Concrete block walls in Ventura CA - a wall built for privacy, screening or strength
Yard too open or an old fence giving out? We build a block wall matched to what it's for, on a footing that holds it.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Is a concrete block wall right for your Ventura yard?
A concrete block wall is a masonry fence or garden wall built from concrete blocks, and we build them in Ventura for privacy, security, shade, cutting wind and noise, or simply a better look than a tired fence.
Most people who call about one have a fence that's giving out, a yard that feels too open to the street, or a wall they've been planning for a while. The price comes down mostly to how tall the wall is, whether the blocks get filled solid and how much footing it needs underneath. The schedule turns on the wall's length and on whether its height brings in a city permit, which we line up when it does. If the wall has to hold back a slope, that's retaining wall construction, a different build. Your own number comes in a written estimate that lays out what I'd build and why.
How do you know it's time for a new wall?
Wood fence leaning or rotting
Posts gone soft at the ground or a fence that rocks when you push on it usually means it's near the end, and new boards won't save posts that are giving out. Waiting tends to mean it comes down on its own after a windy night and you're replacing it in a hurry.
Cracks across an old wall
A stair-step crack along the mortar of an existing block wall usually means the wall shrank or shifted with no planned place for that to happen. A hairline crack isn't worth rushing on, but one that keeps widening lets water in and tends to grow.
Wall leaning out of line
When a block wall tips toward the street or a neighbor's yard, the footing usually isn't holding it against the push from the side. A lean doesn't straighten itself, and the longer it goes the more of the wall has to come down.
How we build concrete block walls
I start by asking what the wall is for, because a privacy wall, an open screen and a wall that has to take some knocks each call for a different block. Once that's settled we mark the line, dig and pour the footing, and lay the block row by row with steel bar inside where the wall needs it. We also plan where the wall can move a little, so if it ever cracks it cracks at a joint we chose instead of across the middle. Then we cap the top and clean up the site.
Block walls often lead to other work around the house. When a new room or garage needs block under it, that's foundation block wall installation, and when you'd like a grill counter built off the wall or beside it, we take that on as outdoor kitchen masonry in block or stone that matches.
Solid privacy wall
Plain block laid solid end to end blocks the view from the street or next door and cuts down noise. It suits a side yard or back property line where you want the yard to feel closed in.
Open screen wall
Screen block with cut-out patterns lets light and breeze through, so a patio or garden can be divided without feeling boxed in. It's more of a look than a barrier, and I'll tell you if your spot calls for something sturdier.
Filled, reinforced wall
Blocks filled solid with concrete around steel bars make a heavier wall for security, a taller run or a spot where it may get bumped. It takes a bigger footing and costs more, so we use it where the job needs it.
Get a free estimate for your block wall
We reply within one business day to set a time. I come out, look at where the wall will go, answer your questions and write up what I'd build and why, free and with no obligation.
(805) 507-9163- Based in
- Ventura, CA 93001
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–11 PM
What happens when you call about a block wall in Ventura?
Here's how a block wall goes from your first call to the final walk-through, and who you'll be dealing with at each step.
Call or send the form
Call (805) 507-9163, use the form or email info@venturaconcreteandmasonry.com, and we'll set a time for me to come out to your property.
Walk the wall line together
I look at where the wall will go with you and answer your questions before I write anything up. You get a written estimate that says what we'd build and why, so you can see what the price covers before you decide.
Line up permits and start
Once you're ready, we take care of any permit the wall needs, including the application and the inspections, and set a start date. If a permit is involved, the start follows the city's sign-off.
Build, check and walk it
Our crew builds the wall while I run the job on site and check the footing, steel and joints as we go. At the end I walk the finished wall with you and we leave the site clean.
Why Ventura homeowners call A&B for block walls
I size up every wall myself
I come out to look at every job, and our crew of experienced masons does the building while I'm on site running it and checking it as it goes. The person who planned your footing and joints is the one making sure they get built that way.
Licensed for California wall work
In California, a builder needs a license from the state licensing board when a job needs a building permit, uses hired workers, or totals $1,000 or more in labor and materials, which a block wall usually does. We're fully licensed and insured, so that question is settled before you sign anything.
Five years in business here
We've been in business since 2021, and before that I learned the trade under an older mason after years of stone and block work in landscaping. That's why I'll tell you plainly when a wall isn't worth building yet or a smaller fix will do.
Most of what decides how a block wall holds up is in the ground and in the planning, so tell us about your wall or call (805) 507-9163 and I'll come take a look.
Block walls, retaining walls and permits in Ventura
In Ventura, height decides the permit. The city's residential permit list calls for a building permit on block walls 4 feet and higher and lists walls less than 4 feet high as needing none, both measured from the bottom of the footing, so the part buried in the ground counts toward the 4 feet. Walls that hold back soil follow the same 4 foot line, and a lower one needs a permit too when it carries extra weight on the soil behind it, like a driveway or a slope. The city also says retaining walls might need a grading permit and points questions to its Land Development Department. When your wall needs a permit, we handle the application and set up the inspections, and if your lot's case isn't clear we ask the city before we dig.
If your home is in Pierpont or the Ventura Keys, the city asks you to check with Planning before work starts, and anyone can call the Planning office at (805) 654-7893 for zoning information before settling on a wall's height or where it goes. A lot of what we build around here replaces a worn wood fence along a side yard or back property line, and we build the same walls for homeowners in Oxnard and Camarillo.
Questions about concrete block walls in Ventura
Do I need a permit for a block wall in Ventura?
By the city's residential permit list, a block wall 4 feet or higher from the bottom of the footing needs a building permit, and one under 4 feet measured the same way is listed as needing none. Retaining walls and lots in Pierpont or the Keys have their own checks, so we confirm it with the city for your address before we start.
How much does a concrete block wall cost per square foot?
Installing a freestanding concrete block wall usually runs about $15 to $30 per square foot across the US, which is a national figure and not our price. Your wall's own number comes in the written estimate after I've seen where it's going.
Can I build my wall from breeze blocks?
Yes for an open screen, but not for a wall that has to hold weight. Breeze blocks, also called screen blocks, have cut-out designs that let wind and light through, and square ones are best for garden partitions rather than structural uses. For privacy or security we'd use solid block and save the breeze block for a patio divider.
How do builders keep a block wall from cracking?
The concrete masonry trade association recommends horizontal reinforcement and control joints, which are planned breaks in the wall, placed by local practice to control shrinkage cracking. With enough horizontal reinforcement, control joints may not be needed, so ask any builder which approach they plan. Ours is written into the estimate.
What is the best way to cap a concrete block wall?
Put a coping on it, which is a cap along the top that keeps water from getting into the wall and can make it look more finished. Concrete brick, cast stone, brick and natural stone all work, so we usually pick the one that matches your house or patio.
How do I make sure a new block wall won't tip over?
Ask how the footing will be built, because on a freestanding wall the footing is what holds it in position and resists tipping and sliding when something pushes on it from the side. I'll go over the footing with you at the estimate and explain why it fits your wall.
Related masonry work around your house
Foundation block wall installation
Adding a room or garage means block built below ground to carry the house above it, which takes heavier footings and more planning than a yard wall.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
If the new wall borders a patio, a block or stone counter and grill surround can be built to match it, so the yard reads as one piece.
Service areas for concrete block walls
A&B Ventura Concrete and Masonry is based in Ventura, California, and builds block walls across the 12 cities listed here, from Ojai to Santa Barbara. If your city isn't named, call and ask.
Ventura, CA
Get your block wall looked at on site
Call (805) 507-9163 or send the form with the wall's rough length and height, whether it holds back soil and whether you're in Pierpont or the Keys, so I come out ready.