Concrete block walls in Reno NV - built for privacy or for holding back soil
Need privacy, or a slope that keeps sliding? We'll sort out which block wall your yard needs and build it right.
Should my block wall be a privacy wall or a retaining wall?
Concrete block walls in Reno, NV do one of two jobs. They stand on their own to mark a property line or give you privacy, or they hold back soil as a true retaining wall, and which one you need is the first thing I sort out because it changes the build and the budget.
Most calls start with a neighbor's window looking into your yard, a property line you want marked, or a slope that keeps sliding onto the patio. The biggest thing that moves the price is whether the wall holds back soil, which makes it a retaining wall, and after that it's the height, the length and how easily we can get block to the spot. The schedule mostly turns on the permit and, in some subdivisions, an architectural committee's sign-off, so we help you get those moving early. Your estimate lays out what we'd build for your yard and why.
Why Reno owners pick us for block walls
You'll deal with me from the first look to the final walkthrough, and you'll get a straight answer about what your wall needs and what it doesn't.
I write your estimate myself
I look at your wall and write the estimate myself, then stay on site with our crew while it's built.
Licensed and fully insured
We're licensed and fully insured on every job, from a low garden wall to one holding back a hillside.
Owner-run since 2023
I laid block on new houses before starting this business in 2023, so I know a block wall from the ground up.
Plain talk on what can wait
If part of your project can wait, I'll say so and explain why before you spend anything on it.
Satisfaction guaranteed on every job
That's our word on every wall we build, so call (775) 447-1254 and let's talk through your yard.
Concrete block walls we build
The right wall starts with what it has to do, so I look at your slope, your property line and what you want blocked from view before we pick a build.
What happens when you call about a block wall in Reno?
We plan your wall around your lot, your neighbors and any committee you answer to, and I'll explain each step before we take it.
You get in touch
Call (775) 447-1254 or use the form with the wall's rough length and height and whether it holds soil, and we'll set up a visit.
I look with you
I come out, walk the spot with you and explain what I see, from the slope of the yard to where water will run.
Your written estimate
You get an estimate that lays out what we'd build and why, so you can set it side by side with any other bids.
We build and walk it
If you go ahead, we sort out any permit, protect your home and yard, build the wall and then walk you through the finished job.
Questions about a step? Call and talk it through.
(775) 447-1254Block wall questions we hear
How much does a concrete block wall cost in Reno, NV?
A concrete block wall installed in the Reno and Sparks area usually costs about $17 to $28 per square foot of wall face, which is the wall's length times its height. Where yours lands in that range depends on whether it holds back soil, how tall and long it runs and how easy the spot is to reach. I'll measure it on site and lay out what we'd do and why in the estimate.
Why does a retaining wall cost more than a block privacy wall?
A retaining wall generally costs more because it holds back soil, so it carries real sideways load that a freestanding wall of the same height and length doesn't. Think of a privacy wall standing in the wind next to a wall with a hillside leaning on it every day. If you need soil held back, plan a bigger budget than you would for a privacy wall of similar size.
How do I apply for a block wall permit in Washoe County?
Washoe County takes fence and retaining wall permit submittals online only, at www.onenv.us. If your subdivision has an active architectural committee, the committee has to sign off on both plot plans before you present them for your permit, so start there. When your wall needs a permit, we handle the application before work starts.
Does white residue on a block wall mean it's damaged?
No, that white residue is usually efflorescence, a deposit of salts that sometimes shows up on masonry, and it won't affect how the wall performs structurally. It can bother you for looks, which is a fair reason to deal with it, but it isn't hurting the wall's strength.
How do I make sure water drains out from behind a block retaining wall?
Water needs a complete path out, from a drainage zone behind the wall through a filter and a collector or weep holes, the small openings low in the wall, to an outlet where it can go. Weep holes alone can't make up for backfill clogged with soil, the same way a clear drain does no good if the pipe feeding it is packed solid. When you compare bids, ask each contractor how water will leave the wall.
Can cracks in a concrete block wall be repaired?
Yes, cracks that aren't widespread, stay mostly in the mortar joints and hold steady in width can be readily repaired by tuckpointing, also called repointing, where the cracked mortar is cut out and new mortar packed in. I'll check your crack against those signs and tell you plainly whether it needs work now or can wait.
Building a concrete block wall in Reno
Which rules apply depends on your address, so before anything else we find out which office covers yours and handle the permit application before work starts. Where Washoe County's fence and retaining wall rules apply, a fence can stand up to 4½ feet tall within the front yard setback and up to 6 feet anywhere else on the lot, and your zoning sets how deep that front setback runs. The county exempts landscaping fences under 30 inches tall outside the sight triangle, the corner near a street or driveway that drivers need to see across, so for a block wall taller than that, we plan on a permit.
The county rates the risk of weathering damage here as severe and lists a frost line, how deep the ground freezes, of 24 inches. It also places building in Seismic Design Category D2, its earthquake design rating, which is one more reason we don't skip the steel. We see the same hard winters and sloped back yards on jobs in Sparks and Carson City, and we work in other cities around Reno too, so if yours isn't listed, ask us.
Get a block wall estimate in Reno
Call (775) 447-1254 or send the form, and have your plot plan or HOA rules handy so we can go over them together on site.