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Serving Des Moines, IA and surrounding areas. (515) 724-6905
Leaning walls, cracked mortar, and slopes that wash out every spring are fixable. We build concrete block walls with footings that go below the frost line so Iowa winters cannot push them out of place.
Concrete block wall construction in Des Moines means stacking hollow or solid blocks bonded with mortar to build a structure that can serve as a retaining wall, garden border, yard boundary, or foundation component - most straightforward yard walls of 20 to 40 linear feet take one to three days once the footing is poured and cured.
The part most homeowners never see is what makes a block wall work: the concrete footing poured underground below the frost line. In Des Moines, where the ground can freeze to a depth of 36 inches or more in a hard winter, a footing that does not reach that depth is already compromised before the first course of block goes down. That foundation work is where the real cost difference between a lasting wall and a problem wall lives.
For walls that need to hold back a significant slope or tie into a home foundation, see our retaining wall construction page for projects with more complex drainage and structural requirements.
If you stand at one end and sight down the length, the wall should look straight. One that curves outward in the middle or leans noticeably in any direction has been pushed by soil pressure or frost movement - both common in Des Moines. A leaning wall is a structural issue, and it tends to get worse, not better, on its own.
Hairline mortar cracks are normal over time. But cracks running diagonally across several blocks, or gaps wide enough to slip a coin into, mean the wall has shifted significantly. In Des Moines, this kind of cracking often follows winters with repeated hard freezes - the ground movement adds up over years until something gives.
If rain flows toward your home instead of away from it, a missing or failed retaining wall is often the cause. Des Moines gets real spring storms, and water that pools against a foundation eventually finds its way inside. A properly built block retaining wall with drainage redirects that water before it becomes your problem.
If you are fighting a hillside every time you mow, or if bare patches of soil wash away after rain, a retaining wall solves both problems at once. Many Des Moines homeowners in neighborhoods with rolling terrain use block walls to create flat, usable yard space while stopping erosion for good.
We build new block walls, repair and rebuild walls that have failed, and replace aging structures that are past the point where patching makes sense. Before quoting any project, we visit the site to check the ground, look for drainage issues, and assess any existing walls honestly. For homeowners with older properties - Des Moines has a large inventory of homes built between the 1920s and 1960s with original block walls that are now 60 to 100 years old - we will tell you directly whether repair or full replacement is the smarter investment.
Our work includes retaining walls, garden borders, yard boundary walls, and block structures for outdoor living spaces. We coordinate with our foundation block wall installation work when a project ties into the home structure. The National Concrete Masonry Association sets the technical standards we follow for footing depth, drainage, and mortar application on every project.
For slopes, grade changes, or areas where water needs to be redirected away from your home or patio.
Suited for homeowners wanting a permanent, clean edge for planting areas that holds through Iowa winters.
For defined property lines or outdoor living areas where wood or landscape timbers have rotted or shifted.
When an existing wall is leaning, cracking, or has failed drainage - we assess whether repair or full rebuild is the right call.
Block walls as structural borders for patios, fire pit areas, or outdoor kitchen spaces that need a permanent base.
For homeowners wanting a decorative finish on the visible face of the block wall to match the home exterior.
Des Moines sits on clay-heavy soil that swells when wet and shrinks when dry. That constant movement puts stress on any masonry structure, especially retaining walls. A contractor who understands local soil conditions accounts for this in the footing design and drainage plan - if drainage is not part of the conversation from the start, ask about it directly. The city also sees significant spring rainfall, and water management behind a retaining wall is what separates a 10-year wall from a 50-year one. We also call Iowa One Call (dial 811) before any digging begins, as required by state law, to locate underground utilities.
We work throughout the metro, including Ankeny and West Des Moines, where newer developments often have rolling terrain that creates demand for retaining walls during landscaping projects. Older central Des Moines neighborhoods frequently have original block structures that have reached the end of their serviceable life - we assess those honestly and give you a straight answer on whether repair or replacement makes more sense for your property.
We respond within 1 business day. We do not quote from a phone description - we visit the site, check for slopes and drainage concerns, and look at any existing wall before giving you a written estimate. Bring your questions about permits and soil conditions.
Before any digging, Iowa law requires underground utilities to be marked via Iowa One Call (811) - we arrange this at least a few days before the start date. We also handle the city permit paperwork so the work is on record and will be inspected.
The crew digs down below the frost line - at least 36 inches in the Des Moines area - and pours a concrete footing. This is the part of the job you will never see, but it is the most important step. The wall is only as solid as what it sits on.
Once the footing cures (24 to 48 hours), block work begins. For retaining walls, gravel backfill and drainage are installed as the wall rises. After the final course, we clean up the site and coordinate the city inspection - mortar reaches full strength over several days.
Free in-person estimate. We handle permit coordination and utility locating before any work begins.
(515) 724-6905We always dig to the appropriate frost depth for the Des Moines area - at least 36 inches. That extra digging is not optional here; it is the difference between a wall that stays put and one that heaves and leans after three winters. No shortcuts on the footing.
Every retaining wall we build includes gravel backfill and drainage provisions as the wall goes up. We do not add drainage as an afterthought. Des Moines spring rainfall is real, and a wall without drainage is already failing - just slowly.
We pull building permits for wall projects across all 12 communities we serve and coordinate the city inspection at project close. You get a permitted, inspected, on-record structure that will not surprise you at closing if you ever sell.
Des Moines has a lot of aging block walls from the 1940s through 1960s. We look at them honestly and tell you whether the wall needs tuck-pointing, partial repair, or full replacement. You make the decision with real information, not a sales pitch.
We follow Mason Contractors Association of America standards and handle every phase in-house - from utility locating and permits to the final inspection sign-off - so nothing falls through the cracks between crews.
For slopes that need serious structural support, our retaining wall construction service covers site grading, drainage design, and full wall builds from the footing up.
Learn moreWhen a block wall is part of a foundation system rather than a yard feature, we apply the same frost-depth standards and permit process to keep the structure sound.
Learn moreDes Moines contractor calendars fill fast once the ground thaws - reach out now for a free written estimate and lock in your project date before the busy season.