Concrete block walls in Cedar Rapids IA - a wall built to stand straight and stay dry
A cracking block wall, a damp basement or a slope to hold back? We build it on a clean, level footing with steel.
Request an estimate
What goes into a concrete block wall in Cedar Rapids?
A concrete block wall in Cedar Rapids is a basement, retaining or freestanding wall we build from concrete block, a material people choose because it's strong, lasts and costs less than many other options, and the finished wall also stands up to fire, noise and insects for as long as you own the house.
Most people who call us are planning a new wall to hold back a slope or close in a basement, and some have an old block wall that has cracked or started to lean. The price moves with the wall's length and height, how deep the footing goes, whether it's mortared or dry-stacked, how much steel and grout it needs and how much water it has to handle, while the schedule usually turns on the weather, the digging and what the local office asks for. We're based in Cedar Rapids and work in many of the cities around it, and once I've seen your wall I'll write up what I'd do and why.
How we build your concrete block wall
Before I put a price on your wall, we talk through whether it should be laid in mortar or stacked dry and coated, and where the reinforcing steel will sit, because those two choices shape how the wall carries its load and how it handles cracking. Where steel goes in, we fill those hollow cores with grout so the bars and the block work together as one wall. On site the footing comes first, and we clean it and check it for level before the first course goes down, since mortar won't bond well to dirt, ice, oil or mud, and a footing that's off shows up in every course above it.
A lot of block walls are part of a bigger job. If yours will hold up a house or an addition, our foundation block wall installation work covers the footing and basement side of it, and if you're planning a grill counter out back, block usually forms the core under the brick or stone in our outdoor kitchen masonry.
Concrete block walls in Cedar Rapids and the rules that can apply
If your wall will go near a river or creek, the first question is whether the lot sits in a mapped floodplain, because the Iowa Department of Natural Resources issues floodplain development permits for building along most of Iowa's waterways, and any city or county in the National Flood Insurance Program requires an application for a local floodplain permit there. Whether your block wall needs a city building permit is something I don't assume either way. Before each job we contact the city or county office to learn what they require, and we tell you what we found and who will handle it. For a retaining wall, a block industry guide also says to learn the local code rules before a project of any size, so you know what engineering the job needs.
Around here we see a lot of older block basements and sloped yards where a wall holds back soil, and the worries are usually water and whether the old wall was ever reinforced. We meet the same kinds of walls on jobs in Marion and Hiawatha.
- Call (319) 536-8125
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–9 PM
- Cedar Rapids, IA 52401
What happens when you call R&S Cedar Rapids Concrete & Masonry in Cedar Rapids?
Call or send a message
Thank you for reaching out. We get back to you and set a time that suits you for me to come out.
Walk the site with me
I look at the spot or the old wall, ask what you've noticed and talk through the method and the steel with you. You get a written estimate of what I'd do and why, so you can compare it with other bids point by point.
We check local requirements first
Before work starts we check with your city or county office, as described above. We set the start date around what they need.
Build, cover and tidy daily
Once we begin, the crew and I cover the work at the end of each day and leave the site tidy. When the wall is finished, I walk it with you before we pack up.
Why Cedar Rapids homeowners choose R&S Cedar Rapids Concrete & Masonry for block walls
The owner writes your estimate
I come out to look at every job myself and write the estimate, and the same small crew I work beside does the building. That way the person who talked through the steel and the footing with you is there when they go in.
In business here since 2023
I framed houses as a carpenter for years, then learned masonry beside an experienced mason before starting this business in Cedar Rapids in 2023. Coming from framing, I think about what's underneath first, which is usually where a block wall holds or fails.
Licensed and insured for your job
We're licensed and insured. If something goes wrong on your property, you're dealing with a covered business instead of carrying it yourself.
Repairs held to new-wall standards
Iowa's contractor rules count repairs and alterations as construction, the same as a new wall, and I treat them that way. A rebuilt section of your old wall gets the same clean footing, steel and care as one we start from scratch.
On a block wall, the parts you'll never see decide how long it lasts, so the best first step is a visit where we can look at them together. Ask for an estimate or call (319) 536-8125.
Request an estimateGet a written plan for your block wall
We reply within one business day and set up a time for me to come out. The estimate is free, done on your site and comes with no obligation, and I write up what I'd do for your wall and why.
- Licensed and insured.
- Phone
- (319) 536-8125
- Location
- Cedar Rapids, IA 52401
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–9 PM
Concrete block wall questions in Cedar Rapids
Should my concrete block wall be mortared or dry-stacked?
Both make a sound wall, and the choice comes down to what yours has to do. A block industry group says dry-stacked block, coated on both faces with a surface bonding material, goes up faster, depends less on the crew's skill and resists rain well. I lean toward mortar where the wall will show or sit beside brick, and toward dry-stacked and coated where speed and rain resistance matter more.
How do I know if my basement block wall needs dampproofing or waterproofing?
It turns on whether water pressure can build in the soil behind the wall, because a block industry group says building codes typically call for dampproofing where it can't and waterproofing where it may. A high water table or heavy clay backfill can create that pressure. I look at your soil and drainage before we decide which treatment your wall gets.
Does my contractor need to register in Iowa to build a block wall?
Yes, if they earn at least $2,000 a year from construction, Iowa's Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing requires them to register. Contractors earning less, and people working only on their own property, don't have to. It's a fair question to ask anyone bidding on your wall.
When does a floodplain permit apply to a wall in Cedar Rapids?
It applies when the wall goes in a mapped floodplain, which takes in ground along most of Iowa's waterways. In that case your city or county will want an application for a local floodplain permit before we build. I ask about it when we contact the local office, so you know before any digging starts.
How much does a concrete block wall cost in Cedar Rapids?
The cost comes from the wall's size, its footing, the method and the steel, so I give you a written figure after I've seen the site rather than guess over the phone. A tall retaining wall that needs engineering, a basement wall that needs waterproofing or a lot that needs a floodplain permit will add to it. A short garden wall on firm, dry ground usually sits at the lower end.
What causes cracks in a concrete block wall?
Most cracks come from the block shrinking as it dries or from loads the wall wasn't built to carry. Steel reinforcement raises a wall's strength against loads, and horizontal steel in particular helps resist shrinkage cracking. If you have cracks now, I'll look at them and tell you honestly if a few can wait.
Related masonry work we also do
Foundation block wall installation
When your block wall has to carry a house or an addition, start here for footings and basement walls built to hold the weight above them.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
A block wall is often the hidden frame of a backyard grill station or counter, and we finish it in brick or stone so it looks right.
Ask about your block wall today
Call (319) 536-8125 or send the form with the wall type, where it sits on your lot and whether the lot is in a floodplain, so I can come out ready.
Request an estimateCall (319) 536-8125