Concrete block walls in Encinitas CA - a stronger wall with fewer cracks
Need a block fence, or a wall to hold back your slope? We put steel inside and plan the drainage before we start.
Concrete block walls that hold up
Concrete block walls in Encinitas are fences that carry no load, walls that hold back a slope, or part of the house itself, which is our foundation block wall installation work. Failed walls usually went wrong at the start. With no steel inside, they cracked. With nothing to let water out from behind, they started to lean.
We plan for both before any block goes down. Height, length and whether the wall holds back soil move the price most, and the city's permit needs move the schedule. You get your figure in writing after I've seen the site.
What our block wall work covers
From the footing up, these are the parts of a concrete block wall we build and why each one matters.
Footing
We dig out and pour a concrete footing sized for the wall's height and what it holds back, because a wall is only as straight as what's under it.
Steel inside
We put steel in the block so the wall is stronger and cracks less, setting bars in the hollow cores and filling them solid with grout, a runny concrete.
Drainage
On a retaining wall, I plan how water gets out from behind while the wall is still on paper, because trapped water keeps pushing on the block.
Yard walls
A block fence takes weather on both sides, so the materials, design and workmanship decide how well it holds up. Block also makes a solid base for outdoor kitchen masonry.
Tell us about your wall
Send the wall's height, fence or retaining wall, and whether it's by a slope. We reply within one business day to set a free on-site estimate, with no obligation.
(760) 230-9799How we plan a block wall
I'd rather build a wall the slow, right way than a fast one that comes back, and you'll know what we're doing and why before we start.
- I look at it myself. I come out and look at the job myself, and our own crew does the work with me running the site.
- Building walls since 2017. I learned masonry as a helper under an experienced mason before I started this business in 2017.
- License and insurance. We're fully licensed and insured, and I'm glad to answer any questions about either when I come out to look.
- Our word on the work. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job, and I'll tell you straight if your wall needs more than you planned.
Where we work from Encinitas
Advanced Encinitas Concrete and Masonry is based in Encinitas and works in many of the cities around it, including Carlsbad and Oceanside. If your city isn't listed, call (760) 230-9799 and ask.
How your wall gets built
I explain what I see on the first visit and what each step involves, so you know where things stand right up to the finished wall.
The visit
I come out and look at the ground, the slope and where the wall needs to go. I'll tell you straight what I see, including whether a retaining wall needs more than you'd planned.
The estimate
You get a written estimate for your wall, and I go over the steel and any drainage with you. Once you say go, we check with the city and handle the permit application if the job needs one.
The build
Our own crew digs, sets the steel and lays the block, with me running the site. When the wall's done, I walk it with you so you can see the finished work and ask anything.
Block wall questions in Encinitas
Do I need a permit for a block wall in Encinitas?
A retaining wall needs a permit from the City of Encinitas when it's over four feet from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, or when it's holding surcharge, the added weight of a slope or driveway above it. The city notes that a project exempt from a building permit may still need a Planning, Engineering or Fire permit. We check with the city first and file for any permit the job needs.
What is the best way to build a retaining wall on a slope in Encinitas?
Start by finding out what the ground is doing, because the city's retaining wall permit checklist lists a geotechnical report, a study of the soil and slope, when the project sits next to a slope. Plan the steel and drainage from there. We're based in Encinitas and build on plenty of sloped lots here and in the cities around it.
Who is licensed to build a block wall in California?
The state licensing board has a license class that covers masonry walls and fences, whether they carry a load or not, so that's the license to ask about. Anyone in California who builds or alters a structure needs a state license if the project requires a building permit. When you compare bids, also ask how each contractor handles materials, design and workmanship.
How do I keep water from building up behind a retaining wall?
Get a drainage plan into the design before any block goes in, because a block retaining wall needs a way to keep water from building up behind its face. Where heavy, long rains are expected, the trade's design guidance says a continuous drain along the back of the wall may be used along with drains through it. Ask to see that plan in any bid you get.
Will steel inside a block wall help with cracking?
Yes. Steel reinforcement makes a block wall stronger and better at resisting the loads on it, and horizontal steel adds resistance to shrinkage cracking, the fine cracks that show up as block and mortar dry. A quote that includes steel gets you a wall that holds up better against that kind of cracking.
How much does a concrete block wall cost in Encinitas?
A block wall's cost comes down to its height and length, how deep the footing goes, how much steel it takes and how easy your yard is to reach. A retaining wall that needs drainage, a permit or a soil report for a slope costs more than a yard wall. I'll give you your figure in a written estimate once I've seen the site.
Plan your Encinitas wall with us
Call (760) 230-9799 any day or use the form, tell us where the wall goes, and we'll set a time to come look.