Concrete block walls in Torrance CA - a wall that stays straight on a solid footing
Tired of a leaning wood fence or a slope that needs holding back? We build block walls that stand straight and stay put.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Is a concrete block wall right for your yard?
A concrete block wall in Torrance gives you a solid privacy, property line or garden wall made of hollow block set on a poured concrete footing and tied together with steel and grout.
Most calls start with a wood fence leaning at the posts, a neighbor's yard you'd like to stop looking at, or a slope that keeps creeping onto the patio. A wall that holds back soil is a different build, closer to retaining wall construction, so it's the first thing I ask about. The price moves with whether the wall holds back soil, the length of the run, what has to come out first and the finish you want. The schedule turns more on weather and inspection visits than on laying block, as one Los Angeles area mason puts it, and my written estimate spells out the scope so you can see what you're paying for.
How we build a concrete block wall
We start by tearing out the old fence or wall, then dig and pour the footing, the concrete base below ground that holds the wall in place and keeps it from tipping or sliding. Most of our care goes into that footing and the steel that rises out of it into the wall, because nobody sees them again once the block goes up and everything rests on them. When the footing has cured, we lay the block, run steel and grout through it and finish the top. The masonry trade group recommends horizontal steel and control joints, which are planned breaks in the wall, to keep shrinkage cracks in check, and says that with enough horizontal steel the joints may not be needed, so I'll tell you which way your wall goes and why.
The same footing and block work sits under other jobs we do. If you're adding a room or a garage, foundation block wall installation puts that care into the wall the building rests on, and outdoor kitchen masonry starts with a block base for the grill and counters before we face it in stucco or stone.
Finished block with a cap
This suits a garden or property line wall where you like the look of block and want it done. A cap on top, called coping, keeps water from getting into the wall and can improve its look, and concrete brick, cast stone, brick and natural stone all work for it.
Block built for stucco
This suits a wall you want to match a stucco house, now or down the line. Older trade guidance calls concrete block an excellent base for stucco, and if you're planning that finish we build the wall with it in mind from the start.
Building a concrete block wall in Torrance
Whether your wall needs a permit is the city's call, and we don't guess at it. In Torrance, permit applications go through the City of Torrance Permit Center, you need an approved Zoning Screening before you can submit one, and the city takes plans and permit submittals online only, with no paper plans accepted. If your wall needs a permit, we handle the application with the city and tell you what we learn before any work starts, so the filing fits into the build schedule instead of holding it up.
Around Torrance we see a lot of tired wood fences between neighboring yards, and older block walls leaning because somebody went light on the footing or the steel. We're based in Torrance and see the same mix on jobs in Redondo Beach and Lomita, and if your city isn't on our list, call and ask.
Why Torrance homeowners call AJ Torrance Concrete and Masonry for block walls
I look at every wall myself
I come out to see the job before you get a number, and our own crew does the work with a lead mason running the site. I stop by during the build, so the person who priced your wall sees it go up.
Laying block since 2013
I sold brick, block and stone at a supply yard and heard how the jobs went after the trucks left, then learned to lay it and started this business in Torrance in 2013. Thirteen years later, I build so the next mason who sees our wall has nothing to complain about.
Licensed and insured on every job
We're licensed and insured, and you can look up any contractor with California's state license board before you hire. We'd rather you check than take anyone's word for it.
The part of a block wall that matters most is the part buried under your yard, so ask me about the footing when I come out. Request an estimate or call (424) 318-3093 to set that up.
Request a quoteGet a free written estimate for your block wall
We reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out. The estimate is free, done at your property and sent in writing with the scope spelled out, and there's no obligation to hire us.
What happens after you call about a block wall in Torrance?
Call or send a request
Call (424) 318-3093 or use the form, and we'll set a time for me to come out to your property.
I walk the wall line
I look at the ground, what has to come out and where the footing goes, and tell you what I see. You get a written estimate with the scope spelled out, so you know what the price covers before you decide.
We file and build
If the wall needs a permit, we take care of the steps with the office that covers your address before work starts. Our crew digs and pours the footing, waits out the cure, then lays the block with a lead mason running the site.
I check it before finishing
I look the wall over, cap and finish included, before we call it done. Then we clean up and haul off what came out.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a concrete block wall cost in Torrance?
The price of a block wall comes from the footing and steel it needs, the length of the run and the finish on top, so we price each one after I've seen the site. A plain block face with a simple cap costs less than stucco or a stone cap, and tearing out an old fence or working through a tight side yard adds labor. Your written estimate spells out the scope so you can compare bids fairly.
How long does a block wall last compared with a wood fence?
One building supplier puts a block wall at 60 to 100 years, against 15 to 20 for wood, and says block resists fire, rot and termites. That long life is the main thing to weigh when you're choosing between the two, since a wood fence will likely need replacing more than once over the life of one block wall.
What changes when a block wall holds back soil?
According to one supplier, a wall that holds back soil needs engineering, bigger footings, more rebar and grout, plus waterproofing and drainage. Plan for that design work and the extra material in your budget, and mention the slope when you call so I come out ready to look at it.
How do I find out if my block wall needs a permit in Torrance?
Call the Torrance Permit Center at (310) 618-5910, because the city decides which walls need a permit. If you hire us, we ask that question for you and handle the online filing that follows.
Who can build a block wall in California?
A licensed contractor can, and California's state license board lists a masonry classification that covers walls for structures and fences, built with or without mortar. Under state rules, an unlicensed person can only take on work up to $1,000, and only when the job needs no permit and they employ no one on it.
How long does it take to build a block wall?
Most home wall runs go up in days once the footing cures, according to one Los Angeles area mason. The footing pour and its cure come first, so the calendar really starts there.
Other block work we do
Foundation block wall installation
If you're adding a room, a garage or a raised floor, the block under it carries the building, and getting that base right decides how everything above it sits.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
Planning a grill station or a counter by the patio? A block base gives it a solid, fire-resistant core you can finish in stucco, stone or tile to match the yard.
Torrance, CA
Get your block wall on the calendar
Send the wall's length, whether it holds back soil and a few photos of the site, and I'll show up already knowing what to look at.