M&M Concrete Inc. · Licensed C-8 #1141877 · Inland Empire
Block walls and retaining walls, footing to cap
CMU property walls, retaining walls, generator and trash enclosures, built with footings, rebar and grout to the engineering.
M&M Concrete builds concrete masonry unit (CMU) block walls for homes, businesses and public projects across the Inland Empire. We dig and pour the footing, lay the block, set the vertical and horizontal rebar, grout the cells, and finish with a cap or a stucco-ready face. One crew does the whole wall.
Retaining walls get the extra care they need: engineered footings, drainage rock and perforated pipe behind the wall, weep holes or a drain line, and backfill compacted in lifts so the wall holds the slope for decades.
What we handle
- Property line and perimeter block walls
- Retaining walls, engineered and permitted
- Garden and planter walls
- Generator, trash and equipment enclosures
- Pilasters, caps and stucco-ready faces
- Footings, rebar and grout per plans
- Drainage behind retaining walls
- Wall demolition and replacement
Retaining walls that hold
A retaining wall is holding back thousands of pounds of wet soil. The footing, the rebar spacing and the drainage are what keep it standing, and none of them are visible when the job is done. We build to stamped engineering when the height or the surcharge requires it, and we put in the drain rock and perforated pipe every time.
We work on hillside lots in Highland, Yucaipa, Rancho Cucamonga and Riverside where the wall is the first thing that has to be right before anything else can happen.
Commercial enclosures and property walls
We built a full CMU generator enclosure at a live healthcare facility in Anaheim: 78 feet of fully grouted block wall, a 6-inch equipment slab plus an elevated pad, conduit trenching, asphalt patch-back and a new access gate. Trash enclosures, screen walls and property walls for parking lots and apartment communities are the same trade at a different scale.
Footing to finished wall
The same crew digs and pours the footing, lays the block, sets the rebar and grouts the cells. The footing is the part you never see and the part that matters most.
Block walls jobs we have done
Questions we get asked
Are you licensed and insured?
Yes. M&M Concrete Inc. holds a California C-8 concrete contractor license, CSLB #1141877, and is registered with the DIR (#2000016629) for prevailing-wage public work. We carry $1M per occurrence and $2M aggregate general liability plus a $2M umbrella, and we can add your project as additional insured before we start. You can check the license yourself on the CSLB website.
What is a CMU block wall?
A wall built from concrete masonry units, the grey 8x8x16 blocks, laid on a poured concrete footing with vertical rebar in the cells and horizontal rebar in the bond beams, then filled with grout. It is the standard property, retaining and enclosure wall in Southern California because it handles sun, dry soil and the occasional earthquake better than wood or unreinforced walls.
How long does a CMU block wall last?
With a proper footing, reinforcement and drainage, 50 years or more. The walls that fail early are almost always the ones with no footing, no rebar or no drainage behind a retaining wall.
Are block walls stronger than poured concrete walls?
Both are strong when engineered right. Grouted and reinforced CMU is the cost-effective choice for property walls, retaining walls up to typical residential heights and enclosures. Poured-in-place concrete makes sense for very tall retaining walls or where the engineer specifies it. We build both.
Can a block wall be decorative?
Yes. Split-face and slump block, precision block with a stucco finish, stone veneer, caps and pilasters all work. For most homeowners we recommend a precision block wall finished to match the house.
How much does a block wall cost?
Price depends on height, length, whether it retains soil, the footing the engineer requires and the finish. Freestanding property walls are priced per linear foot; retaining walls are priced per square foot of face because the footing and reinforcement grow with the height. We give a written quote after walking the line with you.
Do I need a permit for a block or retaining wall?
Usually yes once the wall passes a certain height. Most Inland Empire cities require a permit for freestanding block walls over about six feet, and for any retaining wall over roughly four feet measured from the bottom of the footing, or lower if it is holding back a surcharge like a driveway or a slope above it. Engineered retaining walls also need stamped plans. We know each city's height triggers and will tell you upfront what your wall needs.
What is the difference between a retaining wall and a block wall?
A retaining wall holds back soil and needs a bigger footing, more steel and drainage. A freestanding block wall only has to stand up under its own weight and wind. The same block is used for both; the engineering is different.
Need a block walls quote?
Call or text and we will walk it with you. Free estimates across San Bernardino and the Inland Empire.