Concrete block walls in Salinas CA - a wall that stays straight and sound
Tired of a leaning wood fence or an open yard? We build concrete block walls on a solid footing, with the steel spelled out.
Request an estimate
What goes into a block wall that lasts in Salinas?
A concrete block wall is a masonry fence or garden wall, and in Salinas we build them for privacy, security, screening, shade, wind protection and a quieter yard, laid out around the jobs you need yours to do most.
Most people who call us are done with a wood fence that keeps leaning, or they want the yard closed off from the street. A block wall takes the weather on both faces, so the materials, the design and the workmanship decide how long it lasts, and they're worth comparing right alongside the price. The price moves with the wall's length and height, how much footing and steel it needs, how many corners and gates it has, how easy the spot is to reach and whether you want a cap or stucco. The schedule turns on any permit and inspections, the weather and how long the concrete needs before we build on it. If the wall has to hold back a slope, that's a retaining wall, which is a different job. My written estimate puts your own figure on all of it.
How we build a concrete block wall
I start by walking the line with you and marking where the wall runs, because the corners, gates and ends shape the footing before anything else. Our crew digs the trench, sets the steel that ties the footing to the wall and pours the footing. Once it's ready we lay the block, run steel through it and fill those hollow cores with grout, a soupy concrete, so the wall works as one piece, and we handle crack control the way we planned it. A block wall's strength sits mostly in the footing and that steel, and you won't see either once it's up, so our estimate spells both out. I'll also ask whether you want a cap on top or a stucco finish to match the house, and we clean up when we're done.
The same footing, block and steel work carries over to foundation block wall installation, where the wall holds up part of a house, and to outdoor kitchen masonry, where a block base sits under the grill and counters.
Concrete block wall permits and ground in Salinas
In Salinas, the city's Permit Center reviews, issues and inspects building permits, and that's the office to ask whether your wall needs one. I won't guess at that from the driveway, so I'll check before we dig. You can reach the Permit Center at 65 West Alisal Street, at epermit@salinas.gov or at 831-758-7251. When a job needs a permit, we handle the application and the inspections with the city or county office that covers your property, and we keep you posted on where it stands.
Much of the valley sits on the Salinas soil series, deep, well drained ground on river plains, fans and terraces, with dry summers, some fog and cool, moist winters. A soil series describes a region and not your lot, so on jobs here and in Gonzales and Soledad I look at the soil in the footing trench before we pour, and I pay attention to how the top of the wall will shed winter rain. Blockworks Salinas Concrete and Masonry is based in Salinas and works in the cities around it, so if yours isn't on our list, call and ask.
Block walls and masonry work
Get a written estimate for your block wall
We reply within one business day, by phone or through the form, to set a time for me to come out. The estimate is free, done on site and comes with no obligation, and it lists the work, the materials and the reason for each so you can compare it fairly with other bids.
(831) 243-7031Block wall questions from Salinas homeowners
How much does a concrete block wall cost in Salinas?
The cost comes down to the size of the wall and what goes under it, so I can't give you a fair number until I've seen the spot. Length, height, the footing and steel, corners and gates, access for the crew and the finish you pick all move the price, and a stucco finish adds to it. The written estimate breaks those out so you can compare bids line by line.
What does the footing do on a concrete block wall?
The footing holds a freestanding wall in place and keeps sideways loads from tipping it over or sliding it. A national masonry trade group's general guidance, which is older and not written for Salinas, notes that steel dowels typically run up from the footing into the wall to anchor it. That's why it's worth asking any builder how big their footing is and how the steel ties in.
How do I keep a concrete block wall from cracking?
Horizontal steel in the wall plus control joints, planned breaks that let the block shrink without cracking at random, is what that same trade group recommends, with the joints placed by local practice. Its guidance adds that with enough horizontal steel, control joints may not be needed in some cases. Ask each builder how they'll handle both, and I'll write down which we're using on your wall and why.
Should a block wall have a cap on top?
A cap is worth having on most block walls, because the trade group's guidance says a coping, the cap along the top, protects a block fence from water getting in and can improve its look. When you compare quotes, check whether each one includes it.
How long does it take to build a block wall in Salinas?
Most of the time goes to things around the block itself, like any permit and inspections, the footing and grout setting up, and rain in the winter months. A longer wall or a stucco finish adds steps, since stucco goes on in coats. I'll walk you through the order of the work when I come out so you can plan around it.
What is the best way to make a block wall match a stucco house?
Stucco the wall, because the trade group's guidance calls concrete block an excellent base for stucco, since the two materials are so alike. Bring up the finish when I come out, so the footing and wall are planned around it from the start.
Plan your Salinas block wall with us
We take calls seven days a week from 7 AM to 10 PM, so ring (831) 243-7031 at a time that suits you.