Foundation block wall installation in Bellingham WA - built for your soil and drainage
Planning a basement, crawlspace or stem wall on wet ground? We plan the block, drainage and backfill around your site before we start.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
What goes into a block foundation wall, from drainage to backfill?
Foundation block wall installation in Bellingham means building your home's basement walls, crawlspace walls, stem walls or piers from concrete block, so the house sits on a solid base that holds back the soil around it. The job usually comes with a drain along the bottom, a coating or membrane on the outside to keep water out, and backfill once the wall can take it.
Most people who call me about this are building a new house or addition, or have an old foundation that's gone past what foundation repair can fix. The price moves with the wall's height and length, how much soil sits against it, how wet your site is and whether the design needs an engineer, and the schedule turns on permit review, the weather and getting the wall braced or the floor framed before any soil goes back. I walk the site with you and put what I'd do in writing, so you're working from a real number for your wall.
How do you know your foundation wall needs rebuilding?
Stair-step cracks in old block
When the mortar joints in your foundation crack in a stair-step line, the wall has usually settled or is being pushed by the soil behind it. Small cracks can often be repaired, but left alone they let water in and keep widening.
A wall bowing inward
A block wall that leans or bows in is losing to the soil behind it, often because water is building up there. By that point rebuilding usually makes more sense than patching, and waiting risks the wall giving way.
Water in the crawlspace after rain
Puddles, a musty smell or white powder on the block after a wet spell usually mean there's no working drain or water barrier behind the wall. Over time that moisture reaches the framing above, and rotted wood costs more to fix than the wall.
Work that often follows a new foundation
Outdoor kitchen masonry
If you're planning a patio off the new house, a built-in grill and counter in block, brick or stone is easier to plan while the yard's still open.
Walkway construction
New doors and a new grade around the house call for a walkway set at the right height, sloped to carry rainwater away from the wall.
How we handle foundation block wall installation
We start by checking that the footing is level and laid out square, because every row of block above it follows that line. Our masons lay the block and set steel and fill the hollow cores where the design calls for it, then we put the drain in along the bottom and coat or wrap the outside, choosing dampproofing or waterproofing by how your site drains. We don't put soil back against the new wall until it's braced or the floor is on, and only then do we backfill and slope the ground away from the house.
Once the foundation's in, the ground around the house usually gets reworked, so it's a good time to plan what goes on it. Our walkway construction meets the new doors at the right height and keeps water moving away from the wall, and outdoor kitchen masonry can go in on a patio you're adding alongside.
Full basement walls
These suit a house where you want usable space below the first floor. They hold back the most soil and water, so the drainage and the water barrier get the most attention.
Crawlspace walls, stem walls and piers
These suit a house on a shorter foundation or a sloped lot, and they take less block and digging. They still need the soil around them kept dry, because a damp crawlspace works its way up into the floor.
Get a written estimate for your foundation wall
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time for me to walk your site. The estimate is free, with no obligation, and you can call (360) 255-7006 instead.
Call (360) 255-7006Why Bellingham homeowners call Allied Bellingham Concrete and Masonry for foundation walls
I look at jobs myself
I come out in person and write the estimate, so the person pricing your wall is the one who saw your soil and drainage. Once our masons start, I check in with them and with you along the way.
Building with block since 2013
I started this business in 2013 after years selling brick, block and stone across a supply counter and learning on job sites next to experienced masons. That's why I'd rather explain a choice twice than rush you into one.
Licensed and insured for your job
We're licensed and insured. Ask about it when I come out, because you should know who's working on your property.
Ready for soft, wet ground
On jobs around Bellingham we see a lot of soft, wet ground. Peat deposits can shift for good in an earthquake and need a site-specific analysis under the building code, so if there's peat on your lot I'll tell you before we price the wall.
On a foundation wall, the drainage and backfill have to be right before the soil covers them, so tell us about your project and I'll come take a look.
What happens when you call about a foundation wall in Bellingham?
Call or send a request
You call or send the form with your address and what you're planning. We set a time for me to come out to the site.
Walk the site together
I look at the ground, the drainage and your plans with you and answer your questions. You get a written estimate that says what I'd build, which water barrier your site needs and the order of the work, so you know the cost before anything starts.
Check what your address needs
Once you're ready, we check with the office that covers your property, tell you what it says and set a start date. If a permit's needed, we help you sort out the application.
Our masons build the wall
Our masons lay the block and handle the drainage and backfill in the order the wall needs. I keep you posted while the work's under way.
Common questions
What is the best way to keep water out of a block foundation in Bellingham?
Good drainage plus the right barrier on the outside of the wall. Building codes typically call for dampproofing where water pressure won't build up in the soil and waterproofing where it may, and dampproofing suits a site that drains well through coarse backfill into an underground drain. A high water table or heavy clay points to waterproofing, and one Washington contractor guide says our rainfall calls for excellent site drainage. Sheet membranes and panels also depend less on workmanship and surface prep than coatings, and many hold up better if the wall settles.
When can soil go back against a new block foundation wall?
Once the wall is braced against the push of the soil or the first floor is in place, and not before. A block wall built to be held at the top can crack or even fail if it's backfilled too early, so bracing or the floor goes first in the schedule.
How do I apply for a building permit in Bellingham?
If your property is inside city limits, you apply to the City of Bellingham by emailing your application to permits@cob.org. Many Bellingham addresses are in unincorporated areas outside city limits, so first find out which side of that line your property sits on. We work across Whatcom and Skagit counties, on both sides of it.
Who is allowed to build a foundation wall in Washington?
A contractor registered with the state. Washington requires every construction contractor to register with the Department of Labor & Industries, and state law requires them to be bonded and insured, so ask anyone you're considering about it before you sign.
How much does a foundation block wall cost in Bellingham?
The price comes down mostly to the wall's height and length, how deep the soil sits against it and how wet your site is. Waterproofing usually costs more than dampproofing, and a wall that needs an engineer, extra steel or hard access for block deliveries costs more too. I'll put a number for your wall in writing after walking the site.
Do I need an engineer for a block foundation wall?
You may if the wall is tall, holds back deep soil or sits on weak ground. One code guide says those cases call for thicker block, steel reinforcement or an engineer, so your wall's height and your soil decide how it's built and who designs it. I'll tell you where your site falls once I've seen it.
Plan your foundation wall before you dig
Call (360) 255-7006, send the form or email sales@bellinghamconcreteandmasonry.com with your address, whether it's inside city limits and the kind of wall you have in mind, so I come out ready to talk about your site.