Concrete block walls in Auburn, AL - a wall that stands on solid ground
Need to hold back a slope, or replace a block wall that's leaning? We start with the footing, so the new wall stands straight and holds.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We reply within 1 business day.
What does it take to build a concrete block wall in Auburn?
A concrete block wall in Auburn, AL is a wall of hollow concrete block laid on a poured footing. On a retaining wall, that footing is what keeps the soil pushing behind it from tipping the wall over or sliding it forward.
Most people who call United Auburn Concrete and Masonry want to hold back a slope, square up a yard or replace an old wall that's started to lean, and a lot of that overlaps with retaining wall construction. The price moves with the wall's length and height, what it holds back, how much digging the footing takes, and whether it's mortared, dry-stacked or filled solid with grout. The schedule turns mostly on whether the wall needs a permit and an engineered design, since both come before we dig. Call (334) 780-0060 and I'll come take a look, and the estimate I send says what we'll do and why.
How do you know it's time for a block wall?
The top is leaning out
When a wall leans out at the top, it usually means the footing or the steel inside isn't holding against what's behind it. It won't straighten itself, and the longer it goes, the more of it has to come down.
Cracks that keep growing
A crack that widens or steps along the mortar joints usually means something under or behind the wall is moving. Patching it without finding out why tends to buy a season, and then you're paying for the same repair again.
A slope you can't use
A bank that's too steep to mow or keeps spilling onto the patio is the most common reason people call about a new wall. Planning the wall before you build anything else there saves tearing up new work later.
How we build concrete block walls
I start by talking through mortared block and dry-stacked block with you, so you can pick the method that fits the wall you want. Then we lay out the line, dig for the footing and put a lot of effort into the ground under it, because that's what the whole wall stands on. We pour the footing, set steel upright in the hollow cores of the block so it can take the strain of soil pushing on the wall, lay the block row by row and clean up when we're done.
Block walls often tie into other work. If the block is going under a house, an addition or a garage, that's foundation block wall installation, and the footing matters even more there. Block is also what most grill islands and counters are built from in outdoor kitchen masonry, so a patio wall and a kitchen can be planned together.
Mortared block wall
Each block is set in a bed of mortar, the way most block walls go up. It suits walls with corners, steps and short runs, where a mason adjusts each row by hand as the wall rises.
Dry-stacked, surface-bonded wall
The blocks go down without mortar, and we coat both faces with a surface bonding material, a cement coating that ties the block together. It suits long, plain runs, and we'll weigh it against mortar with you on site.
Solid-grouted retaining wall
Every core gets filled with grout, a fluid concrete poured into the hollow block. Block retaining walls are often built this way because the extra weight helps them resist tipping, so it suits a wall holding back a slope.
Get a free estimate for your concrete block wall
Send the wall's length, height from footing to top and what it holds back. We reply within 1 business day, then I come out, and the free estimate carries no pressure and no obligation.
(334) 780-0060- Based in
- Auburn, AL 36830
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–9 PM
What happens when you call about a block wall in Auburn?
Here's how it goes from your first call to walking the finished wall, and who you'll be dealing with at each step.
Call or send the form
Call (334) 780-0060 or use the form, and we'll set a time for me to come out. If an old wall is involved, a few photos of the lean or the cracks help me come prepared.
I look the wall over
I walk the spot, ask a lot of questions about what the wall has to hold, and check whether its height brings in an engineer or a permit. Then I send an estimate that says what we'll do and why, so you can see where the money goes.
Paperwork first, then the build
When the wall needs a permit, we handle the paperwork before we dig. Each inspection along the way has to be requested from the city 24 hours ahead, Monday to Friday, so we plan the pours around it.
We walk it together
When the last block is set and the site's cleaned up, I walk the wall with you. That's the time to ask about anything you see.
Why Auburn homeowners call United Auburn Concrete and Masonry for block walls
I come out to every job
I look at every wall myself before we price it, and I work alongside our crew while it goes up. The person who planned your footing is the one standing in the trench.
Learned the trade from my dad
I grew up handing brick to my dad on his jobs and started this business in 2020. That's six years running our own crew, on top of everything he taught me.
Licensed and insured, worth checking
We're licensed and insured. Auburn's permit checklist lists a current state residential contractor license and a current city contractor license, so ask any mason you're weighing to show both.
The fix matches the cause
On a cracked or leaning wall, I work out why it moved before we rebuild anything. A wall patched without knowing why usually needs the same work again, and I'd rather lose the job than do that.
Your satisfaction, guaranteed. If you've got a wall in mind, send us the details and I'll come take a look.
Block walls, permits and inspections in Auburn
In Auburn, the city's Inspection Services Department issues a building permit for any retaining wall over four feet tall, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top. That count includes what's buried, so a wall that looks short from the yard can still cross it. For a shorter wall, or one that holds nothing back, don't assume either way, because we check with the office that covers your address before we price and take care of the paperwork when the job needs a permit. Depending on the amount and type of work, the city may also want to inspect your erosion control, the steps that keep soil in place, before it issues any permit, which can add a visit before we break ground.
Most of the block walls we're asked about here hold back a sloped backyard, square off a lot or replace an older wall that's started to lean, often beside older brick homes where the new work should suit the house. We're based in Auburn and work across the cities around it, and the questions don't change much on jobs in Opelika or Valley, though the permit office does, so we check there too.
Questions about concrete block walls in Auburn
How much does a concrete block wall cost in Auburn, AL?
Across the US, a concrete block wall of about 220 square feet usually costs about $2,100 to $2,800 for the whole job. That's a national market figure, not our price, and a wall that's taller, solid-grouted or needs an engineered design will land differently. Your own figure comes from the estimate after I've seen the spot.
When does a retaining wall need an engineered design in Auburn?
Auburn requires an engineered design against tipping for retaining walls over four feet, or over 24 inches when there's extra load like fill behind or above them. That design is based on accepted engineering practice, and I'll tell you on the first visit if your wall falls in that range, so the engineer comes in before we plan the footing.
What is the best way to build a block wall, mortared or dry-stacked?
Both work, and dry-stacking has real advantages on the right wall. National masonry guidance says a dry-stacked wall, laid without mortar and coated on both faces with a surface bonding material, builds faster, relies less on the worker's skill and gives excellent resistance to rain getting in. Mortared block is still what most walls with corners and steps get, and I'll go through both with you on site.
What causes small cracks in a concrete block wall?
Fine hairline cracks are often shrinkage, the block and mortar tightening as they dry after the wall is built. They look minor, but national guidance warns that left alone they can let water in during wind-driven rain. I'd rather look at them early and tell you whether it's shrinkage or the wall moving.
How long does it take to get a block wall built in Auburn?
The calendar mostly turns on paperwork, because a tall or loaded wall needs an engineered design and a permit before we dig. After that, the build waits on any inspections the permit calls for and on dry weather for the pours. I'll tell you the order of things when I come out, so you know what comes first.
Can a leaning block wall be repaired, or does it have to be rebuilt?
Sometimes it can be repaired, but a leaning wall usually needs its footing or reinforcement dealt with, and that often means taking down and rebuilding the section that moved. I work out why it leaned and tell you straight which one your wall needs. When it calls for an engineer, I'll say so.
Related masonry work that often goes with a block wall
Foundation block wall installation
When the block goes under a house, addition or garage, the footing and walls carry the building above, so getting the footing right matters even more.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
If your new wall borders a patio, a block-built grill island or counter can go up in the same job, sharing the crew, the digging and the cleanup.
Service areas for block walls around Auburn
United Auburn Concrete and Masonry is based in Auburn, Alabama, and builds block walls in the cities around it. Seven cities have their own page here, including Smiths Station and Tuskegee, and they aren't the only places we work.
Auburn, AL
Get your block wall planned right
One visit settles the method, the footing and whether the city or an engineer needs to see it, before you buy a single block.