Foundation Block Wall Installation in El Dorado Hills CA - a solid base for your home
Building an addition or a new home and need walls below the floor? We set block on firm ground and plan for water before the dirt goes back.
Plan your foundation walls before you dig
Call (916) 260-2151 or use the form, because the footing and the drainage get buried for good once the soil goes back in.
What goes into a foundation block wall in El Dorado Hills?
Foundation block wall installation in El Dorado Hills means building the below-ground walls of your house out of concrete block, so the floors and framing above have a strong base to sit on.
Most people who call me about this are adding on, building new or replacing old walls that have given out. The price mostly comes down to how tall and long the walls run, how much soil goes back against them, whether soft ground has to be dug out first and what it takes to keep water off the wall. The schedule turns on the permit, how much digging the lot needs and when your framer is ready, and the written estimate I send after my visit is where you'll see your own job laid out. El Dorado County's building checklists and guidance show whether a project needs a permit and what to submit, and when yours does, we handle the application and inspections.
Why El Dorado Hills homeowners call P&J for foundation walls
I see the site myself
I come out to look at your lot and plans, and I write the estimate myself. You get answers from the person responsible for the job, not a salesman reading off a sheet.
Trained on inspected public work
I learned on a city public works crew, where nothing got signed off until it passed inspection, and started this business in El Dorado Hills in 2013. Your footing gets the same eye.
A license that fits the work
We're fully licensed and insured. California's licensing board has a masonry class that covers load-bearing block walls and the clear waterproofing that goes with them, so it's fair to ask any bidder about their license.
On a foundation, I'd rather you ask too many questions than too few, so contact us and we'll set up a time to look at your lot.
How we handle foundation block wall installation
We start by digging down to firm ground and pouring the footing, the wide concrete base the wall sits on, because a wall is only as good as what's under it. Then our crew lays the block course by course, keeping it plumb and level and adding steel and grout where the design calls for it. We wait to push soil back against a new wall until it's braced or the floor framing is on, since a wall built to be held at the top can crack or fail if the dirt leans on it first. Before the trench gets filled, we sit down with you and talk through how the wall will be kept dry, because that's a lot harder to fix once it's buried.
We also do the masonry that tends to follow a foundation job, like outdoor kitchen masonry for the patio off a new room and walkway construction once the grade around the house has settled.
Crawlspace and stem walls
These suit homes and additions with a raised wood floor over a crawlspace. The walls stay fairly short, so they're usually the simplest version of this job.
Basement walls
These suit a lot where you want living or storage space below the floor. They're the biggest version of this job and take the most planning on design and keeping water out.
Block piers
Piers suit porches, decks and parts of a house that need support at points instead of along a full wall. They go up faster, but each one still needs a solid footing under it.
How do you know it's time for new foundation walls?
Cracks or a lean
Stair-step cracks or a wall bowing inward usually mean soil pressure or a weak footing is winning. Left alone, a patch job turns into tearing the wall out and rebuilding it.
Water in the crawlspace
Puddles or a musty smell under the house usually mean water is getting through the wall or pooling against it. The longer it sits, the more it softens the ground the footing needs.
Floors that dip or bounce
A soft spot or slope in the floor above can mean the wall or piers underneath have settled. Waiting lets doors stick and drywall crack as the framing follows it down.
An addition in the works
If your plans show new rooms, they need walls underneath before anything else goes up. Getting us out early means the footing and drainage are planned before the framer's date is set.
What happens after you call about a foundation wall?
Call and I walk the lot
I come out myself to look at your lot and plans, then send a written estimate. If a permit's needed, we take care of it before we start.
Our crew builds the walls
The county reviews plans in the order received, so we turn in a complete set to hold our place. Then our lead mason and crew build, with me checking in.
Walk the finished job together
Once the soil's back and graded, we walk the finished job together. I'll point out what's worth keeping an eye on around the house over the years.
Foundation wall questions we hear
Here are straight answers to what El Dorado Hills homeowners ask before a foundation job. If your lot has something odd going on, call and ask, and I'll tell you what I think.
How much does a block foundation wall cost per square foot?
Installing a concrete block wall usually costs about $16 to $19 per square foot across the US, and that's a national figure, not a price for your lot. Taller walls, deeper soil against them, soft ground to dig out and the kind of water protection all move your number up or down. You'll see yours in the written estimate after I've looked at the site.
What is the best way to keep a block foundation wall dry?
Dampproofing works where gritty backfill lets water drain freely down to an underground drain, and waterproofing is the choice where water may press against the wall. A high water table or heavy clay that holds water can create that pressure, so your soil helps decide which one you pay for. Sheet membranes and panels also depend less on careful surface prep than brushed-on coatings, and many hold together better if the foundation settles or moves.
What happens if my soil is soft where the foundation goes?
The soft soil gets dug out, because footings should sit on undisturbed native ground, and the hole is filled back with compacted soil, gravel or concrete. That extra digging and fill comes before any block goes up, so it adds to the price and the schedule. One building guide also says weaker soils, taller walls or deeper backfill can call for thicker block, reinforcement or an engineer.
Will digging for a foundation in El Dorado County need a dust plan?
It can, because outside the county's Asbestos Review Area a job that needs a grading permit also needs a Fugitive Dust Plan, and inside that area disturbing 20 or more cubic yards of soil calls for an Asbestos Dust Mitigation Plan. If naturally occurring asbestos, serpentine or ultramafic rock turns up after work starts, the owner has to report it to the air district by the next business day. The county's air quality permits page has the dust plan applications.
Why is concrete block used for foundation walls?
Block works well below ground because it's strong, durable and economical, and it holds up against fire, insects and noise. It can also take steel and grout inside the cores, so the same material handles a short crawlspace wall or a full basement.
How do I grade the yard around a new foundation?
The finished ground should slope away from the house, and foundation guidance says the top layer of backfill should be low-permeability soil, the kind that soaks up little rain. That sends water off before it can sit against the wall. When we backfill, we leave the ground running away from the house, not toward it.
Get a written estimate for your foundation walls
List your wall's planned height and length and any soil or drainage worries, and we'll reply within one business day. I come out myself for a free estimate at your property, then follow up in writing with no obligation.
Foundation block walls up close
Work that often comes next
Outdoor kitchen masonry
Once the house has a solid base, a built-in grill counter or pizza oven of block and stone can make the backyard as finished as the new rooms.
Learn moreWalkway construction
New walls usually mean new doors and steps, and a path laid on a packed base gets everyone from the driveway to them without muddy shoes.
Learn more