A sheet piling contractor is required to install sheet piling and will generally supply their services to the construction industry and, although there are many different sorts of piling, sheet piling is becoming one of the most common. If a project requires the use of piling with inter-locking steel sheet piles to, for instance, obtain a continuous barrier in the ground then a sheet piling contractor will be used. The majority of works carried out by a sheet piling contractor will involve construction of retaining walls and cofferdams and these will often be erected as temporary structures to enable permanent works to be carried out. A sheet piling contractor will often be required to drive piles in soft soils and constricted spaces and, in the construction industry, the sheet piles are usually made from steel. Complex structural design methods will be used by a sheet piling contractor for specifying sheet piling walls, but as a rule of thumb, piling is one third above ground and two thirds below ground. Taller sheet piling walls may require the sheet piling contractor to affix a tie-back anchor placed in the soil some distance behind the wall face and fastened by a cable or a rod. The sheet piling contractor must also ensure there will be proper drainage behind the retaining wall as this is critical to the performance of the wall. Drainage materials will reduce or eliminate the hydrostatic pressure and increase the stability of the fill material behind the wall, assuming that this is not a retaining wall for water.

A steel piling contractor will also supply their services mainly to the construction industry. There are many types of piles that may be used by a steel piling contractor depending on the application. Drilled piles also known as drilled piers or cast-in-drilled-hole piles (CIDH piles) or cast-in-situ piles offer larger diameter piles. Rotary boring techniques permit the steel piling contractor to drive piles through particularly dense or hard strata. Construction methods depend on the geology of the site and in particular, whether boring is to be undertaken by the steel piling contractor in 'dry' ground conditions or through water-logged but stable strata - i.e. 'wet boring'. 'Dry' boring methods employ the use of a temporary casing to seal the pile bore through water-bearing or unstable strata overlying suitable stable material. Upon reaching the design depth, the steel piling contractor introduces a reinforcing cage and concrete is poured in the bore to the required level. The casing can be withdrawn or left in situ. 'Wet' boring also employs a temporary casing through unstable ground and will be used by a steel piling contractor when the pile bore cannot be made water-tight. Boring is then undertaken using a digging bucket to drill through the underlying soils to the required depth. The reinforcing cage is then lowered into the bore and concrete is placed using a special pipe, after which the temporary casing is removed.

A cofferdam is used to enclose an area in a body of water to allow the water to be displaced so that a dry work environment can be created. It is constructed from inter-locking sheet piling which forms a reusable, water-tight barrier that is typically dismantled after completion of the works. The cofferdam is often used for facilitating coastal work or work near or in rivers. The ability of a cofferdam to create a dry work environment means it is invaluable for applications such as bridge repairs and harbour works. Types of sheet piling used in the construction of a cofferdam include Z-type (intermediate/deep wall construction), arch shaped/light weight type (shallow wall construction), Larson type, and flat/straight type. The cofferdam is made up of tightly connected sheet piling and can be sealed with water-resistant mastic. A cofferdam will be installed around the work area and then all the water it contains is pumped out to expose the water bed. Workers can then construct structural supports, enact repairs, or perform other types of work within the cofferdam, in a dry environment. In some regions of the world, a cofferdam is better known as a caisson. The cost of temporary works such as a cofferdam is a significant portion of the cost of a civil engineering or building project and it is essential therefore that their design and implementation is considered carefully at the outset.

A retaining wall is a structure that is used to hold back soil or rock from a structure or area. A retaining wall will prevent slip movement or erosion and provide support for vertical or almost vertical gradients. Cofferdams and bulkheads, structures that hold back water, are also considered to be types of retaining wall. Steel piling will make a very high performance retaining wall and such structures are often used in heavy construction work such as barriers on beaches to stop the soil behind eroding and collapsing. The segmental retaining wall has become more popular than poured-in-place concrete walls or treated-timber walls as they are more economical, easier to install and more environmentally sound. The most important consideration in proper design and installation of a retaining wall is the lateral earth pressure behind the wall which depends on a function of the angle of internal friction and the cohesive strength of the retained material together with the direction and magnitude of movement that the wall must resist. Lateral earth pressures are usually smallest at the top and increase toward the bottom of a retaining wall. Earth pressures will push the wall forward or overturn it if these issues are not properly addressed. Also, groundwater that is not drained correctly behind a retaining wall will cause additional horizontal hydrostatic pressure. When used in permanent works, a retaining wall can be designed to accommodate vertical, in addition to, horizontal loads.