Foundation block wall installation in Sunrise Manor NV - a wall built on solid ground

Not always, since concrete block foundation walls can be built without steel, but walls holding back a heavy load of soil may need it. How much soil gets packed behind yours is a big part of that call, so it's one of the first things I look at on site.

Building codes typically call for damp-proofing where water won't build up pressure in the soil and waterproofing where it might. A high water table or heavy clay that drains poorly can cause that pressure. No damp-proof coating is fully waterproof, so ask how water will be kept from sitting against the wall.

Because footings belong on undisturbed native soil, and weak or soft soil gets replaced with compacted soil, gravel or concrete. Clark County's soil map flags parts of the valley for swelling clay, corrosive soil, gypsum salt or ground that collapses when wet, but it shows general trends and advises a design professional for your own site.

You may qualify, since Nevada's contractors board lists an exemption for owners building or improving a home on their own property to live in, not to sell or lease. You apply to the board, and a sale or lease within 1 year after it's done is presumed to show intent to sell. We're licensed and fully insured if you'd rather hand it off.