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Prestige San Rafael Concrete & Masonry
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Foundation block wall installation in San Rafael CA - built to hold back soil and water

Planning an addition or replacing a tired foundation wall? We build filled, steel-tied block walls that carry your house and hold back the soil.

The job runs from digging out and setting the footing to laying block, grouting the cores and getting drainage in before the soil goes back. We plan how water gets away from the wall from the first visit, so it doesn't sit against your house.

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Red brick house front with a curved concrete driveway, brick entrance pillars, and landscaped gardens.
  • Fully licensed and insured.
  • Free on-site estimates.
  • We respond within 1 business day.

A foundation wall that holds its ground

  • The owner on every job

    I come out to look at every job, write the estimate myself, and stay on site while our own masons build.

  • Fully licensed and insured

    We're fully licensed and insured, so the crew working under your house is covered from the first shovel to cleanup.

What does a new foundation block wall involve?

Foundation block wall installation in San Rafael, CA means building the concrete block wall your house or addition sits on, set on a footing with steel bars running up out of it, so it carries the weight above and holds back the soil around it. Below ground we fill the hollow cores with grout, a soupy concrete that locks the steel in place, instead of stacking hollow block, and we plan the drainage and the coating on the outside from day one, because water sitting against block is what pushes on it and soaks through. The price comes down to how long and tall the wall is, how much digging and hauling your site needs, how much steel and grout the design calls for, and how much drainage and waterproofing go in. The schedule turns on what the city needs before we start, whether your lot needs a soils report, and how easy it is to get a crew and materials to the wall. I write the estimate out so you can see what's included for your wall.

How we build foundation block walls in San Rafael

  • Footing with steel set in

    Every wall starts on a concrete footing with steel bars set into it and left standing up to tie into the block. It's the first part of any foundation job, from a new addition to a section we're replacing, and it's sized to the house and the ground under it.

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  • Grouted, reinforced block

    Below ground we fill the block cores with grout around the steel instead of leaving them hollow. That's the right build anywhere the wall holds soil back, which is nearly every foundation wall, and it's how we build ours.

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  • Dampproofing or waterproofing

    Block soaks up water, so the outside face gets a coating before the soil goes back. Dampproofing is a lighter coat that slows moisture, and waterproofing is a heavier barrier for wetter ground, and I'll tell you which your site needs once I've seen it.

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  • Drainage and backfill

    A drain along the footing and backfill, the soil that goes back against the wall, that lets water through both take pressure off the block. It matters most on a full basement, a sloped lot or a site that stays wet, and we'd rather spend on drainage up front than come back for a wet wall.

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How can you tell a foundation wall needs replacing?

  • Wall leaning or bowing in

    If the wall under your house bulges inward or leans, the soil behind it is winning, and patching the face usually won't hold it for long.

  • Water coming through the wall

    Damp patches, puddles at the base or a musty crawlspace mean water is getting through, often because the old wall was never coated or drained.

  • White crust on the block

    That chalky white powder is salt left behind as water moves through the block, and it tells you moisture has been passing through for a while.

  • Cracks that keep coming back

    A crack you've patched that opens again, or a stair-step crack running along the mortar, usually means the wall itself is moving, not just the surface.

How a foundation block wall job runs, start to finish

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  1. Call or send a message

    • Call (628) 234-2038 or use the form
    • Tell us what the wall is for
    • Mention any slope or wet spots
    • We get back to set a visit

  2. I look at the job myself

    • I walk the site and old wall
    • You hear on the spot what I'd do
    • We talk through steel, coating and drainage
    • A written estimate follows

  3. Permits, then the build

    • We check what the city or county needs
    • City review can take up to 3 weeks
    • We set a start date with you
    • Our masons build it with me on site

  4. Final check and walk-through

    • Drain and coating in before soil goes back
    • Wall braced or framed before backfill
    • I check the work before we pack up
    • We clean up and walk it with you

Get a free estimate on your new foundation wall

Send your address, photos of the foundation and any past soils report. We reply within one business day, and I come out for a free on-site estimate with no obligation.

Foundation block wall questions

Here's what San Rafael homeowners ask us most about block foundations. If your question isn't here, call (628) 234-2038 and ask me directly.

Is a concrete block foundation as strong as poured concrete?

A block wall with its cores filled with grout and vertical steel comes close to poured concrete, while a hollow, unfilled block wall is much weaker and isn't suited to holding back soil. That's why below ground we fill the cores around the steel and tie it into the footing.

Should I build my foundation with block or poured concrete in San Rafael?

Both hold up well in earthquake country when they're properly reinforced, and steel running from the footing into the wall matters more than which one you pick. Block goes up faster with a small crew, needs no forms, and lets us adjust the plan partway through without waiting on concrete to cure.

How do you keep a block foundation wall dry?

Block is very porous, so it needs a coating on the outside and drainage around it. A masonry trade association says building codes typically call for dampproofing where water pressure won't build up against the wall, and waterproofing where it may, such as with a high water table or heavy clay backfill.

Will my San Rafael lot need a soils report for a new foundation?

It will if your lot slopes more than 20%, sits on fill, or falls in a mapped expansive soil area, a liquefaction area mapped moderate to very high, or a FEMA floodplain, because the city requires one there. State hazard maps also show liquefaction and earthquake landslide zones, where the hazard may have to be studied and reduced during permitting.

Do I need a permit to build a foundation block wall in San Rafael?

Check with the City of San Rafael first, because its plan review list names new houses, additions, remodels, residential repairs and retaining walls but doesn't list foundation block walls by name. Applications for new work include foundation plans and footings where they apply. We check with the office for your address and handle the paperwork when a permit is needed.

Who can legally build a foundation wall in California?

A licensed contractor, because a 2017 Contractors State License Board guide says anyone who builds or alters a structure in California needs a state license when labor and materials total $500 or more. The guide also says contractors must hold that license before submitting a bid, so it should be in place before you get a price.

Other masonry work we do

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Where we work around San Rafael

We're based in San Rafael and build foundation walls in nearby cities like Novato and Mill Valley, plus others not listed here. Pick your city below, or call if yours isn't on the list.

Call (628) 234-2038
Call (628) 234-2038