Foundation block wall installation in Compton CA - walls built for the soil behind them
Planning a basement or addition, or replacing a cracked foundation wall? We build block walls sized to your soil, with steel and drainage planned first.
What goes into building a block foundation wall?
Foundation block wall installation in Compton means building the concrete block walls that carry your house and hold back the soil pressed against a basement or crawlspace. R&S Compton Concrete and Masonry builds them in Compton and the cities around it.
You're usually here because you're adding a lower floor, building on a lot that needs one, or replacing an old wall that's cracked or pushed in. The price moves with the wall's length and height, how much soil it holds back, whether the block cells get steel and grout, and how much water protection the ground calls for. The schedule turns on the permit, the inspections and when the floor above goes on, since the backfill waits for it. I'll give you your own figure in a written estimate after I see the lot, and if the plan also has a path around the house, we can price the walkway construction on the same visit.
Why homeowners pick us for foundation walls
You get a wall sized to your soil and your house, with the right steel and water protection and nothing heavier than it needs. I'd rather tell you no than oversell.
I look at every job
I come out myself, check the soil and the house, and write the estimate, so you know who planned your wall.
Our own masons, checked as they go
Our own crew lays the block, and I'm on site checking the steel, grout and courses while the wall goes up.
In business since 2017
We've built brick, block and stone work since 2017, and before that I learned the trade working on masons' crews.
Licensed and fully insured
We're licensed and fully insured, so you aren't carrying the risk of an uninsured crew digging and building under your house.
Satisfaction guaranteed
That's our promise on the finished wall, and it starts with a call to (562) 232-8311 or a note through the form.
Foundation block walls we build
Which wall your house gets depends on how deep the floor sits, how much soil leans on the wall and how wet the ground stays, which I check on site.
Let's plan your foundation wall
Call (562) 232-8311 or ask for an estimate at your property, and have your address and the wall's planned size handy.
Homeowners trust R&S Compton Concrete and Masonry for foundation walls
I start by looking at the lot, the soil and the house, because those decide how hard the ground will push and how much water sits against the wall. We settle the steel and the water protection plan before the first block goes down, so nobody's guessing with the wall half built.
Our crew lays and grouts the block with me checking it, and we hold off on backfill, the soil pushed back against the wall, until the floor above is on or the wall is braced, because an unsupported wall can't take that load. Once the grade's back, we can build outdoor kitchen masonry or a patio on that same ground.
Foundation wall questions we hear
Does a block foundation wall need steel?
Not always, since block foundation walls can be built without steel, but a wall holding back a heavy load of soil may need it. Where there's steel, the cells around it get filled with grout, a soupy concrete, and walls that get grout usually get steel too. I work that out from the wall's height and the soil on your lot.
What is the best way to keep water out of a block foundation wall?
Waterproof it where water can build up and push on the wall, as with a high water table or clay soil backfilled against it, and dampproof it where gravel backfill drains into a drain line underground, which is how building codes typically split it. Spray-on waterproofing and some membranes can go straight onto the block, while dampproofing should go over parging, a thin coat of mortar troweled onto the block first.
Who issues building permits in Compton?
Compton's Building and Safety Department issues permits for new construction, alterations and repairs, and it inspects the work against city rules. It's at 205 S. Willowbrook Avenue, Compton, CA 90220, at (310) 605-5509, and its page lists hours of Monday to Thursday, 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., though that page carries no date, so call before you go. If your wall needs a permit, we pull it and handle the inspections.
Can an unlicensed handyman build my foundation wall in California?
Usually not, because the state only lets unlicensed people take minor work up to $1,000, and only when the job needs no permit and they employ no one. On a bigger build, a general "B" contractor can take the masonry under its own contract only if it holds that specialty classification, and otherwise it has to hire a licensed specialty contractor for it.
How much does a foundation block wall cost in Compton?
There's no flat price, because each wall is priced from its size, the digging, the steel and the water protection your lot needs. A short crawlspace wall on ground that drains well costs less than a full-height basement wall backed by clay, and your own number comes in the written estimate after I see the lot.
How do I find out if my lot has expansive soil or is in an earthquake zone?
Type your address into the state's EQ Zapp tool for mapped earthquake hazard zones, and look for expansive soil in your home buyer's disclosures, at the city's building department or with a soil engineer. Both matter for the wall, since expansive soil can tilt and crack walls, and cities can set stricter building rules than the state in mapped zones.
What happens when you call about a foundation wall in Compton?
We plan the job around your house and your build, so the wall goes up, gets inspected and gets backfilled in the order that keeps it sound.
You get in touch
Call (562) 232-8311 or send the form with your address and what you're building, and we'll set a time for me to come out.
I look at the lot
I come out myself, check the soil, the grade and the house, and find out what the wall has to hold back.
Your written estimate
You get a written estimate that spells out the wall, the steel, the water protection and the backfill plan, so you can compare it with any other bid.
The build and walk-through
Once you say go, we pull any permit and build with me checking the work and the city inspecting it, then we walk the finished wall together.
Get a foundation wall estimate in Compton
Call (562) 232-8311 any day of the week or use the form while your plans are still open, so steel and drainage go into the design.