Can you use sandbags instead of cement bags to construct a retaining?

Hi Kathy, Wall? Yes but it will not be as strong or last that long, as the bags rot! Maybe if you used Sand and Soil and maybe add seed into the mix, you could get a grassy bank or a flower bank. or you could use just soil. Water each level of wall to help compact it. Good luck!

Cement bags? I have never seen that? Interesting. I am sure you could use sandbags, but they are only meant to be temporary, not a permanent method for a stable retaining wall. Typically used to divert water during flooding. What is the project in question? Wouldn't a brick, stone, wood or metal retaining wall be more aesthetically pleasing rather than a pile of sandbags which could potentially topple over?

Sand will quickly wash out of the bags, so it would not be a good choice by itself for a retaining wall. Bags of cement would last longer, because as water seeps into the bags, they will get very hard, but they will dissolve at a slower pace. Use rocks and bricks and prepared cement or concrete for a wall that should last longer. Kathy, you may be able to pick up scrap rocks or bricks at a building site (with permission!). Choose wisely and enjoy your wall. ☺️