A concrete block wall fence costs more up front than wood or vinyl, but it is usually the last fence you buy. Here is what drives the price of a block wall in Spokane and Spokane Valley, and what to ask for when you compare quotes.
Ballpark price for a block wall fence
National cost guides put installed concrete block walls at roughly $15 to $20 per square foot. For a standard 6-foot privacy wall, that works out to about $90 to $120 per linear foot before extras like caps, columns or decorative block (Inch Calculator cost guide).
So a 100-foot back-yard wall often lands somewhere around $9,000 to $12,000 for plain gray block, and more for split-face or colored block. Your real number depends on the site, so treat this as a starting point, not a quote.
What changes the price in Spokane
- Length and height. Most of the cost is block and labor per square foot of wall.
- Frost-depth footing. Spokane requires footings at least 24 inches below finished grade (the Spokane City/County frost depth policy). A deeper footing means more digging and concrete than in milder climates, and it is what keeps the wall from heaving.
- Reinforcement. Rebar and grout in the block cores keep a tall wall straight through freeze-thaw cycles.
- Block style. Plain gray block is the most affordable. Split-face, colored block, columns and caps cost more.
- Slope and soil. Hillside lots, common on the South Hill and in north Spokane, can need stepped footings or a retaining section.
- Removal and access. Tearing out an old wood fence or tight yard access adds labor.
Block wall vs. wood or vinyl over 20 years
A wood fence is cheaper on day one, but Spokane winters are hard on it: posts rot at the ground and boards warp and crack. Vinyl does not rot but gets brittle in the cold. A properly built block wall has no boards to replace, so its cost over 20 to 30 years is often close to, or lower than, a wood fence you replace once.
What to ask for in a quote
- Footing depth (at least 24 inches) and width
- Rebar size and spacing, and which cells are grouted
- Block type, caps and columns as separate lines
- Demolition and haul-off of the old fence
- The fence permit, and who pulls it
In the City of Spokane, every new or replacement fence needs a permit, so make sure your quote covers it. See our guide to fence and retaining wall permits in Spokane and Spokane Valley.
Get a block wall quote
Planning a block wall, fence or retaining wall in Spokane, Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, Cheney or north Spokane? Request a free quote or call (509) 438-4570.