Concrete block walls in Brentwood CA - a wall that stays standing on clay soil
Tired of a sagging wood fence or a neighbor's view into your yard? We build block walls that start below ground and stand solid.
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What makes a block wall in Brentwood last?
A concrete block wall in Brentwood, CA is a fence or garden wall built from hollow concrete blocks laid in rows on a footing, and it gives you privacy, security, shade, a windbreak and some quiet from the street, along with a cleaner look than wood.
A block fence takes the weather on both sides, so how long it lasts comes down to the materials, the design and the workmanship, and those are worth comparing between bids as closely as the price. The price itself moves with the wall's length and height, how deep the footing goes and how much steel it needs, whether it holds back soil, the cap and finish you pick, and how easy it is to get block and concrete into your yard. The schedule mostly turns on the footing, because nothing goes up until it's dug, set and poured, and on the weather. My written estimate puts all of that on paper with photos, so you can see what you're paying for before anything gets dug.
How we build a concrete block wall
A good block wall starts below the ground. I set out the wall line with you, then we dig the footing trench and set the steel, including dowels, short bars standing up out of the footing that run into the wall to anchor it, and my estimate spells out both the footing and that steel before we start. Once the footing is poured we lay the block in rows, run steel through the hollow cells and fill them with grout, a runny concrete that bonds block and steel so they carry the load together. I plan the control joints, seams we put in on purpose, ahead of time so if the block shrinks and cracks a little, it cracks there and not across the middle of your wall. Last comes the cap along the top, called coping, which keeps water out of the cells and finishes the look in concrete brick, cast stone, brick or natural stone, and if you'd like a smooth finish, block takes stucco, a cement plaster coat, very well because the two materials are so alike.
A block wall is often one piece of a bigger job. If the block has to carry a structure, that's foundation block wall installation, and if your new wall is going to back a grill and counters, we can plan the outdoor kitchen masonry at the same time so the two are laid out as one job.
Building concrete block walls on Brentwood clay
The soil this area is named for, the Brentwood series, runs about 35 to 40 percent clay from roughly 10 to 40 inches down, which is right about where a wall footing sits. That's background on the area, not a reading of your lot, so I look at your ground before I size the footing, because clay swells when it's wet, shrinks when it dries and takes a shallow footing along for the ride. We're based in Brentwood and work the cities around it, and we see the same heavy ground on jobs in Oakley and Antioch, so the footing gets the same attention there.
I won't guess whether your wall needs a permit. Before work starts we check with the city or county office for your address, and when one is needed we pull it and set up the inspections.
- Call (925) 503-1047
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–10 PM
- Brentwood, CA 94513
What happens when you call Allied Brentwood Masonry and Concrete in Brentwood?
Call or send the form
Tell us roughly how long and tall you're picturing the wall and what it's for. We'll set a time for me to come out and see the spot.
Walk the wall line together
I come out myself, look the spot over with you and point out what I'm seeing, from the slope to anything in the way. You get a written estimate with photos that spells out the footing, the steel, the cap and the price.
Our crew builds the wall
If you go ahead, our crew does the work and I'm there to set the layout. I check the footing and steel before anything gets covered up, because that's the part you'll never see again.
Walk the finished wall
At the end we walk it together, and I show you what to keep an eye on, like the control joints and the cap. A homeowner who knows what to watch for is the best inspector a wall can have.
Why Brentwood homeowners call Allied Brentwood Masonry and Concrete for block walls
I look at every wall myself
I come out to every job, write the estimate myself and come back to set the layout and check the work while our own crew builds it. You deal with one person who knows your wall from the first visit to the last block.
In business since 2021
I learned this trade under older masons for years before I started this business in Brentwood in 2021, and most of our calls are about cracks and crumbling joints. Fixing other people's walls teaches you exactly what to do differently on a new one.
Covered while we work your yard
We're licensed and fully insured. That matters on a wall job, because a footing trench, a pallet of block and a crew are on your property until the cap is set.
Every change goes in writing
California's contractor rules say any change to a home improvement contract has to be in writing, easy to read and understand, and has to tell you about your right to cancel. We write changes up that way before the crew does the extra work, so nobody remembers the deal differently later.
A block wall is only as good as what's under it, so ask any bidder to show you the footing and steel on paper. When you're ready, send us your wall details or call (925) 503-1047.
Request an estimateGet a free written estimate for your block wall
We reply to every form within one business day, and then I come out myself to walk the wall line with you. The estimate is free, written up with photos, and comes with no pressure and no obligation.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Phone
- (925) 503-1047
- Location
- Brentwood, CA 94513
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–10 PM
Questions about block walls in Brentwood
How much does a concrete block wall cost per square foot?
Installing a concrete block wall across the US usually costs about $16 to $19 per square foot, so treat that as a national starting point and not a Brentwood quote. Footing depth, steel, height, whether the wall holds back soil and the cap or stucco all move it. My free on-site estimate gives you the figure for your wall.
What keeps a concrete block wall from tipping over?
The footing does. On a wall that stands on its own base, the footing holds it in place and resists both tipping and sliding, with the steel dowels I mentioned anchoring the wall to it. That's why the footing is the first line I'd read in any bid, ours included.
Does a block retaining wall in Brentwood need engineering?
It might, and one installation guide says to learn the local code requirements for retaining walls before starting a project of any size. Those rules spell out what engineering the wall needs, so they shape the design and the budget from the start. Finding them is part of the city or county check we do before work begins.
What is the best way to build a block retaining wall that drains?
One common way is a segmental retaining wall, where the blocks are stacked without mortar so water can drain out through the face of the wall. For a fence or garden wall that just stands on its own, we use mortared block with grout and steel on a poured footing, because that wall's job is to stay put, not to let water through.
What causes cracks in a new concrete block wall?
Mostly shrinkage, because block shrinks a little as it dries, and if nothing tells that shrinkage where to go, it cracks wherever the wall is weakest. The masonry trade group recommends steel run horizontally through the wall plus control joints placed by local practice, which is why I plan those joints before the first block goes down.
Can I ask my contractor in California who the subcontractors are?
Yes. California rules let you ask, and the contractor then has to disclose any subcontractors on a home improvement contract with each one's name, contact information and license number, while the main contractor stays responsible for the whole project. On our block walls the list is short, because our own crew does the work.
Other masonry work that pairs with a wall
Foundation block wall installation
When the block has to carry a house, addition or deck instead of just marking a property line, this is the below-ground wall built for that load.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
A block wall makes a sturdy back for a grill island and counters, and planning both together means one footing and one finish across the whole yard.
Get a price on your block wall
Have the wall's rough length and height, what it's for and any slope it holds back handy when you call (925) 503-1047, so we can talk real specifics on the first call.
Request an estimateCall (925) 503-1047