What Does ’5 Courses’ Mean?
A course is one row of concrete block, about 8 inches tall. Five courses make a 40-inch wall, which is where Tidewater’s block foundation price starts: $50 per linear foot including the footer. Each additional course adds $10 per linear foot.
Why Five Courses Is the Starting Point
Five courses fits the local frost depth. Cecil County’s building code puts the frost line at 32 inches, and New Castle County requires footings to sit 32 inches below finished grade. With a typical 8-inch footer bottoming out at 32 inches, five courses of block brings the top of the wall about 16 inches above grade.
Reading the Per-Foot Price
The per-foot price covers the whole perimeter of the foundation. A 20 by 28 foot garage has 96 linear feet of wall (20 + 28 + 20 + 28). At the $50 starting rate that works out to $4,800, and the finished job came in at $5,000 to $6,000. Starting prices are a floor, and the formal quote after a site visit sets the real number.
Adding Courses
Adding courses raises the wall 8 inches at a time, at $10 per linear foot each. A sixth course on that same 96-foot garage would add about $960 at the starting rate.
Questions to Ask About Your Foundation Quote
Questions to ask about any foundation quote:
- How many courses of block is it priced at?
- Is the footer included, or is it a separate line?
- What reinforcement goes in the wall?
- Who handles the dig for the footer?
When You’d Need More Courses
More courses are needed when the wall has to stand taller, for example on a sloped lot where one side of the foundation sits higher out of the ground, or when the floor needs to sit higher above grade. Our post on what happens from footer to finish walks through the pour itself, and our Concrete Block Foundations page covers the service.
