Concrete block walls in Lake Elsinore CA - a wall that sits on the right line
Old fence falling apart or no privacy out back? We build concrete block walls on solid footings, on the right line, at the right height.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
What does it take to build a block wall in Lake Elsinore?
A concrete block wall in Lake Elsinore is a fence or garden wall built from block on a poured footing, and it gives your yard a solid, private edge that stands up to wind, sprinklers and years of sun.
Most block wall calls I get start the same way. The wood fence out back is leaning, a new neighbor wants privacy, or the yard is bare dirt and you want a real edge on it. What moves the price is mostly the length and height of the wall, how much old fence has to come out, how many gates and corners it turns, and whether it holds back any soil, because a wall that retains a slope needs more steel and a different design. If yours does, it's closer to retaining wall construction. The schedule usually turns on the survey and the permit more than on the block itself, and I'll give you your own number when I come out and see the lot.
How can you tell your block wall has a problem?
Wall leaning toward the yard
If the top of your wall has moved off plumb, the footing usually wasn't big enough for the wall or the ground under it has shifted. A leaning wall doesn't straighten itself out, so it's worth having someone look before it takes a gate or a planter down with it.
Stair-step cracks in mortar
Cracks that step up through the mortar joints usually mean one end of the footing has settled lower than the other. Left alone, water gets into those joints every time the sprinklers run, and the gap keeps opening.
Crumbling cap or white crust
A loose cap, chalky white staining or block faces flaking near the top tells me water is getting into the wall from above. The longer it soaks in, the more block you end up replacing instead of just resetting a cap.
How we build a concrete block wall
I won't lay out a wall on a property line until a survey has settled where that line is, because a wall a few inches over is your neighbor's wall, and moving block is a lot harder than moving string. Then I plan the height around what your city or county allows for that exact spot on the lot, since a front yard and a back fence line play by different rules. Once that's set, we dig and pour the footing, which does much of the work of keeping the wall standing against wind and sideways pressure. Then we lay the block with steel in it, fill the cells with grout where the design calls for it, set the cap and clean up the site.
The same block and footing work shows up in other places on a property. If you're adding a room or a garage, foundation block wall installation is the structural version of this job, carrying a building instead of standing on its own. Plenty of people who put in a back wall want something to go with it, so we also build outdoor kitchen masonry in block that can match the wall.
Privacy wall on the property line
This is the back or side yard wall most people call about, tall enough to block the view and set right on the surveyed line. It suits you if you're replacing a tired wood fence or closing in a yard for kids or dogs.
Low garden or front yard wall
A short wall works for edging a planting bed, a patio or the front of the lot, where the city keeps walls low. A coping cap along the top keeps water out of the block and gives the wall a finished look.
Get a free estimate for your block wall
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day. I'll come out, walk the lot with you and give you a free estimate on site, with no pressure to book.
(951) 579-7076- Based in
- Lake Elsinore, CA 92530
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 6 AM–11 PM
What happens after you call about a block wall?
Here's how a block wall job runs from your first call to the final walk-through, and who you'll be dealing with at each step.
Call or send the form
Tell us roughly how long and how tall you want the wall and whether it holds back any soil, and we'll set a time for me to come out. If you have a lot survey, dig it out, because it saves a step later.
I look over the lot
I come out, walk the line, look at the slope and the access, and ask what you've noticed about the old fence or the ground. You get the estimate right there on site, and I'll walk you through what's in it so the number makes sense.
Permit, then the crew builds
Once you're ready, we sort out what the city or county asks for and line the work up with the inspections. Our lead mason runs the crew on site, from the footing to the cap.
We walk the finished wall
I come back and walk the finished wall with you before we call it done. That's your time to point at anything that doesn't look right to you.
Why Lake Elsinore homeowners call us for block walls
In business since 2013
I started this business in 2013 after growing up mixing mortar and hauling block on a crew every summer through school. A puzzling crack or a leaning wall is still the part of the job I like best, and it's why I take the time to work out the cause.
I look before I quote
I come out myself, walk the line and ask what you've noticed about the old wall or fence before I price anything. Lake Elsinore has expansive soil in places, the kind that swells when it's wet and shrinks as it dries, and no map shows exactly where, so I'd rather look at your ground than guess at the footing.
Fully licensed and insured
California lets someone work without a license only on small jobs under $1,000 that need no permit and where they hire no help, and anyone bringing a crew to build your wall doesn't fit that. We're fully licensed and insured, so you're not taking a chance on who's laying your block.
On a block wall, the line and the footing decide how it turns out, so call (951) 579-7076 or send us a note through the contact page and I'll come take a look.
Block walls, permits and lot rules in Lake Elsinore
Here in Lake Elsinore, the city's building official issues permits, and the city wants anyone planning to build, change, repair or tear down a structure to apply before work starts. Some addresses around here fall under the county instead, so the first thing we do is find out which office covers your lot, then we take care of the permit paperwork when the job needs it and plan the crew's days around the inspections.
Lots that back onto a major road can be a different story, because along a major arterial the city's Planning Commission can require a wall of at least eight feet through design review. We also run into plenty of sloped back yards where part of the wall ends up holding soil, and we see the same mix on jobs in Wildomar and Menifee, where we check that city's own height rules before we plan anything.
Questions about block walls in Lake Elsinore
How tall can a block wall be in my Lake Elsinore yard?
Lake Elsinore requires side and rear property line walls to be at least six feet tall, and a wall in the required front yard can be no more than 36 inches. The city allows wrought iron in the front yard up to five feet, so iron is worth a look if you want more height up front.
How do I find my property line before building a block wall?
You hire a licensed land surveyor or registered civil engineer to survey your lot, because city staff in Lake Elsinore can't tell you where your property line is. Have the survey ready when I come out, and we'll lay the wall out from the surveyor's markers instead of from an old fence.
How does a block retaining wall drain water?
The city's standard retaining wall design drains it one of two ways, either with clean coarse gravel behind the wall and a perforated PVC pipe to carry water off, or by leaving the upright mortar joints open between blocks in the bottom row so water can weep through. Either way, the point is to get water out from behind the wall before it builds up and pushes.
What is the best way to design a block retaining wall in Lake Elsinore?
You can build to the city's published standard retaining wall design or have an engineer design one for your slope, and the city says its standard is used at your own risk with no guarantee against failure or defects. For a tall wall, or one with a driveway or a building above it, I lean toward an engineered design, because that's where a failure costs you the most.
What inspections does a block retaining wall need in Lake Elsinore?
Under the city's standard design, the inspector checks the footing trench with the steel in place, then the wall before grout once the rebar and drainage are in, and then a final after grout and backfill but before any decorative cap goes on. Trade guidance also says to backfill only once the block has gained enough strength or the wall is braced, and to keep heavy equipment back from the top by a distance equal to the wall's height.
How much does a concrete block wall cost in Lake Elsinore?
There's no fair number without seeing the lot, because a block wall's price comes from your ground, your slope and your layout, not from a chart. Beyond plain size, the things that push it up are soft or swelling soil that calls for a bigger footing, a retaining section that needs an engineered design, a decorative finish or cap, and tight access where block has to be carried in by hand. That's what the on-site estimate is for.
Related masonry work around your new wall
Foundation block wall installation
Building an addition, garage or raised floor? Block foundation walls carry the house itself, so they need deeper footings, more steel and closer planning than a yard wall.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
Want a grill counter near the new wall? Block makes a solid core for an outdoor kitchen, finished so it sits well beside your wall.
Service areas for block walls around Lake Elsinore
E&M Lake Elsinore Concrete & Masonry is based in Lake Elsinore, California, and we build block walls across the cities and communities around it. The 12 places below each have their own page, including Murrieta and Temecula, and they aren't the only places we work.
Lake Elsinore, CA
Get your block wall planned right
Have your lot survey, the length and height you have in mind, and whether the wall holds back soil ready, and I can price the whole thing on that first visit.