Planning an addition or a new crawlspace and need a block foundation? We prepare the ground, build the wall and protect it from water.
Foundation block wall installation in Aliso Viejo means building the concrete block walls a house or addition stands on, from full basement and crawlspace walls to short stem walls and piers. Block works well below ground because it's strong, it lasts, it keeps costs reasonable and it holds up against fire, insects and noise.
Most people call us when they're adding on, building a crawlspace or replacing an old foundation, and they want to know what's involved before they spend money. The price moves mostly with the wall's size and what the ground and water around it need, and the schedule usually turns on city and association approval and on when the floor or bracing goes in. I'll give you a figure for your own wall once I've seen the site.
Call (949) 619-8220 or use the form, and tell us a little about the wall you're planning. We get back to you and set a time for me to come out.
I walk the spot where the wall will go, answer your questions and leave you an estimate that lays out the base work, the water protection and the price. That way you know what you're paying for before you decide anything.
Once you're ready, we sort out what the city and your association need, build the wall, clean up and walk the finished job with you. The city allows construction from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, with no work on Sundays or federal holidays, so those are the hours you'll see us.
The step people don't see coming is the backfill, because a wall meant to be held at the top can crack or even fail if soil pushes on it too soon. So we brace the wall or wait for the first floor before any dirt goes back. The top layer should be soil that lets little rain soak in, sloped away from the house, which also leaves good ground for a new walkway or an outdoor kitchen later.
The city's building office lists design requirements that include a rainfall rate of 2 inches per hour and Seismic Zone D and E, its earthquake design levels, so heavy rain and shaking both shape how the wall is designed. You can type your address into the state's EQ Zapp map to see whether your lot sits in a mapped earthquake hazard zone, and if your wall needs an engineer's design, I'll tell you.
What we build and take care of:
If your existing wall is still straight and only has some cracks, I lean toward finding the cause and fixing it, because water behind the wall or soil that went back too early can often be dealt with without tearing anything out. A wall that's leaning or has lost its footing is different, and that can mean an engineer and a new wall. Our foundation repair work starts with telling you which one I see.
Length and height set the starting point, but what's under and behind the wall usually moves the number more. Soft soil that has to be dug out and replaced, a site that needs full waterproofing instead of dampproofing, and tight access for digging all add work. Grouting matters too, and when the upright steel bars sit close together or the wall has many bond beams, the horizontal reinforced rows, filling every core can end up faster and cheaper than filling only some.
I taught myself to lay brick and block, started this business in 2023, and I still come out to every job and work it with our masons and helpers. I'd rather take extra time showing you what your foundation needs than have you pay for work you don't. We treat your yard like it's ours while we dig, and it's satisfaction guaranteed.
Call now so I can see how your lot drains and where the wall goes before the city and association paperwork starts.
Send your property address, a rough wall length and height, and your association contact. We reply within one business day, and I'll set up a free on-site estimate with no pressure to book.
Across the US, installing a concrete block wall usually costs about $16 to $19 per square foot, and that's a national figure for block walls in general, not our price for your foundation. Your own number depends on the base work, the water protection and the reinforcing your wall needs, so I leave you an estimate after I've looked at the site.
Building codes typically call for dampproofing where water won't build up and press against the wall, and waterproofing where it might, so your site's soil and water decide it. That pressure usually comes from a high water table or backfill that drains poorly, like heavy clay, while dampproofing suits a site where water drains well through gravelly backfill into a drain system below. That's why I ask how your site drains before we pick one.
In Aliso Viejo, a project that sends plans to the Building Department first needs planning approval, which starts with a Zoning Compliance Application to the city's Planning Services. That application needs a signature or authorization letter from you and from your residential management association. We check with the city's building office about your job before we start, handle the permit application when one's needed and help you put the association request together.
The state contractor licensing board's masonry classification covers installing masonry units for load-bearing and non-load-bearing walls, which includes block foundation walls. We're licensed and insured, and it's always fair to ask any contractor about their license before you hire.
Footings should sit on undisturbed native soil, the ground that's never been dug up or filled. Soil that's soft or weak should come out and be replaced with compacted soil, gravel or concrete before the wall goes up, and you only really know how much once the ground is open.
A reinforced block wall needs grout, because grout bonds the block and the steel so they carry loads together. It goes either only in the hollow cores that hold steel or in every core, and the wall's design decides which.
We're based in Aliso Viejo and work in the cities around it, including Laguna Niguel and Mission Viejo. Pick yours below, or call (949) 619-8220 if you don't see it.
