Foundation block wall installation in Encinitas CA - built to hold soil and stay dry
Building below ground and worried about soil and water pushing on the wall? We build reinforced block with drainage planned in from the start.
A foundation block wall that holds
A foundation block wall is concrete block built to hold back the soil around a lower floor. In a reinforced wall, grout bonds the block and the steel so they carry that load together. Most failures I see start with water trapped behind the wall or soil pushed back too soon.
The price moves with the wall's height and length, how much digging it takes and the water treatment it needs. The schedule turns on permits and on the floor or bracing going in before soil goes back. Your written estimate gives you the numbers for your lot.
What foundation block wall work covers
Most of a foundation wall ends up buried, so the work that matters most happens before the soil goes back against it.
Footing and block
We dig out, pour the footing and lay the block with steel bars set through it, then fill the hollow cores with grout around the steel.
Water treatment
Before anything is buried, we coat or wrap the outside face of the wall, choosing dampproofing or waterproofing to fit how water moves on your lot.
Gravel and drain
Gravel and a drain pipe are part of the plan from the start, laid along the footing and up the back of the wall before any soil goes in.
Backfill
Backfill, the soil that goes back around the wall, waits until the floor is in or the wall is braced. Ideally it drains freely and has no swelling clay.
Tell us about your wall
Send your address, what you're building and whether you're near a slope or the coast. We reply within one business day and come out for a free, no-obligation estimate.
(760) 230-9799How we build foundation block walls
Planning water and soil takes longer than laying block, and I'd rather spend that time up front than hand you a wall that leaks.
- Our own crew, me on site. Our own crew builds the wall and I run the site, so the person who planned it is there when the block goes up.
- Learned it by hand. I learned masonry as a helper under an experienced mason, and I've run this business for nine years.
- Fully licensed and insured. The state license board's masonry classification covers concrete block, load-bearing walls included, so it's fair to ask any contractor which license they hold.
- Plan the yard with it. If the new level opens onto the yard, ask us about a new walkway or outdoor kitchen masonry while we're planning the wall.
Based in Encinitas, working nearby
Advanced Encinitas Concrete and Masonry is based in Encinitas and works in many cities around it, from San Clemente down to Chula Vista. If yours isn't listed, call (760) 230-9799.
From first call to finish
You'll know what we're doing and why before we start, and you hear it from me at each stage, from the first look to the walk-through.
Visit
You call or send the form, and we set a time. I come out myself, look at where the wall will go, the slope and where water runs, and tell you straight what I see.
Estimate
You get a written estimate that spells out the wall, the drainage and the water treatment, and why I chose each one. I'll also tell you which permits the city will likely want for your lot.
Build
Once you say go, we check with the city and handle any permit paperwork, then the work starts. When it's done, I walk the finished job with you and go over what's behind the wall.
Foundation wall questions in Encinitas
What is the best way to keep water out of a block foundation wall?
Match the treatment to how water drains on your lot. A concrete masonry trade group says codes typically call for waterproofing where water may build up against the wall, and dampproofing where gravel backfill and a drain pipe carry it off. Sheet membranes and panels rely less on surface prep than coatings, and many stay intact if the wall moves.
What causes water to build up behind a foundation wall?
Water builds up when it has no way down and out, so it sits against the block and presses on it. Gravel behind the wall gives it a path to the footing, where a perforated drain pipe, one with holes along its length, carries it away from the house.
What permits do I need for a foundation wall in Encinitas?
The City of Encinitas asks for an Addition Permit when work adds floor area or height, and an Alteration & Repair Permit for work on an existing structure. So it helps to tell me at the estimate whether the wall adds space or reworks part of the house.
Do I need extra permits for a wall on a slope or near the coast in Encinitas?
Some lots do. A wall over four feet, measured from the bottom of the footing up, or one holding surcharge, needs an Encinitas Retaining Wall Permit, and for it the city wants a soils study called a geotechnical report when the site is next to a slope. Building in the coastal zone generally needs a coastal development permit before work starts.
How much does a foundation block wall cost in Encinitas?
Across the US, installing a concrete block wall usually costs about $16 to $19 per square foot. That's the national going rate, not our price, and a foundation wall also carries the digging, drainage and water treatment your lot needs, so I price yours after I've seen the site.
Plan your Encinitas project with us
Tell us what you're building at (760) 230-9799 or through the form while plans can still change, and we'll set a time to look.