Why choose a block wall?
Block doesn't rot, warp or feed termites. It blocks sightlines and a good share of street noise, and it shrugs off summer sun. It's also what most Glendale subdivisions were built with, so a new wall usually blends right in. The trade-off is cost: it takes a footing, steel and grout, so it costs more up front than a panel fence.
What goes into a wall we build?
- An Arizona 811 utility locate before any digging.
- A continuous concrete footing sized to the wall's height.
- Rebar set in the cells and grouted, with a bond beam near the top.
- A cap course, then paint, stucco or split-face block to match your home.
How tall can my wall be in Glendale?
Glendale's zoning ordinance, as published, limits fences and walls to 6 feet in side and rear yards and 3 feet in front yards in all zoning districts, unless another section says otherwise. It also says walls over 6 feet, measured from the inside finished grade, need structural calculations from a licensed engineer. Full details are in our Glendale permit and height guide.
What about walls that hold back dirt?
Glendale treats a wall retaining at least 18 inches of soil as a retaining wall, which gets City Engineer review. Where more than 4 feet has to be retained, the ordinance calls for terraced walls. If your lot steps down toward a neighbor, tell us early; that changes the design and the paperwork.
What does a block wall cost?
HomeAdvisor's national figures put a block privacy wall at roughly $10 to $30 per square foot of wall face, as of October 2026. Take your wall's length times its height to get square feet. Our Glendale cost guide walks through an example.