The most common reason a retaining wall fails (gets damaged or totally collapses) is due to improper drainage. If water pools around the bottom of your retaining wall, it will compromise the structure, potentially leading to a full breakdown. Other reasons for failure include: Shallow foundation: If your retaining wall isn’t driven deep enough into the ground, it won’t be able to withstand the pressure of wet soil and can fall down. Poor material selection: The best materials for retaining walls include concrete blocks, poured concrete, natural stone, boulders, bricks, and treated wood. Choosing a different option, such as soft stone or getting a bad mix of concrete can seriously damage the wall’s integrity. It’s also important to ensure your retaining wall is reinforced well. Adding weight to the top of a retaining wall: If you build on top of your retaining wall — without taking this extra weight into account before construction — your wall can buckle under the weight because it wasn’t meant to support that much of a load.