Masonry Contractor in Oakland, CA - Old Brick Repointed and Yard Walls Built
Stonework Richmond Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor working in Oakland, CA. We repoint and repair old brick, fix chimneys, and build retaining walls, walkways and outdoor kitchens for Oakland homes.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Oakland houses, from flat blocks to hillside lots
We're a masonry contractor based in Richmond, CA, and Oakland is a short drive down the freeway for our crew. Most of the calls we get here come from owners of older houses with brick chimneys, front steps and garden walls that have stood a long time, and from people planning a new wall, walkway or outdoor kitchen. It's the same mix we see up in Vallejo and over in Alameda.
On the flatter blocks the job is usually old brick that needs repointing the right way. Up the slopes it's more often a yard that needs holding back, so the footing and how water gets out from behind the wall decide the work.
Masonry services for Oakland homes and yards
Foundation repair
When an older Oakland house has cracked brick or block at the base, I look at what moved and why before we fix only what needs it.
Chimney repair
Old brick chimneys here often lose mortar at the top first. We rebuild loose courses and repair the crown, the cap that sheds water.
Tuckpointing
For brick fronts and walls where the joints have gone sandy, we grind out worn mortar and refill it to match the old joints.
Brick repair
Bricks with flaking faces or cracks on Oakland steps, porches and garden walls get cut out one at a time and replaced with brick that matches.
Driveway pavers
Short, narrow driveways on older lots suit pavers, because a sunken section can be lifted and relaid instead of breaking out the whole slab.
Retaining wall construction
Sloped yards in the hills often need a wall to hold soil back, and we build it on a real footing with drainage behind it.
Masonry restoration
When an older brick or stone house has years of patches in the wrong mortar, we take the bad repairs out and redo them so the walls breathe.
Fireplace installation
We build masonry fireplaces and rebuild worn fireboxes, the brick box the fire sits in, for living rooms in older Oakland houses and new additions.
Stone veneer installation
Stone veneer, thin stone set on a wall face, dresses up a plain stucco base, chimney or front steps without the weight of full stone.
Concrete block walls
On tight Oakland lots, block makes a solid wall along a property line or side yard, and it takes stucco or veneer for a finished face.
Foundation block wall installation
When an addition, a garage or a crawlspace needs a new block foundation wall, we lay it on a sound footing so the framing above sits true.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
A block or stone outdoor kitchen fits even a small Oakland backyard when we build the base, counters and grill surround to the space you have.
Walkway construction
We lay brick, stone or paver walkways from the sidewalk to the door and around the side of the house, with steps where the lot climbs.
Brick wall installation
A new brick garden or front wall can match an older house when we pick the brick and the mortar color to sit with what's already there.
Stone masonry
For stone steps, planters and garden walls on sloped Oakland yards, we set and fit natural stone by hand so each piece bears on the one below.
Brick pointing
When a few joints on a chimney, porch or wall have cracked or dropped out, pointing fills just those with matching mortar before water gets behind the brick.
Get a free written masonry estimate for your Oakland home
We reply within one business day to set up a visit. I come out, walk the job with you and send a written estimate that's free, with no pressure and no obligation.
(510) 369-4799- Based in
- Richmond, CA 94804
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–9 PM
What Oakland's permit and license rules mean for your job
Whether your job needs a permit is the city's call, and when it does, the permit has to be in hand before we dig a footing or take down a chimney, so it sets the start of the schedule. Before you hire anyone, look up their contractor's license with the state licensing board and ask whether they hold an Oakland business license, because the city expects anyone doing business here to pay its business tax, including companies based outside Oakland.
We're fully licensed and insured, and we work in Oakland the same way we do in Berkeley and Emeryville. Price here moves with how much old brick or mortar has to come out, the material you choose and how hard the spot is to reach on a tight or sloped lot, while the schedule turns on the permit paperwork and on what we find once the old work is opened up. Your written estimate is where you get the figure for your own house.
Why Oakland's yards and older houses need masonry
A lot of Oakland yards sit on a slope, so the masonry is doing real work holding soil, steps and walkways in place. When an old wall leans or a set of steps starts to drop, the cause is usually a thin footing or no drainage behind it, and we fix that cause rather than just facing it with new block. Sometimes the right answer is a short section rebuilt and sometimes it's a new wall, and I'll tell you which one yours is.
Older chimneys here take the most wear at the top, where the crown cracks and the last few courses of brick work loose. Catching that early keeps it a repair instead of a rebuild.
How a masonry job runs when you call us in Oakland
Here's how it goes from your first call to a cleaned-up yard, and who you'll deal with along the way.
Call or send the form
Phone (510) 369-4799 or fill out the form with a few lines about what you're seeing. We get back to you to set a time for me to come out.
I walk the job with you
I come out myself, and since I framed houses for years before I took up brick, I look at what's around the problem, not just the crack. You get a written estimate with your figure on it, so you know the cost before anything starts.
We handle any permit needed
If you go ahead and the job needs a permit, we pull it as the licensed contractor and set up the city inspections. Oakland wants an approved recycling plan and summary report before it issues a building permit, so we get that done first.
We build and clean up
I'm on site with our crew until the work is done, and we leave your yard clean before we call it finished. Your satisfaction, guaranteed.
Questions about masonry work in Oakland
Who handles building permits in Oakland?
Oakland's Planning & Building department takes building permit applications, and its Bureau of Building oversees construction work in the city. The department says it has made applying easier through Same-Day Digital Permits.
How do I know if my retaining wall or fence in Oakland needs a permit?
Check it against the city's list of work that needs no building permit, which includes some retaining walls and fences, but only within limits the city sets for each. Those limits are on the city's exemption page, so I check your wall against them before we start, and if I'm not sure what the city wants, I ask the city instead of guessing.
When is a state contractor license required in California?
The Contractors State License Board requires a license when a project needs a building permit, uses any additional workers, or has contracts totaling $1,000 or more in labor and materials. The board says some small jobs need no license, but only when there's no permit, no employee labor, combined costs under $1,000 and no claim in ads to be a licensed contractor.
How large a down payment can a contractor ask for in California?
The state licensing board says a contractor can't ask for or accept a down payment of more than $1,000 or 10 percent of the total contract price, whichever is less, on a home improvement project in California. The board repeats the rule in its guidance on rebuilding after declared disasters, and it's worth knowing before you sign with anyone.
How much does masonry work cost in Oakland?
It depends mostly on whether your brick needs repointing or rebuilding, because repointing a sound wall costs far less than taking one down and laying it again. Natural stone runs more than block, a steep or tight lot where materials go in by hand adds labor, and a permit adds its paperwork. I'll give you the figure for your job in a written estimate after I've seen it.
What causes mortar to crumble on old brick houses in Oakland?
Mostly age and water, because old mortar is softer than the brick and slowly wears out of the joints, which lets water in behind it. Patches done in hard modern mortar make it worse, since the brick then takes the strain and cracks or flakes instead of the joint. The fix is usually repointing with a mortar matched to the old wall, and I'll tell you if only a few joints need it.
Richmond, CA
Tell us about your Oakland masonry project
Call (510) 369-4799 or send the form with what you're seeing, and I can tell you which of Oakland's permit steps your job may need before you plan around a date.