Foundation Block Wall Installation in Eugene OR - a solid base under your house
Foundation past saving, or an addition that needs one? We build block walls on solid footings, sealed for the way you'll use the space.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
What goes into building a block foundation wall in Eugene?
Foundation block wall installation in Eugene means building the concrete block walls your house sits on. They go on poured footings, get reinforced with steel and are sealed on the outside, so the wall carries the house and keeps the soil's water out.
Most people who call about this are building something new, like an addition or a new house, or replacing a foundation that's past saving. If your wall is cracked but still sound, foundation repair may be all you need, and I'll tell you if it is. The price moves with how tall and long the wall is, how much digging it takes, how much steel and grout go in, which seal goes on the outside and how easy it is to get block to the spot. The schedule turns on the digging, the weather and when the floor framing can go on. The estimate I write for your wall says what we'll do and why, so you're not guessing.
When does a house need a new block foundation wall?
Old foundation past saving
Cracks that keep opening, block that crumbles when you scrape it or a wall that's pushed inward usually mean patching won't hold anymore. The longer it waits, the more the floor above moves with it, and the bigger the rebuild gets.
An addition on the drawings
A new room, a garage or an extra unit needs its own foundation, and block is a common way to build it. Settle the foundation early, because nothing gets framed until the wall is in and the rest of the job waits on it.
Floor framing near the dirt
On older houses with short foundation walls, you'll often see the sill, the wood plate the house sits on, close to the soil and soft or stained at the bottom. A taller block wall lifts the wood clear, and waiting lets the rot work into the floor joists.
How we handle foundation block wall installation
We lay out the wall, dig and pour the concrete footings, then our masons lay the block course by course, setting steel in the cores the plan calls for and grouting them. Before the outside gets sealed, I want to know if you plan to finish the space, because a room you'll live in needs a different seal than a crawlspace you'll only crawl into. We set the schedule so the wall is braced or the floor framing is on before any soil goes back against it, since the wall is built to be held at the top. Then we backfill and clean up.
A new foundation often brings work around it. If the addition opens onto the yard, we can build the path to the new door with our walkway construction, and if a patio is part of the plan, our outdoor kitchen masonry can put a grill counter there in block or stone.
Get a free estimate for your block foundation wall
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day. Then I come out, look at the site and give you a free in-person estimate, and it's obligation-free.
- info@eugeneconcreteandmasonry.com
- Based in
- Eugene, OR 97401
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–10 PM
What happens after you call about a foundation wall in Eugene?
Here's how it goes on your end, from the first call to the day we walk the finished wall with you.
Call or send us a message
Call (541) 225-4006 or use the form, and we'll set a time for me to come out. Tell us the address, whether the house is over a basement or a crawlspace and whether you plan to finish the space.
I look and write the estimate
I come out, look at the site, ask what you want from the space and write an estimate that says what we'll do and why. That's where you see what your wall will cost before anything starts.
We build it and walk it
If you go ahead, we sort out any permits, our crew builds the wall and we clean up. Then we walk it with you before we call it done.
Why Eugene homeowners call Stonecraft for foundation walls
The estimator checks the work
I write the estimate myself, and our own masons and laborers build the wall while I check it as it goes. The person who told you what the job needs is the one watching the steel and block go in.
Building in Eugene since 2017
I learned block on commercial jobs where an inspector checked everything and shortcuts got torn out, then started this business in Eugene in 2017. Your foundation gets that same standard, because fixing it after the house sits on it costs far more than doing it right.
We're licensed and fully insured
We carry both, and you're welcome to ask to see them before we start. A wall that holds up your house is the wrong place to take a contractor's word for it.
The choices that count on a foundation get made before the digging starts, so call early. Reach us at (541) 225-4006 or send us a message.
Foundation block walls, permits and footings in Eugene
The City of Eugene issues building permits for new homes, additions, alterations, remodels and retaining walls, and its list doesn't name foundation block walls on their own. So that list doesn't settle whether your wall needs a permit, though a new house or an addition is on it. If the job needs a permit, we pull it and handle the inspections, and if it's unclear, we check with the city before we start, not after. You can also ask the city's Residential Plan Review yourself by email or at 541-682-5611.
The footings go below the frost depth so freezing water in the soil can't heave them, and the depth for your lot is on the state's Oregon Design Criteria Hub, which also lists radon criteria if the wall is part of a new house. It covers lots in Springfield and Junction City too, where we build the same kind of foundation walls.
Questions about foundation block walls in Eugene
Does my foundation block wall need dampproofing or waterproofing?
Dampproofing if water won't build up against the wall, waterproofing if it might. Codes typically call for dampproofing where groundwater drains away through gravelly backfill into a drain line below, and waterproofing where heavy clay or a high water table can push water against the block. Waterproofing is also the usual advice when the basement will be living space. Spray-on waterproofing and some membranes go right onto the block, while dampproofing should go over parging, a thin coat of cement troweled on the block.
When can soil go back against a new block foundation wall?
Only after the wall is braced to take the soil's push or the first floor is framed on top of it. A wall built to be held at the top can crack, or even fail, if the soil goes in first.
How much does a foundation block wall cost in Eugene?
Installing a concrete block wall usually runs about $15.50 to $19.50 per square foot across the US, and that's a national figure for block walls in general, not a Eugene price or ours. On a foundation, the height of the wall, the digging and the kind of seal it needs are what move your number most. My estimate gives you the price for your wall, and we back the work with one promise. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
Who can legally build a foundation wall in Oregon?
A licensed contractor, in most cases. The state's Construction Contractors Board says Oregon law generally requires anyone paid for construction work that improves real property to be licensed, and a new foundation wall is that kind of work. Ask for the license before anyone starts digging.
What is the best way to grout a reinforced block foundation wall?
There are two ways, and the steel layout usually points to one. A reinforced block wall can be partially grouted, with grout only in the cores that hold steel, or solidly grouted, with every core filled. Solid grouting may be faster and cheaper when the steel bars are spaced close together.
How do I keep water away from a new block foundation?
Finish the ground so it slopes away from the house, with a top layer of tight soil that sheds rain instead of soaking it up. That cap limits how much water gets down beside the wall, and the slope carries the rest off.
Related work that often follows a new foundation
Outdoor kitchen masonry
When the new foundation comes with a patio or deck, a block-built grill counter and bar can tie the outdoor space to the house in matching masonry.
See the service Outdoor kitchen masonryWalkway construction
A new addition usually needs a way in from the driveway or yard, and a solid walkway keeps mud and foot traffic off the fresh backfill.
See the service Walkway construction
Service areas for foundation block walls
Stonecraft Eugene Concrete and Masonry is based in Eugene, Oregon, and builds block foundations in the cities around it, including Springfield and Cottage Grove. Eight cities have their own page below, and if yours isn't one of them, call and ask.
Eugene, OR
Plan your block foundation before you dig
Footing and wall choices are easy to change on paper and hard to change once concrete is poured, so call (541) 225-4006 or send the form.