Wind speed for your parcel
In Palm Beach County the wind speed that applies to your house depends on the parcel, and the county's wind speed maps let you look it up. Whoever designs the wall should start from there.
Foundation block wall installation in West Palm Beach FL - a wall built on firm ground
Need a new foundation for an addition, a raised floor or a stem wall? We set block on firm ground and backfill only once it's supported.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
What a block foundation wall does for your house
Foundation block wall installation in West Palm Beach means building the concrete block walls your house or addition sits on, like stem walls, crawlspace walls and piers. Block works well below ground because it's strong, it lasts, it keeps costs reasonable and it stands up to fire, insects and noise.
Most people who call about this are adding a room, raising a floor or replacing a foundation that's past saving, and they want a number and a date they can plan around. If the old one can still be saved, foundation repair may be the smaller job, and I'll tell you so. The price mostly comes down to how long and tall the wall is, how much soil will push against it, whether the ground has to be replaced first and whether the design calls for steel. The schedule turns on that ground work and on when the floor or bracing goes in, because the soil can't go back until then. I come out, look at the site and give you a free estimate on the spot.
I look at the site myself
I come out to see the job and give the estimate, and our own masons lay the block. The person who planned your wall is the one who answers for it.
A start date we keep
I ran schedules for a busy builder before starting this business in 2017, and we're known for showing up on the day we planned. The rest of your project depends on that date.
The real size, told up front
If your wall is smaller than you feared, or bigger, you'll hear it at the estimate. Finding out halfway through is how budgets and schedules fall apart.
How we build a block foundation wall
We start with the ground. If it's soft, we deal with that before the first block goes down, because a wall can't be any steadier than what it sits on. Then we dig and pour the footing, lay the block course by course, and set steel and grout wherever the design calls for them. Once the wall is up, we hold off on backfill until it's braced or the floor is in, since a wall designed to be held at the top can crack or even fail if soil gets packed against it too soon. After that we backfill, finish the grade and clean up.
A foundation is often the first piece of a bigger plan. If you're adding a back room with an outdoor cooking area, the same block work and footing care carry into outdoor kitchen masonry. Once the new wall is backfilled and graded, we can handle walkway construction so there's a clean path to the new space.
What to check in a foundation wall plan
A solid top row
The top course, the last row of block, can be built solid so it spreads the weight of the house above. It also helps keep soil gas and termites out.
Ground that sheds rain
The top layer of backfill should be soil that lets little water through, and the finished ground should slope away from the house so rain runs off instead of sitting against the wall.
Roots and debris cleared out
Tree roots and leftover construction debris should come out before the footing goes in, because anything that rots or shifts under a footing leaves a weak spot later.
Get a free estimate for your foundation wall
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I'll come out, look at the site and give you a free estimate, with no pressure to book.
Have the basics ready
The property address, what the wall will hold up, its rough length and height, and a few photos of the site let the visit go straight to the details that set your price.
Across Palm Beach County
We're based in West Palm Beach and work across the cities around it in Palm Beach County, including Palm Beach Gardens and Delray Beach.
Ask while I'm at the wall
Bring your questions about steel, grout or backfill to the estimate. I'd rather settle them standing on the site than change the plan once the crew is working.
Block and masonry examples to talk through
Footings, block walls, solid top rows, walkways and outdoor kitchens shown here can help you picture materials and layouts before your estimate.
Block foundation wall questions we hear
Plain answers on cost, steel, ground, backfill and licensing for a new block foundation wall in West Palm Beach and nearby cities.
How much does a block foundation wall cost in West Palm Beach?
Across the US, installing a concrete block wall usually costs about $16 to $19 per square foot. That's a national figure for block wall work in general, not our price. Your number depends on the wall's size, the ground and whether it needs steel, so I give you a free on-site estimate. Our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Does a block foundation wall need steel inside?
Not always. Block foundation walls can be built without reinforcing steel, but a wall holding back a lot of soil may need it, so ask early whether your design calls for it. Where steel goes in, the wall can be partially grouted, with grout only in the cores holding steel, or solidly grouted, with every core filled.
What kind of ground does a block foundation need?
Firm, undisturbed native soil. Footings should sit on ground that hasn't been dug up, and soft or weak soil gets replaced with compacted soil, gravel or concrete. That swap happens before the wall goes up, so if your site needs it, plan for the extra work. I'll point it out at the estimate.
What should be used to backfill against a new block foundation wall?
Guidance says backfill should ideally be free-draining granular material, with no soil that swells when it gets wet. It also has the fill placed and packed in several layers, with heavy equipment kept back from the wall, which protects the drainage, waterproofing and outside insulation. It's a fair question to ask any crew you're pricing.
What's the difference between a certified and registered contractor license in Florida?
A certified license from the state covers work anywhere in Florida. A registered license only covers the cities or counties where the contractor holds a certificate of competency, so it's worth asking which one a contractor has and where it applies to your address. We're licensed and fully insured.
Call to plan your foundation wall
We pick up seven days a week, early and late, so call (561) 220-1584 or send the form whenever it suits you.