heritage Outdoors typically run $40–$100+ per square foot depending on stone type, wall height, site access, and whether steps or curves are involved. We source fieldstone boulders direct from Minnesota's boulder belt — keeping material costs competitive. Cut boulder steps are priced per step at $300–$550+. Heritage Outdoors has a $5,000 project minimum. We always provide a free on-site estimate.
How long do boulder retaining walls last compared to timber walls?
Timber retaining walls typically last 15–25 years before rotting, warping, or failing — especially in Minnesota's wet freeze-thaw climate. Boulder walls are essentially permanent. The stone doesn't rot, rust, or degrade. A properly built boulder wall will outlast the house it's holding up.
Can you replace a failing timber retaining wall with boulders?
Yes — and it's one of the most common projects Heritage Outdoors takes on. We demo the old timber wall with our Kubota mini-excavator and CMP grapple, regrade the slope, and rebuild with natural boulders. The result looks better, holds longer, and requires zero maintenance.
What are cut stone steps and how much do they cost?
Cut stone steps are natural stone treads cut to a consistent size and set into a slope or alongside a retaining wall to create a staircase between grade levels. Heritage Outdoors typically installs Cafe, Wildhorse, and other natural stone step materials, priced at $300–$550+ per step depending on stone type, size, and site conditions. They're one of the most impactful upgrades you can add to a boulder wall project.
Do you install boulder walls in Woodbury MN?
Yes — Heritage Outdoors serves Woodbury and the entire east metro including Cottage Grove, Stillwater, Lake Elmo, Mahtomedi, and White Bear Lake. Call us at 651-219-3668 for a free estimate.
Timber walls failing? Let's replace them with something permanent.
Jacob will come out, walk the slope, and tell you exactly what it would take. Free site visit, no pressure, honest assessment.
Jacob & Haven. Family owned and operated out of Saint Paul. Hardscape and landscape design-build done right — from the first call to final walkthrough.
651-219-3668 haven@heritageoutdoorsmn.com