Concrete block walls in Huntsville AL - walls built to drain and stay put
Yard sliding toward the house, or an old wall leaning out? We build block walls with the drainage and base done first.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We respond within 1 business day.
What does a concrete block wall take to build right in Huntsville?
A concrete block wall in Huntsville is a wall of mortared block on a footing, most often built to hold back a slope so your yard stays level. As a retaining wall, it also takes the push of the water and wet soil that build up behind it.
Most people who call us about block walls in Huntsville have a bank that keeps washing out, an old wall that's started to lean, or a flat spot they want for a patio. The price turns on the wall's length and height, how much digging the footing and base take, how much drainage goes behind it, how easy it is to get block and equipment to the spot, and whether you want a finish over the block. The schedule turns on the permit and zoning steps for your address and on the weather. Your written estimate gives you the figure for your wall once I've seen it, and if the wall is mostly there to hold a hillside, our retaining wall construction page goes deeper.
How can you tell if a block wall needs work?
Wall leaning or bowing
If the top tips toward the yard or the middle bows out, the water and wet soil behind it are usually pushing harder than the wall can take. A lean tends to keep going, and once it's gone far enough, the wall often has to come down rather than be patched.
Cracks stepping through mortar
Cracks that run like stairs along the joints usually mean part of the wall is settling because the base under it wasn't firm. Water gets into those cracks every time it rains, so the gap tends to widen the longer it sits.
Water or mud at the bottom
Wet patches, stains or mud coming out at the base after a storm mean the water behind the wall isn't getting a clean way out. That trapped water is what pushes walls over in time, so it's worth a look before the wall starts to move.
Dirt washing onto pavement
If every hard rain leaves dirt on your driveway or patio, the slope above it probably needs a wall to hold it. Each storm takes a little more of the bank, and the job gets bigger as the cut grows.
Our concrete block wall work, start to finish
Block walls that fail usually looked fine the day they went up and lost to water later, so the drainage and a firm base are written into our bid where you can see them. We lay out the wall, dig to firm ground for the footing and pack the base solid, because a wall is only as good as what it sits on. Then we lay the block in mortar a course at a time, put drainage behind it so water leaves instead of pushing on the wall, set the cap and clean up before we go. We also hold off laying block in heavy rain, since fresh mortar can wash out of the joints.
Block work often ties into other jobs around the house. If the wall is part of a crawlspace or basement, that's foundation block wall installation, where the block carries your house instead of a hillside. If the new wall levels off a spot for cooking outside, it's often the first step before outdoor kitchen masonry goes on top.
Retaining wall for a slope
This suits a yard with a bank that's sliding or a spot you want leveled for a patio or play area. Since it holds back soil and water, the drainage behind it matters more here than anywhere else.
Freestanding garden or privacy wall
This suits a property line, a patio edge or a wall to screen a utility area. With no soil pushing on it, the footing and base carry most of the job.
Stucco over block
Block makes a good base for stucco, so this suits you if you'd rather not look at bare block or want the wall to match a stucco house. It adds a step and some cost, and you get a smooth face instead of block lines.
Get a written quote for your block wall
We reply within one business day to set a time. I come out to your property, look the wall or slope over and follow up with a written quote, free and with no pressure or obligation.
- Based in
- Huntsville, AL 35801
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–9 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–9 PM
What happens after you call about a block wall in Huntsville?
Here's how it goes from your first call to the walk around the finished wall, and who you'll deal with at each step.
Call or send us a note
Call (256) 417-4326 or use the form, and we get back to you to set a time for me to come out. Tell us roughly where the wall goes and what it's holding back.
I look the job over
I come out, take photos and tell you plainly what I see, then you get a written estimate. The drainage and base are spelled out in it, so you can set it beside another bid and see what each one covers.
Permits checked, then we build
If you go ahead, I check the permit and historic district steps with the office that covers your address before anything starts. Our crew lead then runs the work on site with our masons.
Walk the finished wall together
Once the wall is capped and the site is cleaned up, I walk it with you. That's the time to ask about anything you want to see, including where the water goes.
Why Huntsville homeowners call Capstone for block walls
I do every estimate myself
I sold brick, block and stone for years before I picked up a trowel, so I've seen which walls come back as problems and why. When I look at your slope, you hear straight from me what it needs and what it doesn't.
Learned on crews around Huntsville
I learned the trade on crews around Huntsville and started this business in 2021. Our crew lead runs the work on site with our masons, so the person building your wall is the one who knows the plan.
Licensed and fully insured
We're licensed and fully insured. A wall job means digging, heavy block and equipment in your yard, and that's cover you want in place before anyone breaks ground.
Satisfaction guaranteed on every job
I'd rather lose a job than sell you work you don't need, so your bid covers what the wall needs and nothing padded on. The parts you can't see once we leave, like the base, the drainage and the mortar, get the same care as the face.
On a block wall, what's buried behind and under it matters most. Send us your wall's details and I'll come take a look.
Block walls, permits and the yards around Huntsville
The permit question gets settled before we dig. The City of Huntsville issues walk-in permits for minor repairs and alterations that need no plan review, and whether your wall fits that isn't something I'll guess at. Even a permit with no plan review may still need Zoning Administration approval, which you can confirm by calling Zoning at 256-427-5100. If your lot sits in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area, the city takes the project in person, and its flood note says a Flood Development Permit has to be issued before any other permit approval. If your address falls under the county instead, Madison County Building Inspection requires a permit before any work to build, alter, repair, move or demolish a structure, with some work exempt. We check with the office that covers your address and handle the permit when the job needs one, and if you're in a historic district, we get that review moving first.
Most of the walls we build around here go into sloped backyards and along driveways where a cut in the ground left a bank that keeps sliding onto the pavement. We're based in Huntsville and work in the cities around it, and we build the same way on jobs in Madison and Decatur, with the drainage planned before the first block goes down.
Questions about block walls in Huntsville
How much does a concrete block retaining wall cost in Huntsville, AL?
A block retaining wall in Huntsville usually costs about $16 to $27 per square foot of wall face, which is what the work runs in the area, not our price. Where your wall lands depends on its height, how much digging and drainage it takes and how easy the spot is to reach. Your written estimate gives you the figure for your wall.
What causes a concrete block retaining wall to fail?
Most retaining walls fail because water and soil moisture build up pressure behind them. Gravel backfill, or drainage blankets with drain pipes, give that water a way out, so a sound plan includes them from the start. Structural walls also need weep holes, small openings that let water drain from behind, so ask any contractor where theirs go.
Do I need a licensed contractor to build a block wall in Alabama?
Under Alabama's home builder licensing law, a residential home builder is someone who builds, remodels, repairs or improves a residential structure where labor and materials come to more than $10,000. A larger wall job can cross that line, so ask any contractor you're considering how that rule fits your project.
Can I build my own block wall in Alabama to save money?
You can act as your own contractor under the homeowner exemption, but you put at risk your right to file a consumer complaint and to receive payment from the Homeowners' Recovery Fund. If you hire subcontractors yourself, any one whose share of the job costs more than $10,000.00 has to be licensed. On a wall that's holding back a hillside, I'd keep that protection.
Can a block wall be built in winter in Huntsville?
Yes, masonry work goes ahead normally at jobsite temperatures of 40° to 90°F, and below 40°F the masonry specification calls for special construction steps. If you're planning a winter start, ask me how we'd handle the colder days on your job.
How long does fresh mortar need before rain can't hurt a block wall?
After about 8 to 24 hours of curing, washout is no longer a concern. Before that, heavy rain can wash mortar out of unprotected joints and weaken or stain the wall, which is why we pause when it pours.
Other masonry work that goes with a block wall
Foundation block wall installation
When the block has to carry your house instead of a hillside, a crawlspace or basement wall calls for its own footing and layout work from the start.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
If your new wall levels off a spot for cooking outside, we can build the grill island, counters and seating walls in matching block or stone.
Service areas for block wall work near Huntsville
Capstone Huntsville Concrete and Masonry is based in Huntsville, Alabama, and builds block walls in the cities around it. The 10 areas below have their own pages, including Athens and Guntersville. If your city isn't listed, call and ask anyway.
Get your block wall looked at
Have the wall's length, height and slope in mind, and whether your lot is in a flood zone, so I show up with the right questions for your yard.