Foundation block wall installation in Lansing MI - a basement wall built to stay dry
Need a new basement wall under an addition, a new house or in place of a failed one? We build block walls that hold the soil back.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
What goes into building a block foundation wall in Lansing?
Foundation block wall installation in Lansing means building a concrete block basement wall on a concrete footing, so it holds back the soil around your house and carries the house above it.
Most people who call Craftsman Lansing Concrete and Masonry about this are putting on an addition, building new or replacing a wall that's past saving, and if yours is cracked but still standing, foundation repair may be all it needs. The price moves with how tall and long the wall is, how much digging it takes, whether it needs steel in it and how much water protection your site calls for. The schedule turns mostly on the weather, the permit and how the digging goes, and the estimate puts the figure for your own wall in front of you to think over.
How we handle foundation block wall installation
We dig out the site, get the footing ready and lay the block course by course, keeping the wall plumb and level so the house sits on it evenly. Before any soil goes back, we brace the new walls and keep heavy machines off the fill, because a new wall shouldn't crack before the house is even sitting on it. Then we coat the outside to keep water out and backfill around it.
Once the walls are in and the yard is graded, a lot of people want the outside finished too. We handle walkway construction from the drive to a new door, and outdoor kitchen masonry for a patio off the back.
Plain mortared block
This suits most basements where the soil load is ordinary, because laid block without steel has long held back soil well. It's the straightforward choice when nothing about the site asks for more.
Reinforced block
It's worth asking about when soil presses hard on the wall, since steel lets a thinner wall stand up to heavy backfill pressure. That's a big part of why reinforced walls keep getting more common.
Dry-stacked, surface-bonded block
The blocks go up without mortar, then both faces get a surface bonding mortar with small glass fibers in it. Put on to the right thickness, it's about as strong as laid block, builds easier and leaves a dampproof coat on each face.
Foundation block wall installation in Lansing starts with the city
The City of Lansing Building Safety Office issues permits for work the code says needs one, so that's the office to ask about your wall. Before work starts I check with the office that covers your address, and if the job needs a permit or a historic district review, we work out the paperwork with you before anyone picks up a trowel. That matters here, because work that needed a permit and started without one gets a special investigation first, and the city adds an investigation fee to the permit fee whether or not a permit is ever issued.
We're based in Lansing and work the cities around it, and the foundation walls we build usually go under additions, garages and new houses, or replace a basement wall that's done. We do the same work on jobs in East Lansing and Holt, and if your city isn't on our list, call and ask.
Why Lansing homeowners call Craftsman Lansing Concrete and Masonry for foundation walls
The owner estimates and builds
I come out to look at the site and give the estimate myself, then I'm on site with our crew while the wall goes up. The person who told you the plan is the one making sure it gets built that way.
Licensed and fully insured
We're licensed and fully insured, and in Michigan you can check which trades a contractor's license covers before you hire anyone. On a wall your whole house sits on, that check is worth a few minutes.
Full-time masonry since 2023
I learned the trade on other crews and did weekend jobs for neighbors before going full time in 2023. Most of our calls still come from people who want a wall done once and done right.
You'll hear what can wait
I'd rather tell you a job can wait than sell you work you don't need. If your old wall can be fixed instead of rebuilt, that's the first thing you'll hear from me.
A foundation wall is the one part of the house you can't easily redo, so the plan has to be right before the first block goes down. Tell us about your project or call (517) 237-5922.
Request a quoteGet a free on-site estimate for your foundation wall
We reply within one business day to set a time for me to come look at your site. The estimate is free, done on site and comes with no obligation, so you can think it over before you decide anything.
What happens after you call about a new foundation wall?
Call or send photos
Call (517) 237-5922 or use the form, and a few photos of the site help. We set a time for me to come out and see it.
Walk the site together
I tell you what I see, what I'd do first and what can wait. Then it goes into an estimate you can think over without anyone pushing you.
Paperwork, then the build
Once you say go, we sort out any permit paperwork with the office for your address. Then we dig, lay the block and brace the walls before backfill.
Clean up and look it over
We clean up the site when the work is done. Then we look the wall over with you before we call it finished.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to install a concrete block foundation wall in Lansing?
Across the US, installing a concrete block wall usually runs about $16 to $19 per square foot. That's a national figure, not our price, and the wall's height, the digging, any reinforcement and the water protection all move where your job lands. The estimate gives you the number for your wall.
Do I need dampproofing or waterproofing on a block basement wall?
Building codes typically call for dampproofing where water pressure won't build up in the soil and waterproofing where it may. A high water table or heavy clay backfill can create that pressure, so how water drains at your site decides which coating the wall gets. We look at that before we price the coating.
Can a block foundation wall be built in cold weather in Michigan?
Yes, but below 40°F the masonry standard says special cold-weather procedures have to be considered. Between 40 and 90°F counts as normal for block work and needs nothing extra. If your job falls in a cold stretch, ask what we'll do to protect the wall and you'll get a plain answer.
How do I check a masonry contractor's license in Michigan?
Look at the trades listed on the license, because each one names the trades its holder may practice. A maintenance and alteration contractor license can cover concrete, masonry, excavation and basement waterproofing, so for a block foundation you want concrete or masonry on it, and the state's license information explains the license. State law also puts civil fines on anyone who schemes to get around the licensing rules for work on homes.
What should a block foundation wall sit on?
It sits on a footing, usually cast-in-place concrete. The trade's guidance is that the footing rests on undisturbed native soil, and that weak or soft soil gets dug out and replaced with compacted soil, gravel or concrete first.
What is the best way to backfill around a new block foundation?
Brace the walls first, as we covered above, then finish the backfill with a top layer of low-permeability soil so rain doesn't soak straight down along the wall. The trade's guidance also says the finished ground should slope away from the house, which sends water off instead of toward the basement.
Other masonry work that often follows a new foundation
Walkway construction
A new foundation usually means a new door or a new grade, and a solid walkway gets you from the drive to that door without mud or tripping.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
If the build includes a patio out back, we can lay up a grill counter, a bar or a fire feature in block, brick or stone to match the house.
Lansing, MI
Get your foundation wall estimate started
Call (517) 237-5922 or send the form with your address, the wall's rough size and any water problems you already know about, so I come out ready.