Foundation block wall installation in Long Beach CA - a wall built to stay dry and sound
Adding a room or replacing a tired foundation? We plan the block, the moisture barrier and the drainage around your lot's soil.
What does building a block foundation wall involve?
Foundation block wall installation in Long Beach means building a concrete block wall that carries your house and holds back the soil pressing against it, with a moisture barrier and drainage chosen for your lot.
Usually you're adding a room, putting up a new structure or replacing a foundation that's past saving, and the first thing I want to know about is the ground. The price moves mostly with the wall's size and what your soil needs to keep water out, so your own figure comes from the estimate. The schedule turns on the city steps and on when your floor goes in, for a reason I'll get to below. If you're also planning walkway construction around the new space, we can work out the grade and drainage for both at once.
Why homeowners hire us for foundation block walls
You can count on straight answers about your soil, your water and your wall, because I'd rather spend an extra hour looking than guess at what it needs.
The owner comes out
I look at the job myself, then work on site alongside our crew while your wall goes up.
Licensed and fully insured
Ask to see the license at the estimate, and I'll show it to you before you decide anything.
Our own business since 2023
I spent every school summer on masonry crews, then started this business in Long Beach in 2023.
The reason, not a guess
If something on your lot looks off, like standing water, I work out why before saying what the wall needs.
Our satisfaction guarantee
Your wall is backed by our satisfaction guarantee, so call (562) 257-3026 or send the form to get started.
Ways to keep a block foundation wall dry
Which one fits comes down to your soil and how water moves on your lot, so I look at the ground before recommending anything.
Let's talk about your foundation wall
Call (562) 257-3026 or send the form to get an estimate for a wall planned around your soil and your plans.
Why homeowners trust Blockworks with foundation block walls
It starts with the ground. At the estimate I look at the soil and where water goes on your lot, because that tells me what the wall has to hold back. We settle the waterproofing with you before the wall goes up, so the choice gets made with a clear head and not with block already laid.
Then it's build order. Soil doesn't go back against the wall until the floor's in or the wall is braced, because the ground pushes hard and an unsupported wall has nothing holding it against that load. The same care goes into our lighter block work too, like the base for outdoor kitchen masonry.
Questions about foundation block walls
Do I need a permit to build a block foundation wall in Long Beach?
Plan on one, because a foundation wall is part of building or changing a structure, and the city's Development Permit Center issues Building Permits for that work. Under the city's fence and wall rules, a masonry wall four feet or less needs no Building Permit, but the Planning Bureau still reviews the location, height and material of every wall, and a residential wall over four feet above grade needs engineering drawings or installation instructions approved at the center. We check with the city for each job, pull the permit when one's needed and ask early about historic districts and coastal zones so those steps get done first.
Should my block foundation wall be dampproofed or waterproofed?
Waterproof it if water pressure can build up against the wall, and dampproof it if it can't. Codes typically draw the line that way, and the pressure usually comes from a high water table or soil that drains poorly, like heavy clay. Dampproofing fits where groundwater drains away through gravelly backfill into a drain below grade, so I look at your soil before we choose.
How do I know a contractor is licensed to build block walls in California?
Look them up with the Contractors State License Board and check that they hold the classification for installing masonry units in walls. A fencing license won't do, because the board's fencing class leaves out masonry walls. Ask to see the license before any work starts.
Can I pull the permit for a foundation wall myself in Long Beach?
You may be able to, since the city lets the owner of a one- or two-family home get a permit for the home and its accessory structures if they meet its eligibility rules. Otherwise the permit goes to a contractor with a valid California license and an active Long Beach Business License, so it's fair to ask your contractor to show you both.
How much does a foundation block wall cost in Long Beach?
The cost comes down to the wall's height and length, the digging for the footing and what your soil needs to keep water out. A membrane usually costs more than a coating, a drain and gravel backfill add material and labor, and a wall that needs engineering drawings adds that step too. I'd want to see the lot first, and the estimate gives you the number for yours.
What is the best way to backfill a block foundation wall?
Ideally with free-draining, gravelly material that's clear of expansive soil and anything else that can harm the wall. That's the masonry trade's guidance, and since clay can swell when it's wet, I look at what came out of the hole before deciding what goes back in. It also waits until the floor's in or the wall is braced, as I explained above.
What happens when you call about a foundation wall?
Your wall gets planned around your lot and your schedule, starting with a look at the ground and ending with a walk around the finished job.
Call or send the form
Call (562) 257-3026 or send the form, and we get back to you to set up a time that works.
I look at the job
I come out, look at the soil and the spot for the wall, and ask what you've noticed about water there.
Your estimate
You get the estimate for your wall, and once you're ready we sort out the city steps before any digging starts.
Build and walk-through
I'm on site with our crew building the wall, and when it's done we walk the finished job with you.
Foundation block wall installation in Long Beach and nearby cities
We're based in Long Beach and build foundation walls in the cities around it, from Torrance and Lomita to Downey and Bellflower. Pick your city below, or call to talk about your lot.
Get a foundation wall estimate in Long Beach
Call (562) 257-3026 or send the form early, so the moisture plan and city steps are worked out before your build date.