Foundation block wall installation in Hawthorne CA - a wall built for the soil behind it
Building a foundation wall with ground higher on one side? We plan the steel and grout around that soil so the wall can take it.
Custom Hawthorne Concrete and Masonry is a Hawthorne masonry business, best known for careful brick repair and solid block walls. That includes foundation block wall installation, the concrete block walls a house, addition or garage stands on, often with soil against one side. We work in Hawthorne and the cities around it.
- Owner looks at every job first
- Backfill waits until the wall's ready
- Site covered and cleaned as we go
What foundation block wall installation involves
A foundation block wall is a load-bearing concrete block wall that a house, addition or garage sits on, and filling some or all of its hollow cores with grout, a pourable concrete, makes it stronger. Most calls come when someone's adding on, building into a slope or replacing a wall that's started to lean. We're licensed and insured, which matters because in California this is licensed masonry work.
The price moves with the wall's length and height, how much soil it holds back, and how much steel and grout that soil calls for. The schedule turns on the same things, plus any permit or engineering the lot needs and when the dirt can go back in. I look at it in person and give you the price in writing.
- Footing first. We dig out and pour the footing, the concrete strip the wall stands on, because every course of block above depends on it.
- Steel and grout. I work out how much soil will sit against the wall, then plan the steel and the grouted cores around that load.
- Laying the block. Our crew lays each course level and plumb, setting steel where the plan puts it so the grout can lock it in.
- Backfill last. The dirt goes back in only when the wall is ready to take it, placed with care so drainage and waterproofing come through intact.
Foundation wall work we build
Most foundation block walls carry a structure and hold back soil at the same time, so the work runs from new footings and walls to rebuilding ones that gave out.
Addition and garage walls
New block foundation walls for a room addition, garage or other structure, built on a fresh footing with the steel the design calls for.
Walls that hold soil
When the ground is higher on one side, the wall is doing the job of a retaining wall too, so it's designed to resist that sideways soil push.
Replacing failed walls
If an old block wall is cracked through or leaning, we figure out why before rebuilding, and some of those calls start as foundation repair.
Bases for outdoor builds
The same footing and grouted block can sit under the counters and grill island for outdoor kitchen masonry or under a raised patio.
If you want a new walkway along the finished wall or some other job not listed here, call or send the form and ask about it.
Why foundation block walls are worth building right
A foundation wall disappears once the house is on it and the dirt's back in. Built right, it carries the load and holds the soil for a long time. Rushed, it's a nice plate with a bad meal under it.
- Design that fits the siteThe city of Covina says its standard block wall details reflect typical conditions, and projects that differ should consult a registered design professional.
- Solid grout at the steelLa Habra's block wall standard fills every cell holding reinforcing bar solidly with grout, which is what bonds the steel and block together.
- Backfill that drainsMasonry trade guidance favors free-draining backfill, loose grains that let water pass, kept free of expansive soil that swells when wet.
- Packed in layersThe same guidance says to keep heavy equipment back from the wall and to place and compact backfill in several layers.
How a foundation wall job runs
I come out and look
You call, and I come out to see where the wall goes and what's around it, like gutters, downspouts and how the yard drains.
You get it in writing
I write up the estimate myself and you get the price in writing, so you can look it over and ask questions before deciding.
Build, clean, walk through
If you go ahead, we prep the site, cover what needs covering and clean as we go. When it's done, I walk the wall with you.
Why homeowners call us for block walls
I'd rather do the slow part right than save a day and hand you a problem. On a foundation wall the slow part is everything under and behind the block, and that's where we spend our time.
Prep comes first
I cooked on restaurant lines before I picked up a trowel, and the habit stuck, so the slow prep gets done before anything gets built.
Learned on real crews
I learned masonry on other people's crews before starting this business in Hawthorne, and solid block walls are a big part of what we're known for.
Our own crew builds it
Our own crew does the work, with me or our lead mason running it, so the person who planned the wall is part of building it.
Backed by our guarantee
Every wall is backed by our satisfaction guarantee. If that sounds like how you want yours done, call (424) 307-8119.
Block foundation walls around Hawthorne
Where the state has found weak soil likely, it can fail in an earthquake, so an undeveloped lot may need a licensed engineering geologist or civil engineer to study it before most structures get a permit. Single-family frame homes up to two stories, outside bigger developments, are exempt, though local agencies can ask for more, so I check your lot at the estimate.
If your job needs a permit, I'll tell you at the estimate, and we handle it with the city or county office for your address and start once it's in hand. Around Hawthorne and nearby cities like Lawndale and Inglewood, we mostly see older houses where gutters and yard grading send water toward a new wall, so we plan for it.
Tell us about your wall
Tell us what the wall holds up and if soil sits against it. We reply within one business day to set a visit, and the on-site estimate is free with no obligation.
Call (424) 307-8119Foundation block wall questions
Does my foundation block wall need steel inside it?
It may, if the wall holds back a lot of soil. Masonry trade guidance says block foundation walls can be built without reinforcing steel, but steel may be required for walls holding back large soil loads. That's why our steel plan starts with how much dirt will sit against your wall.
When can soil go back against a new block foundation wall?
After the floor structure is in place or the wall is properly braced, according to masonry trade guidance. A fresh wall with nothing holding its top can get pushed by the dirt, so we schedule the backfill around that and don't rush it.
Which license covers concrete block wall work in California?
The C-29 Masonry Contractor classification covers installing concrete block for load-bearing and non-load-bearing walls for structures and fences. You can read what it covers on the state licensing board's site, and it's fair to ask any contractor you're weighing which license they hold.
Does a small block wall job in California still need a licensed contractor?
Yes, if the work needs a permit of any kind, even when the job comes in under $1,000, according to the board. A small price doesn't make an unlicensed crew a safe bet on a wall that holds anything up.