Foundation block wall installation in Lancaster CA - a wall that carries the house
Adding a room, building on a slope or replacing an old wall under the house? We build it from design through every inspection.
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- Foundation block wall installation
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- (661) 952-4077
When does a house need a new foundation block wall?
Ground that drops away
You're planning to build where the ground falls off under one side of the house, so the wall will have soil against one face and framing on top. That usually means a foundation block wall, and it's worth settling early, because a wall worked out late can send the plans back for changes.
A new room below the yard
An addition or garage set lower than the yard needs a wall under it that carries the new room and holds the dirt back. If that wall isn't worked out before you go for a permit, the whole project waits on it.
An old wall cracking or leaning
Stepped cracks or a lean in the block or brick under part of the house usually mean that wall is giving under the load. Some of these can be handled as foundation repair, but a wall that keeps moving keeps carrying your house while it moves, and the longer it goes, the more has to come out.
What goes into a foundation block wall in Lancaster?
Foundation block wall installation in Lancaster means building the masonry wall under part of your house from concrete block, steel bars and grout, bonded so the three act together to carry the house above and, on a sloped lot, hold back the soil on one side. Much of the calendar on these jobs goes to design, the city's review and the inspections between stages, more than to laying block.
Most people who call about this are adding a room, building on a lot that slopes or replacing an old wall under the house, and the first thing they want to know is what it'll take. The price mostly follows the wall's height and length, how much soil it holds back and whether an engineer has to design it, since those decide how thick the wall runs and how much steel and grout go in. The schedule turns less on our crew than on the drawings, the city's plan check and an inspection at each stage, so I'll tell you up front which of those your wall will need. California's licensing board puts structural load-bearing masonry under its masonry contractor classification, and we're licensed and fully insured, so you're hiring the right kind of contractor for a wall that holds up your house. When I come out, I write down what we'd build and why, and you can ask me about any line on it as many times as you like.
Details to note before an estimate
- Rough height and length of the wall
- Depth of soil the wall holds back
- What will sit on top of it
- Any plans, drawings or engineer's calculations
How we build a foundation block wall
These walls hold up part of your house, so when a lot calls for an engineer, we build from that design and don't make changes on the fly. Our crew digs out and sets the footing with its steel, then lays the block with upright bars running through the cores and grouts them so the wall works as one piece. We plan the job around the inspections and leave each stage open until the inspector has seen it, because covering work early only means tearing it back open. Once the wall is approved, we backfill against it, bring the soil back to grade and clean up the site.
After the backfill, the ground along that side of the house usually looks different than it did, and that's a good time to finish it. We handle walkway construction when the path to a side gate or back door needs to follow the new grade, and outdoor kitchen masonry when the leveled yard turns into a place to cook and sit.
Work that often comes after the wall
Walkway construction
Building the path after the heavy digging means equipment won't chew it up, and it ties the new wall into the rest of your yard.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
A built-in grill counter framed in block fits well beside a new wall, and it can be finished to match the house.
What happens after you call about a foundation block wall?
Call or send a message
Call (661) 952-4077 or use the form, and tell us a little about the house and what the wall is for. We set a time for me to come out to the lot.
I walk the lot
I look at the slope, what the wall has to carry and any plans you already have, and tell you if I think it's a wall that needs an engineer. You get a written estimate in plain words that lists what we'd build and why, so you know what you're paying for.
We handle permits and plans
If you go ahead, we apply for the permit with the city as your contractor and submit the plans. Smaller projects can often be plan checked at the city's front counter, and larger ones go in for review, with the first plan check usually done within three weeks.
We build around each inspection
Our crew builds the wall stage by stage, and I call for each inspection before anything gets covered up. I check in while the work's underway and walk the finished wall with you.
Questions before you build a foundation block wall
Do I need a permit for a foundation block wall in Lancaster?
Yes, the city requires a permit from Lancaster Building and Safety before any work that physically changes or adds value to your property, and a foundation wall does both. The permit may also call for building plans, which the city reviews for code. We're based in Lancaster and work across the Antelope Valley, so we check with the building office that covers your address, whether that's a city or the county, apply as your contractor and set up the inspections, and the division takes questions from homeowners if you'd like to ask yourself.
How do I know if my foundation wall needs a structural engineer?
One permitting service's reading of the California Residential Code says a licensed structural engineer should design taller walls, walls on unusual soil such as expansive clay or high groundwater, and walls on a slope that loads them unevenly. On those lots the engineer designs the wall and the plans go in with stamped calculations. Building and Safety is where to confirm it for your own lot, and I'll tell you on the walk what I see.
Does Lancaster require a soils report for a foundation wall?
Lancaster needs a soils report when the developed area is over 600 square feet or when the engineering calls for one. The city's building office also keeps a document on its seismic hazard and liquefaction zones, so it's worth asking whether your lot falls in one, and we ask that when we check on the permit. Either one adds time before the plans are done, so it helps to know early.
What inspections does Lancaster do on a foundation block wall?
The city lists a block wall footing inspection and a block wall grout inspection, and the footing one comes after the digging is done and all the required steel is in place. Lancaster doesn't accept photos or video in place of a visit, so each stage stays open until the inspector approves it. Before we start, I'll tell you when each one gets called so the schedule has room for them.
What is the best way to grout a foundation block wall?
The best way is the one your wall's design calls for, since a partly grouted wall fills only the block cores that hold steel and a solidly grouted wall fills every core. The masonry industry's guidance is that when the upright bars sit close together, solid grouting may be faster and more economical. Your estimate will say which way we'd grout your wall and why.
How much does a foundation block wall cost in Lancaster?
Installing a concrete block wall across the US usually costs about $16 to $19 per square foot of wall, and that's a national figure, not a Lancaster price. Your own number comes from the estimate, written for your wall, your lot and whatever design and reports the job needs. Whatever the size, it's satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
Get a written estimate for your foundation block wall
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I come out, look at the lot and write you a free estimate on site in plain words, with no obligation to go ahead.
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Send us your wall's height and soil depth
Those two numbers let me show up with a fair idea of the wall you're looking at, so the first visit gets more done.