Privacy along back and side lines
A solid block wall blocks the view in and cuts street noise better than wood boards, and it won't warp or rot the way a wood fence does after a few Fresno summers.
Concrete block walls in Fresno CA - a straight, solid wall built to suit your lot
Need privacy, a boundary marked or a slope held back? We build block walls with the steel and joints planned first, so they stay straight.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
What goes into a concrete block wall
We build concrete block walls in Fresno for privacy along a lot line or to hold back soil on a slope, with a concrete footing, steel inside the block and planned joints so the wall stays straight and solid.
Most people call us when a wood fence has given out or a yard needs leveling, and the price mostly comes down to the wall's length and height, whether it holds back soil, and the cap and finish you pick. A retaining wall costs more than a fence of the same height because it needs a bigger footing, more steel and drains. The schedule mostly turns on whether the wall needs a permit, and when it does, we file it with the right city or county office and handle the paperwork. I'll look at your lot and give you the price in writing.
I write your estimate myself
I come out, look at the lot and write the estimate. Then our own crew builds the wall, with a lead mason running it on site from footing to cap.
Commercial habits on a home wall
I ran crews on large commercial jobs in Fresno before going out on my own in 2013. That work taught me a wall is won or lost in the footing, drainage and mortar mix.
Licensed, insured and straight with you
We're licensed and insured. If a short repair will fix the wall you have, I'll tell you that before I'd sell you a new one. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
How our crew builds a block wall
First I set the height and the spot with you, so the wall suits your lot and sits where the city's rules allow. Our crew digs and pours the concrete footing, which on a retaining wall is what keeps it from tipping or sliding under the weight of the soil. Before the first block goes down, we lay out the steel and the control joints, the planned breaks that let the wall shrink without cracking wherever it likes. Then we lay the block in mortar, set upright steel in the hollow cores and fill them, run steel along the courses, and on a retaining wall we build the drains in as the block goes up. We finish with the cap or face you chose, clean up and walk the wall with you.
Block does more than fences. When it has to carry a house or an addition, that's foundation block wall installation, built to hold a building's weight. When it's the core of a grill island or counter on your patio, it's part of our outdoor kitchen masonry work.
Where a block wall fits on a Fresno lot
Walls where the lot steps down
Where your lot sits higher or lower than the sidewalk or the next lot, the city allows a retaining wall and fence combined up to seven feet, measured from the low side, with the city's approval.
Walls near a street corner
Fresno corner lots keep a visibility triangle held to 3 feet high, sized from a city table, so drivers can see. A wall planned near the corner has to fit it, so we check it first.
Holding back a raised or sloped yard
A block retaining wall lets you level a sloped yard or raise a planting bed. It carries the soil's weight every day, so the footing, steel and drains matter as much as the block.
Get a written price for your block wall
Send the form or call, and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I come out, look at the spot and give you a free written price, with no obligation.
Give us the length and height
A rough length and the height you have in mind tell me how much block, footing and steel the wall needs, so the visit goes straight to the details that set your price.
Tell us if it holds back soil
A wall that holds back dirt needs a heavier footing, more steel and drains, so knowing ahead means I come ready to look at the grade and where the water runs.
Say if you're on a corner
Corner lots carry the city's height limit near the street, so mentioning it up front lets us plan where the full-height wall stops before I write the estimate.
Block, brick and stone wall examples
These photos show caps, stucco faces, split-face block and wall layouts we can talk through when I come out to look at your lot.
Questions about block walls in Fresno
Here are the questions Fresno homeowners ask before building a block wall, from height limits and permits to licensing, drains and finishes.
How tall can a block wall be in Fresno?
On a single-family lot in the City of Fresno, a block fence can be six feet high once it's past the front yard setback, the open space kept near the street. In established neighborhoods, the setback the existing houses keep sets that line, so we plan the full-height run behind it.
Who issues permits for a block wall in Fresno?
Inside Fresno city limits, the city's Building and Safety Services Division issues permits to build, alter, repair or demolish a structure. In unincorporated areas, it's Fresno County Building and Safety, whose no-permit list names fences up to 7 feet and retaining walls up to 4 feet from footing bottom to top, unless they carry added load or hold back certain liquids.
Who is licensed to build a block wall in California?
A contractor holding the state licensing board's C-29 Masonry Contractor license, which covers installing concrete block, including walls and fences, with or without mortar. California's small-job exemption now runs to $1,000, up from $500, but it only applies when the work needs no permit and the unlicensed person employs no one on the job.
Why does a block retaining wall need drains?
A retaining wall needs drains so water can't build up behind it and push on the wall, which is why they're planned as part of the wall from the start, not added later. Where heavy, long rains are expected, a continuous drain along the back can go in with drains through the wall. Ask us which drains your plan includes.
Should I put a cap or stucco on my block wall?
A cap along the top, which masons call a coping, is worth it on most block fences because it keeps water out of the wall and can improve its look. Concrete brick, cast stone, brick and natural stone all suit it. Stucco straight on block is usually two coats, and the joints may still show through because block and mortar soak up water differently.
Call or send the form for your wall
We work across Fresno and nearby cities like Clovis, Madera, Selma and Sanger, so call (559) 319-0148 and I'll come walk the line with you.