Masonry Contractor in San Pablo, CA - Older Brick Repaired, New Walls Built
Stonework Richmond Concrete and Masonry repoints old brick, fixes chimneys and builds walls, walkways and outdoor kitchens for homeowners in San Pablo, CA. We're based in Richmond, and our own crew does the work.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- We reply within 1 business day.
San Pablo homes as we see them on our jobs
San Pablo sits right up against Richmond, so as a masonry contractor based in Richmond, CA, we're over here a lot. Most calls are for older homes with a front step that's come loose, a chimney losing mortar at the roofline or a block wall along the driveway that's started to lean.
San Pablo and Wildcat Creeks run open through the city, and the houses around them tend to be older ones with brick steps, chimneys and garden walls that have been patched more than once. That shapes the job here. Much of what we do is careful repair and matching old brick, often through a narrow side yard, so before we start we work out how the material gets in.
Masonry work we do on San Pablo homes
Foundation repair
When a San Pablo house has a cracked foundation wall or a corner that's settled, we look at what moved and why before we patch anything.
Chimney repair
Older chimneys here often lose mortar near the roofline first, so we repoint or rebuild just the top rows when the rest of the stack is still sound.
Tuckpointing
We rake out worn mortar and tuck a fresh, matched line into the joints, which keeps the older brick fronts we see in San Pablo tight and tidy.
Brick repair
A few cracked or flaking bricks don't mean your porch wall has to come down, so we cut out the bad ones and set matching brick in their place.
Driveway pavers
Pavers suit the short driveways on many San Pablo lots, because a single cracked or sunken section can be lifted and reset instead of torn out.
Retaining wall construction
On San Pablo's sloped back yards, a retaining wall holds back real soil, so we get the footing and drainage right before we finish the face.
Masonry restoration
For older brick and stone that's been patched over the years with the wrong mortar, we sort out what's sound and restore the rest to match.
Fireplace installation
We build masonry fireplaces for San Pablo living rooms and back yards, sizing the firebox and flue to the room so it draws well and doesn't smoke you out.
Stone veneer installation
Stone veneer is thin stone set over a solid backing, and it dresses up a plain stucco front or porch base here without the weight of full stone.
Concrete block walls
Block makes solid property-line and driveway walls on San Pablo's tighter lots, and we reinforce them with steel and grout so they stay straight.
Foundation block wall installation
When an addition or an undersized old foundation needs a new block wall underneath, we dig, form and lay it to carry the house properly.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
We build brick, block and stone outdoor kitchen counters and grill surrounds, sized to fit the smaller back yards we find around San Pablo.
Walkway construction
We lay brick or stone walkways on a packed gravel base, and that base is what keeps a front path in an older San Pablo yard flat and even underfoot.
Brick wall installation
A new brick garden or front wall can match the older brick on your house when we take the time to find the right brick and mortar color.
Stone masonry
We set natural stone for steps, planters and low walls, which suits the sloped San Pablo lots where a yard needs a few levels to be usable.
Brick pointing
When only a few joints on your San Pablo house have cracked or washed out, we fill just those, which costs less than repointing the whole wall.
Get a free written masonry estimate for your San Pablo home
We reply within one business day to set a time. Then I come out, walk the job with you and send a written estimate, 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
Working in San Pablo: permits, licenses and price
In San Pablo, the city's Building Division issues permits for most construction, remodeling and repairs, so on a lot of our jobs here the city's review, not our calendar, decides when we can start. We're fully licensed and insured. An older city permit document said every contractor and subcontractor needs a current City of San Pablo business license before the city issues a building permit. Today the Community Development Department handles business licensing questions and procedures, so that's the office to ask about a contractor's city license.
When a job needs a permit, we pull it as the licensed contractor and set up the city inspections, and if I'm not sure what San Pablo wants, I ask the city before we start instead of guessing. The price moves with the size of the job, the brick, block or stone you pick, how much old mortar or broken brick has to come out and how far we carry material from the street, and your written estimate gives you the figure for your own house. We work the same way just down the road in El Cerrito and across the cities around Richmond, so if you're not sure we come to you, just ask.
Older brick and sloped yards in San Pablo
A lot of the brick here is old enough that the mortar has worn out before the brick has, and you'll see it as sandy joints, a loose front step or a chimney top that's lost a few rows. Mortar is meant to be the weak part. When the brick is still sound, I'd rather repoint it than rebuild it, because a careful repoint costs you less and keeps the original wall doing its job.
Up the slope, yards are held back by walls, and when one leans it's usually water behind it with nowhere to go. We fix the drainage along with the wall, because a new face on the same problem just leans again.
How a masonry job runs when you call us in San Pablo
Here's how a San Pablo job runs, from your first call to the day our crew packs up and leaves your yard clean.
Call or send the form
You call (510) 369-4799 or fill out the form, and we get back to you to set a time that suits you. A few photos help, but you don't need them.
I walk the job with you
I come out myself, look at the brick, block or ground with you, and tell you straight if a wall is fine as it is. Then I send a written estimate, so you know the cost before you decide anything.
We take care of the permit
If the job needs a permit, we pull it as the licensed contractor, and you'll sign the scope and value of the job with us because San Pablo asks for both signatures. The city's review sets the start date, and we book the inspections.
Our crew builds and cleans up
Our own crew does the work, and I'm on site running it until the job is done. We don't call it finished until the yard is cleaned up.
Questions about masonry work in San Pablo
Do I need a building permit for masonry repair or a new wall in San Pablo, CA?
Often you do, because the city requires a permit for most construction, remodeling and repair work. The code the city applies calls for a permit to build, alter, repair or demolish a building or structure. We check with the city before we start and pull the permit as the licensed contractor when one's needed.
Which building code applies to a new permit application in San Pablo?
New applications in San Pablo have to meet the 2025 California Building Code and the state building standards that go with it. Only applications filed before February 19, 2026, can stay on the older 2022 code. We plan a wall or repair to the current code, so the work and the inspections line up.
How do I find out if my address is in San Pablo city limits or Contra Costa County?
Check your address on the city's Building Services page, which asks owners to confirm they're within city limits. If you're outside them, you go to Contra Costa County instead. Give us your address when you call, and we'll know which office we're dealing with.
How do I know if my San Pablo wall or yard project needs a soils report?
If your property is east of I-80, it may well need one, because the city requires a geotechnical report, a soils engineer's study of the ground, for all development there, such as construction, grading and tree removal. The city points to the soil type, an active fault close by and a greater chance of landslides. For a retaining wall or regrading on that side of town, we ask the city what it wants before we price the footing.
Do I need a permit for a brick or block fence wall in San Pablo?
Height and a corner lot are what bring city permits into it. The city's handout for commercial work lists fences up to 7 feet high as exempt from a building permit, but fences over 6 feet need a Planning Division permit, and fences on a corner lot need one from Public Works. That list is written for commercial work, so for a wall at your house we check with the city before we lay a block.
What affects the cost of masonry work on a San Pablo home?
The size of the job, the material and how much old work has to come out set most of the price. A retaining wall on a slope costs more than a garden wall because of the digging, footing and drainage behind it, and repointing a whole wall costs more than fixing a few joints. I come out and walk it with you, and the written estimate gives you the figure for your house.
Richmond, CA
Get your San Pablo masonry estimate started
A loose step or a few sandy joints is a small repair caught early, and a bigger one once water has worked in behind the brick.