I do hope you are not taking credit for someone else's work. Shane, let the mesicans do it. Nobody knows retaining walls better than them. Footing is key, and they do fine ditches. You will be underwhelmed when it is over.
You didn't think for one hot second my beer gut owning ass was bout to pick up a shovel did you. Nah bruh, I will gladly pay Manuel for some manuel
They use deadman ties into the earth bank if they expect it to last. Some are metal and can be augured in.
hard to say about cost, they vary a lot on crossties. But my experience with them has been that they are already starting to deteriorate before the railroad replaces them and sells them and they continue to deteriorate when they are in the ground. Crossties just don't last too long. No big deal if you are selling, but in a place you plan on staying, masonry is better.
Update Little progress on the liability front but what I did find out is the builder was an idiot. Of course I already knew this but anyway, the wall was never to code. I knew this too. So with that said I'm just going to pay the fully qualified and legal to work in the U.S. crew the $350 to fix it.