Masonry contractor in Cherryland, CA - repairs that start with the cause
C&M Castro Valley Concrete & Masonry is a masonry contractor working in Cherryland, CA, a short drive from our base in Castro Valley. We repair cracked brick, tired mortar and chimneys, and build walls, walkways and pavers.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Cherryland homes and the masonry we see on them
Cherryland is mostly houses, a lot of them older homes on modest lots, with shops along the busier streets and Hayward right at its southern edge. On jobs here I see brick front steps, old chimneys, low garden walls and driveways that have been patched more than once, much like what we find in Ashland and Hayward.
Houses sit close together, so side yards are narrow and driveways are tight, and we plan where the mixer and the pallets of brick go before the first day. On an older house I also want to see what's under the brick before we pick a fix, because the footing and the old mortar usually tell you why it cracked.
Masonry work we do on Cherryland properties
Foundation repair
When the low foundation wall under an older Cherryland house shows cracks, we find out why it moved before we patch or rebuild anything.
Chimney repair
Older brick chimneys here often have cracked caps or crumbling joints near the roofline, so we repair or rebuild the top section before water works its way down.
Tuckpointing
Where joints on an older brick front have gone sandy, we rake out the old mortar and refill with a color-matched finish so the wall looks crisp again.
Brick repair
Cracked, loose or flaking bricks on steps, planters and older house fronts get cut out and replaced with brick matched closely in size and color.
Driveway pavers
Where an old driveway slab has cracked and heaved, pavers on a packed base give you a surface that can be lifted and reset in sections later.
Retaining wall construction
Where a yard drops toward the street or a neighbor's lot, we build retaining walls with gravel and drain pipe behind so water doesn't build up.
Masonry restoration
When an older brick wall has years of mismatched patches, we work through the whole face, fixing brick and mortar so it reads as one wall again.
Fireplace installation
For a new fireplace in a living room or family room, we build the firebox, hearth and surround in brick or stone to suit the house.
Stone veneer installation
Stone veneer, thin stone set over an existing wall, dresses up a plain stucco front or porch base, and we detail it so water drains out behind it.
Concrete block walls
On close-set lots, a concrete block wall makes a solid property line or side-yard wall, and we set steel and grout inside it so it stays straight.
Foundation block wall installation
When an old foundation section is too far gone to patch, or you're adding a room, we lay a reinforced block foundation wall on a proper footing.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
Even a small backyard has room for a grill counter, and we build a block base and face it in stone or brick to match the house.
Walkway construction
A front walk that's cracked or lifted by tree roots is a tripping spot, so we rebuild it in brick, pavers or stone on a packed base.
Brick wall installation
A low brick wall along a front yard or planter suits older houses, and we set it on a proper footing because that's what keeps it straight.
Stone masonry
For stone steps, garden walls and planters in older yards, we fit each piece by hand so the joints stay tight and the weight sits where it should.
Brick pointing
When only a few mortar joints on your steps or garden wall have cracked or fallen out, we refill just those spots instead of redoing the whole wall.
Get a free masonry estimate at your Cherryland home
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day. I'll come out to look at the work with you, then follow up with a written estimate, free and with no obligation.
(510) 264-7156- hello@castrovalleyconcreteandmasonry.com
- Based in
- Castro Valley, CA 94546
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–9 PM
Working in Cherryland, where the county handles permits
Cherryland isn't its own city, so Alameda County serves as the local government, and building permits for work here go through the county's permit portal, where plans get submitted and inspections get scheduled. When your job needs a permit, we check with the county and take care of the paperwork and inspections, and the work starts once it's issued. Before you hire anyone, ask to see two things: a California contractor's license from the Contractors State License Board, and an Alameda County business license, which the county requires for business done in places like Cherryland. We're fully licensed and insured.
The county plans Cherryland together with Ashland, Fairview and San Lorenzo as one area, the Eden Area, so a job in San Lorenzo or Fairview goes through the same county office. Price here moves mostly with how much brick, block or stone the job takes, how much old work has to come out and what we find under it, and the schedule turns on the permit and on how long it takes to track down brick that matches. The written estimate after my visit gives you your own figure.
Why masonry on Cherryland houses wears out
The Hayward Fault runs along the eastern edge of the Eden Area, the county planning area that takes in Cherryland, so the whole area lives with the chance of strong shaking. Old brick chimneys and unreinforced garden walls tend to be the first masonry to crack when the ground moves, so when I look at one I check how it's tied to the house and whether the mortar still holds, and on new block walls we put steel and grout inside. What a quake might do to one particular lot is something I'd only say after looking at it.
A lot of Cherryland houses have been standing a long time, and the original mortar in their steps, chimneys and walls slowly turns soft and sandy until water gets in behind the brick. We find where the water's coming from first, then repoint or rebuild, because fresh mortar over a leak just fails again.
How a masonry job in Cherryland goes, start to finish
Here's how a job runs from your first call to the end, so you know who you'll see at each step and when you'll have a price in hand.
Call or send a message
You call (510) 264-7156 or use the form, and I set up a time to come by. It helps if you're home for the visit so we can look at the work together.
Walk the job with me
I look at the work with you, figure out why it failed and talk through your choices. Then you get a written estimate that spells out the work and the materials, so you see the cost before anything starts.
Sort permits and set a date
Once you say go, we sort out any permit your job needs, and the start date waits on that. Then the job goes on the calendar.
Do the work, then walk it
My crew does the work and I check in as it goes, so questions get answered on the spot. At the end we walk the finished job together, and I'll show you what we did and what to keep an eye on.
Questions about masonry work in Cherryland
How do I know if a small masonry repair in Cherryland needs a permit?
Start with the county's handout on work exempt from permit, listed on its permit resources page as the starting point for asking whether a small job needs a building permit. I don't guess from the handout alone, so I check your job against it before we set a date, and if it needs a permit we take care of the paperwork and inspections.
Does a contractor from Hayward need an Alameda County business license to work in Cherryland?
Yes, the county requires a business license for any business activity in its unincorporated areas, Cherryland included, even when the business is based somewhere else or already licensed by another city. It's an annual tax paid each calendar year, and the license only shows the tax was paid, so it's no stand-in for a state contractor's license.
When do I need a state-licensed contractor for masonry work in California?
You need one when the job needs a building permit, uses any additional workers, or totals $1,000 or more in labor and materials. The state board says a license is unneeded only when every condition holds at once: no claim in ads of being licensed, no permit needed, no employee labor, and a total under $1,000 counting labor, materials and everything else. Contractors also have to be licensed before they bid, so an unlicensed bid is a warning sign.
How do I find out if my Cherryland property is in a liquefaction zone?
The state's Seismic Hazard Zone Map shows areas where liquefaction, loose wet ground losing its strength in a strong earthquake, may occur. Whoever develops a property inside a seismic hazard zone may be required to investigate and deal with that hazard during local permitting, which can matter for a new foundation or retaining wall. A map covers a whole area, so I'd want to look at your lot itself before saying anything about it.
Do I need a county permit to redo the part of my driveway that meets the sidewalk in Cherryland?
Check with the county first, because its permits page covers work within county roads, sidewalks and public rights-of-way, not just building work. The stretch where a driveway crosses the sidewalk usually sits in that strip, so we sort it out with the county before we break up any concrete.
What affects the cost of a masonry job in Cherryland?
The biggest things are the size of the job, the material you pick and how much old brick, block or concrete has to come out first. Matching old brick, tight access on a close-set lot and a permit with inspections add to it, while repairing the sound parts instead of tearing everything out keeps it down. The written estimate I send after the visit gives you your own number.
Castro Valley, CA
Get your Cherryland masonry looked at
A small crack in a mortar joint or chimney cap is a much simpler repair caught now than after water has worked behind the brick for another year.