Foundation block wall installation in Redondo Beach CA - a wall built on solid ground
Planning an addition or a wall that holds back soil? We build block foundation walls on firm ground, braced and inspected before backfill.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Replies within 1 business day.
What goes into building a block foundation wall?
Foundation block wall installation in Redondo Beach means building a concrete block wall on a footing, so it holds up the part of the house above it and holds back the soil packed against it once the digging is filled in.
Most people who call me about this are adding a room, building on a slope, or replacing an old wall that's gone past foundation repair. The cost mostly turns on what's under the dirt, how tall and long the wall is and how much soil it'll hold back. The schedule turns on the city's permit steps and getting the inspection done before we backfill. I'll give you a figure for your own wall once I've seen the ground and any plans you have.
How do you know you need a new foundation wall?
A new room on the drawings
If your plans show an addition or a raised floor, they'll usually call for a foundation wall on a footing under it. It's worth getting a price early, because nothing gets framed until that wall is in and approved.
Old wall leaning or cracked
A foundation wall that's bowing inward, cracking in steps or letting soil push through usually means the weight of the soil has beaten it, often with water helping. Some walls can still be repaired, but the longer it goes, the more of it usually has to come out and be rebuilt.
Damp block after rain
Dark patches, white powder or puddles along a block wall below ground level usually mean water is building up in the soil behind it with nowhere to go. Left alone, that keeps soaking into the room on the other side, so when we rebuild a wall like that, the water is the first thing we plan for.
How we handle foundation block wall installation
We start by digging down to undisturbed native soil, because that's what a footing should sit on, and where the ground turns out soft or weak we dig it out and replace it with compacted soil, gravel or concrete. Then we pour the footing, lay the block course by course, set steel and grout the cores where the design calls for it, and put on the water protection your site needs. Before any soil goes back, we brace the wall against that load and line up the inspection, because a wall meant to be held at the top can crack or even fail if the soil gets pushed against it too early. Only after that do we backfill and clean up.
The work around a new wall often comes next. When the yard is opened up anyway, it's a good time to plan walkway construction out to the new space, and if you've wanted a cooking area out back, we can lay out your outdoor kitchen masonry at the same time so the two jobs don't get in each other's way.
Low wall under an addition
This suits a new room or raised floor on a fairly level lot, where the wall mostly carries the house and holds back only a little soil. It's usually the simpler build, though we check the ground under the footing the same way.
Taller wall against soil
This suits a hillside lot, a lower room or a replacement wall with a lot of soil packed behind it. It takes more thought on steel, grout and drainage, and the bracing before backfill matters most here.
Get a price for your foundation wall
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. We look at the ground and any plans you have, then give you a free estimate on site with no obligation.
Call (424) 265-1368What happens when you call about a foundation wall in Redondo Beach?
Here's how a foundation wall job runs from your first call to the last load of soil going back, and what you'll know at each point.
Call or send the form
Call (424) 265-1368 or send the form with your address and any plans or sketches you have. We'll set a time for me to come out.
I come out and look
I come out myself to look at the ground, the slope and where the wall goes, and I'll answer whatever you want to ask. You get a figure for your wall and a plain explanation of what's in it, so you aren't guessing about cost before anything starts.
We sort out the permit
If you go ahead, we work through the permit steps with your city or county office before any digging starts. You'll know where things stand before the crew shows up.
Our crew builds the wall
Our crew digs, pours and lays the block while I check the work as it goes, and the wall gets inspected before any soil covers it. Then we backfill and clean up.
Why Redondo Beach homeowners call CJ Redondo Beach Concrete & Masonry for foundation walls
When you're ready, send me your address and any plans or sketches, and I'll set a time to come look at the ground with you.
Running this business since 2017
I grew up mixing mortar for my uncle, came back to the trade after years in other work and started this business in 2017. Those nine years taught me to explain a wall before we build it, so you know what's going in beside your house and why.
Licensed and fully insured
We're licensed and fully insured for the work we do. That matters on a foundation wall, because the digging runs right beside your house and the finished wall carries part of it.
I check the work myself
Our crew does the digging and the block work, and I'm on site checking it as it goes, most of all the ground under the footing. Nobody can see that part of your wall once the soil goes back, so I won't take it on trust.
We look up your lot first
Redondo Beach offers a hazard zone map for plan check that shows flood zones, oil wells and other hazards, and I go over your lot on it with you before plans go in. What it shows can change how deep we dig and what goes under the footing.
Foundation walls, permits and inspection in Redondo Beach
The ground is the big local question, because it decides how deep we dig and what goes under the footing. A state map shows areas where liquefaction may happen, which is when loose, wet soil loses its strength in a strong earthquake. If your lot sits inside a mapped zone, the city may ask for that hazard to be looked into and reduced as part of the permit. On jobs around here we also run into soft pockets and old fill that have to come out before a footing goes in, and we run the same checks on jobs in Torrance and Hermosa Beach.
Redondo Beach requires an inspection before work is covered up, and the work isn't approved until the city's inspection staff accept it. For a foundation wall, that means the city sees the footing and block before any backfill goes in, so we book that inspection ahead and keep the soil off until it passes.
Questions about foundation block walls in Redondo Beach
How much does a foundation block wall cost in Redondo Beach?
There's no set price, because the cost comes from your lot and your wall. The big swings are how much soft soil has to be dug out and replaced under the footing, how tall and long the wall is, whether the design calls for steel and how many cores get grouted, and whether the site needs waterproofing or lighter dampproofing. I'll give you a figure for your wall once I've seen the ground and any plans.
Does a block foundation wall need steel reinforcement?
Not always. Block foundation walls can be built without steel, but steel may be required when a wall holds back a lot of soil. Ask each bidder how they handle it, and on your job I'll tell you whether the design calls for steel and why.
What is the best way to keep a block foundation wall dry?
Match the protection to the water in your ground. Building codes typically require dampproofing where water pressure from the soil won't build up, and waterproofing where it may, such as with a high water table or heavy clay backfill that doesn't drain. Dampproofing suits lots where water drains through gravelly backfill into a drain below, so we look at your soil before we choose.
What is the best way to grout a block foundation wall?
It depends mostly on how close together the vertical steel sits. A partially grouted wall has grout only in the hollow cores that hold steel, while a solidly grouted wall has every core filled. When the steel is spaced close together, solid grouting may be faster and cost less.
How do I find out if I need a permit for a foundation wall in Redondo Beach?
Call Redondo Beach Building & Safety, and they'll tell you whether your wall needs a building permit. All applications and plans go through the city's Citizen Portal. We check those steps with the city before work starts and take care of the permit when the job needs one.
What license does a contractor need to build a block foundation wall in California?
Look for a contractor who holds the state's masonry classification, which the Contractors State License Board says covers laying masonry units for load-bearing and non-load-bearing walls. Ask each bidder which classification they hold before you sign anything.
Work that often follows a new foundation wall
- Outdoor kitchen masonry
Once the yard is graded and settled again after the foundation work, a built-in grill counter or bar in block and stone can go where you'll use it.
- Walkway construction
Digging for a foundation wall usually tears up the path to the side or back door, and a new walkway puts a firm, even route back in.
Cities where we build foundation walls
CJ Redondo Beach Concrete & Masonry is based in Redondo Beach, California, and we work across the cities around it, including Gardena and Manhattan Beach. The 12 cities below each have their own page, and they aren't the only places we work.
Redondo Beach, CA
Book a look at your foundation wall
Call (424) 265-1368 or send the form with your address, any plans or sketches and what the city's hazard map shows for your lot, so the visit can start right at the ground.