Concrete block walls in Sunrise Manor NV - a straight wall on a solid footing

Yes, in most cases, because Clark County requires a fence permit for masonry and concrete walls over 24 inches tall. A wall on the property line also needs a notarized Property Line Authorization form before the county issues the permit. We help you confirm which office covers your address and handle the application with you.

Yes, but Clark County requires engineering from a Nevada licensed design professional before an existing wall goes any higher. A wall built to the Southern Nevada Regional Standard design needs no engineering, though a copy of that standard goes in with the permit. The county also won't permit any wall that blocks a natural drainage channel.

Ask how the footing will be built, because on a freestanding wall it carries the whole wall and keeps it from tipping or sliding sideways. Ask if they're licensed too, since Clark County issues fence permits to licensed contractors and to owner builders who meet its affidavit rules. We pour footings only after the county approves the footing inspection.

Usually not, because shrinkage cracks in block change how the wall looks, not how it stands. Trade guidance calls for control joints in exposed block walls, which are planned seams that limit that cracking and keep out moisture and air, so we set ours where we want any crack to land.

That's usually efflorescence, a white deposit of salts that comes out of masonry, and it won't change how the wall performs. It's mostly a looks problem. Masonry upkeep guidance also says to keep sprinklers and faucets from spraying too much water on your walls.

Plan on roughly every 10 years, because trade guidance says a properly applied coating can keep a block wall weathertight for up to 10 years in most areas. If you'd rather skip that upkeep, plain or split-face block is worth a look when you pick a finish.