Masonry contractor in Berkeley, CA - The right repair for old brick and hillside walls
Stonework Richmond Concrete and Masonry repoints old brick, repairs chimneys and foundations, and builds retaining walls, walkways and outdoor kitchens for homeowners in Berkeley, CA, with our own crew and me on site to run it.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Berkeley houses, from the flats to the hills
Berkeley runs from the flats near the bay up into the Berkeley Hills, and the masonry changes as you climb. Down in the flats we see a lot of older houses with brick chimneys, brick foundations, front steps and garden walls that have stood for generations, and most of them need repointing long before they need rebuilding. Up the hill the lots get steep, and the calls turn to retaining walls, stone steps and walkways that keep the yard where it belongs.
We've worked out of Richmond since 2013 and do the same kind of work in Albany and Oakland, so Berkeley's brick and slopes are familiar ground. What shapes a job here is mostly the age of the house and the grade of the lot, because old, soft mortar needs a mix that won't fight the brick, and a steep lot decides how tall a wall has to be and what it's holding back.
Masonry work we do on Berkeley homes
Foundation repair
When an older Berkeley house shows stair-step cracks in its brick or block foundation, we find the cause first and repair what's failing, not the whole wall.
Chimney repair
Older brick chimneys lose mortar at the top first, where the weather hits hardest, so we rebuild the cap and any loose rows of brick before they shift.
Tuckpointing
When a brick front has gone patchy from years of repairs, tuckpointing fills the joints with a colored mortar and a fine line so the wall looks even.
Brick repair
Flaking or cracked bricks and loose front steps show up a lot on older houses here, and we cut out only the bad ones and set matching brick.
Driveway pavers
Short, sloped driveways are common here, and pavers on a well-packed base handle the grade and can be lifted and reset in one spot if the ground moves.
Retaining wall construction
Hillside lots in the Berkeley Hills lean on retaining walls, and we build them in block, brick or stone, sized for the height and the load behind them.
Masonry restoration
We clean, repair and repoint older brick and stone fronts that have taken decades of weather and patchwork, using materials that match what's already there.
Fireplace installation
When you're adding a brick or stone fireplace or rebuilding a worn-out one, we build it to the plans and tie it into the chimney you have.
Stone veneer installation
Thin stone veneer gives a block wall, foundation or fireplace a stone face without full stone's weight, and we set it over metal mesh and a water barrier.
Concrete block walls
Block walls work well for property-line walls and taller yard walls on uneven lots, because steel and grout in the cores make them strong for their size.
Foundation block wall installation
When an old brick foundation is past repair, we pour a new footing and build a reinforced block wall to carry the house above it.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
Berkeley backyards are often small or terraced, so we build outdoor kitchens in block, brick or stone sized to the space, with room for the grill and counter.
Walkway construction
Front walks here often heave or run down a slope, so we rebuild them in brick, stone or pavers on a packed base that keeps them even underfoot.
Brick wall installation
A new brick garden wall can match the older brick on your house, so we choose the brick and mortar color with you before laying the first row.
Stone masonry
Stone steps, walls and planters suit the hillside yards here, and we lay natural stone dry or in mortar depending on what the wall has to hold.
Brick pointing
Sandy or recessed joints let water into old brick, so we rake out the worn mortar and repoint with a mix that suits older brick.
Get a free written masonry estimate for your Berkeley home
Send the form and we reply within one business day to set a time. I come out, walk the job with you and send a written estimate, free and with no obligation.
(510) 369-4799- Based in
- Richmond, CA 94804
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–9 PM
Working in Berkeley: permits, licenses and what sets the price
Building permits in Berkeley come from the city's Permit Service Center, which covers all construction work and most repairs unless the city lists the job as exempt, so on a job that needs one, the city's review sets the start date more than our calendar does. If I'm not sure what the city wants for your project, I ask before we start instead of guessing. Before you hire anyone, ask for their license from the California Contractors State License Board, which licenses anyone who builds or alters a structure in the state, and check that they carry a Berkeley business license, which the city requires of every business working here, including contractors who apply for building permits.
Up in the hills, narrow streets and steep driveways leave little room to park a truck or stack brick, so access is one of the bigger things that moves the price, along with how much brick or stone actually has to come out. The schedule mostly turns on the permit, when there is one, and on giving fresh mortar dry days to set. We meet the same steep lots just north in El Cerrito, and after the visit my written estimate gives you the figure for your own job.
Wear on Berkeley masonry from age, quakes and slopes
Berkeley sits close to major earthquake faults, and the masonry that takes a shake worst is old brick laid without steel, mostly chimneys and brick foundations on older houses. Mortar that's gone soft lets those bricks loosen a little each year, so when I look one over I check the joints and how the chimney ties to the house, then tell you plainly whether it needs repointing, a partial rebuild or nothing yet.
On the hillside lots, rain running downhill piles up behind yard walls and steps, and a wall without a real footing or drainage starts to lean. We dig the footing for the slope and put gravel and a drain behind the wall so the water has somewhere to go.
How a masonry job runs when you call us in Berkeley
Here's how a Berkeley job goes from your first call to the cleanup, and who you'll be dealing with at each step.
Call or send the form
Call (510) 369-4799 or send the form with a few lines on what you're seeing, and we'll get back to you to set up a visit. Pick a time you can be home, since I'd like to walk it with you.
I walk the job with you
I come out myself, look over the brick, stone or slope with you, and tell you what I'd fix and what I'd leave alone. Then I send a written estimate, so you know the price before any work starts.
We handle the permit
If the job needs a permit, we pull it as the licensed contractor and set up the city inspections. On those jobs the start date follows the city's review, and I'll keep you posted on where it stands.
Our crew builds and cleans
Our own crew does the work, and I'm on site running it until it's finished. We clean up before we leave, so you're left with the new work and not our mess.
Questions about masonry work in Berkeley
How do I find out if my masonry project needs a permit in Berkeley?
Usually it does, because Berkeley requires a building permit for all construction work and most repairs unless the job is on the city's list of work exempt from building permits. That list covers finish work like tiling and countertops plus a few small items, and exempt work still has to meet the state building code and city law, sometimes with a zoning permit. I'll go through where your job falls at the estimate visit.
How tall can a retaining wall be in Berkeley without a building permit?
Up to 4 feet, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, as long as it isn't holding back extra load such as a driveway or a slope rising above it. Because the footing counts, a wall that looks shorter than 4 feet above the dirt can still be over the limit. A wall of any height in a required setback, the strip along your property lines where building is limited, needs a zoning permit, so we check where it sits before we price it.
Do I need a permit to build a brick or block fence in Berkeley?
A fence under 7 feet tall doesn't need a building permit in Berkeley, but one over 6 feet needs a zoning permit, which is the city's land use approval. That means a fence between 6 and 7 feet still needs zoning approval even without a building permit, so we settle the height with you before anything gets drawn up.
How do I know if my masonry contractor needs a California license?
They need one if the project requires a building permit, uses any additional workers, or costs $1,000 or more in labor and materials, which covers nearly any real masonry job. The state expects contractors to hold that license before they bid, apart from joint ventures and federally funded projects. We're fully licensed and insured, so ask us about it at the visit.
How much can a contractor ask for as a down payment in California?
On a home improvement contract, the state licensing board's rule caps the down payment at $1,000 or 10 percent of the total contract price, whichever is less. That holds on a Berkeley masonry job like anywhere else in California, so a bid asking for more up front is a reason to ask questions.
What affects the cost of masonry repair on an older Berkeley house?
The price mostly comes down to whether the job is a repair or a rebuild, because repointing sound brick takes far less labor and material than taking a wall or chimney down and laying it back up. Matching hard-to-find old brick, choosing natural stone over block, and carrying everything by hand on a steep lot all push it up. I'll tell you at the visit if a smaller repair will do, and the written estimate puts your figure on paper.
Richmond, CA
Tell us about your Berkeley masonry project
Worn mortar caught early usually means a repointing job instead of a rebuild, so call (510) 369-4799 or send the form and we'll sort out the permit question at the same time.