West Seattle Slope Stabilization Services
Clay soils, winter rain, and steep yards don’t play nice. If water has no plan, your slope will make one—for you. We focus on drainage, vegetation, and right-sized structures so your hill holds, sheds water cleanly, and stays usable.
We serve Admiral, Alaska Junction, Alki, Fauntleroy, Arbor Heights, Delridge, Gatewood, High Point, Morgan Junction, and Roxhill.
What’s the Problem?
- Seasonal slumps, rills, or slide scars after big storms
- Bare slopes that shed mulch and grow weeds—not roots
- Downspouts dumping on the bank; paths that turn into creeks
- Old timber edging or failing rock that’s walking downhill
- “Quick fixes” (fabric + bark) that wash out in a month
What We Build (function first, pretty second)
- Drainage controls — intercept swales, French/interceptor drains, dispersion trenches or dry wells, splash pads, and safe outlets.
- Erosion-control surfaces — jute/coconut (coir) netting, straw wattles, and coir logs pinned on contour to slow and spread water.
- Vegetated stabilization — deep-rooted, PNW-native shrubs/groundcovers planted on a grid; live stakes (red-twig dogwood, willow) in wet toes.
- Rockery & small retaining — gravity rockery rebuilds and <4’ exposed block/timber walls with drain rock, fabric separation, and weep/pipe.
- Terracing & access — landings, hillside steps, and safe service paths so you can actually maintain the bank.
Straight talk: if you need a tall retaining wall or you’re in an ECA (steep-slope/landslide) area, you’ll likely need a geotech and permits. We’ll flag it early and coordinate.
Our Method (why it actually holds)
- Read water & soil — shot grades, clay vs. loam, existing seeps, neighbor contributions.
- Control the inputs — move roof water to solid pipe and a legal outlet; stop sheet flow at the top.
- Stabilize the surface — coir/jute + wattles on contour; plant immediately through netting.
- Plant to lock the slope — dense, layered natives (salal, evergreen huckleberry, kinnikinnick, oceanspray, sword/deer fern, Roemer’s fescue); groups, not polka dots.
- Right-sized structure — rebuild rockery, add short tiers, or low walls with proper base, drainage, and geogrid where required.
- Finish to maintain — access steps, mower/handline edges, and mulch (2–3”) anchored under the netting—not floating above fabric.
Quick Specs We Aim For
- Netting: 7–8 oz coir/jute pinned every 18–24”; overlaps 6–12”.
- Wattles/coir logs: placed on contour 10–20’ apart vertically (slope-dependent), staked at 3–4’ intervals.
- Plant density: 1–1.5 plants/sq ft groundcover; 3–5 ft stagger for shrubs; live stakes 18–24” on center in wet toes.
- Mulch: 2–3” fine bark/wood chips under netting on steep sections; avoid loose rock mulch on fast slopes.
- Drain fall: aim ~1% (⅛” per foot) minimum on conveyance lines; daylight or dispersion per code.
Reality Checks (no sugar-coating)
- Water wins. If you won’t move it, the slope will—somewhere you don’t want.
- Fabric on bare clay with bark tossed on top is a slip layer, not stabilization.
- Pulling major trees can destabilize soils; prune/underplant instead when possible.
- Big walls need design. We won’t “stack it and hope.”
Our Annual Maintenance Plan
- Storm season checks — walk wattles, pins, and inlets after first big fall rains
- Vegetation establishment — hand-water deep roots year 1; spot-irrigate hot/south aspects
- Weed & invasive control — blackberry/ivy patrol; keep canopy closed with natives
- Edge & access upkeep — keep paths/steps safe so you can reach trouble spots
We’re a low-maintenance landscaping crew. Our goal is fewer problems between visits and less work for you.
Service Cadences
- Quarterly — fall storm prep, winter/spring checks, summer tidy
- Bi-Monthly — recommended for active slopes, new installs, or heavy water inputs
(Fresh builds often start monthly for 60–90 days, then taper.)
What Annual Maintenance Includes
- Clean out inlets/outlets; flush cleanouts where installed
- Re-pin netting/wattles and replace any floaters after storms
- Top up mulch where thin; rake back from stems
- Cutback/plant fill-ins to hit density targets
- Photo updates + a simple slope log so you see trends
Why Annual Maintenance Matters
- Prevents rills before they become gullies
- Keeps roots winning — dense cover beats weeds and erosion
- Protects paths & patios below the slope
- Saves money — small resets avoid major rebuilds
How It Works
- Free Estimate — photos/video or a quick walkthrough; straight, upfront pricing
- Plan & Permits — drainage, materials, plant palette; we flag ECA/engineering needs
- Build Day(s) — drainage first, then stabilization layers, then planting & access
- Follow-Up — watering/establishment guide and a maintenance schedule that fits
Why West Seattle Chooses Neat & Tidy
- Local crew that knows clay pockets, marine-layer rain, wind corridors, and tight alleys
- Licensed & insured; we call 811 and follow permitting rules where required
- Upfront pricing — labor, materials, hauling, and disposal included
- On-time, respectful, clean work (no bark avalanches left behind)
- Green-first approach — native plants, smart drainage, landfill kept low
Ready to make the hill behave?
Call or text Neat & Tidy for a slope plan that moves water, grows roots, and actually holds. We’ll keep it tidy—so you don’t have to.
