I could have done this...

ME>
Just want to drop you a quick email and let you know I reviewed the
wall work today. I would like to chat with you about the alignment
tomorrow.

CONTRACTOR>
I intended to touch on that with you but it escaped me. The reason you see a deviation is because when the first course is stepped, it causes the subsequent courses (above them) to set back twice more on the lower set than the higher set. I will explain Sunday. The only other option, though rarely done or opted, is to build a wall to "go with the grade".

Not much progress

Notice the curve at the end to get back on my property. Hack job!

Day 3 - 6 hours
Day 4 - 6 hours

Blocks Ordered

I tried to order blocks from Home Depot on Saturday, but was transferred around the store. The special order desk finally told me to call back Monday and they could get me pricing and availability. I went with the local Masonry supply store, which gave me competitive quotes and piece of mind that I was talking with an expert.

My contractor wants to use Miradrain instead of gravel. I hope this does not turn into a nightmare. He was also questioning the use of base rock, which makes me wonder did I pick the right guy.

I discovered another issue after reviewing his work on Saturday. I spent $800 on a land survey to find the exact property line. He did not string the property line and the foundation dig has encroached the golf course property. We'll see how our conversation goes today.

Day 2 - 4 hours (1 person)

Selecting A Contractor

After scouring the Bay Area for a contractor I finally selected one today. I had 36 responses to my Craigslist ad. Prices ranged from $600 to $14,000. These folks are a flaky bunch. The short list consisted of a neighbor's wall guy, a land surveyor's recommended a general contractor who recommended a wall guy, the local masonry supplier and one Craigslist response.

The neighbor's guy came in at the highest price, which was odd because he was not licensed. The general's recommendation was just too busy. The masonry guy did not return calls until it was too late. The Craigslist guy provided detailed quotes based on my diagrams. When I finally met him, to my surprise he was ready to start work that day.

Day 1 - 5 hours - 1 person