Masonry Contractor in Pleasanton, CA - Older Brick Repaired, New Walls Built
C&M Castro Valley Concrete & Masonry is a masonry contractor working on Pleasanton homes. We repair older brick, mortar and chimneys and build the new walls, paver driveways, walkways and stonework that go with a house.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Pleasanton homes, from older brick to newer yards
Pleasanton work splits into two kinds for us. Around downtown, which the city keeps as a historic district, the houses tend to be older, and that's where we find mortar gone soft, chimneys that have lost their top and brick steps that have shifted out of line. Farther out the neighborhoods are newer, mostly stucco and siding with plain concrete driveways, so the calls there lean toward paver driveways, block walls along the property line, outdoor kitchens and stone dressing up a front entry.
We see much the same mix up the road in Dublin and San Ramon. On the older houses the job is usually about matching what's there, the brick color and the softer mortar the house was built with, while on the newer lots it's about building a solid base on ground that was graded when the neighborhood went in.
Masonry services we offer Pleasanton homeowners
Foundation repair
On Pleasanton homes with a cracked block or brick foundation, we find out what moved it before we repair anything, so the fix doesn't just crack again.
Chimney repair
Older chimneys here usually lose mortar near the top first, so we rebuild the cap and loose rows of brick before pieces start coming down.
Tuckpointing
When the bricks on your house are sound but the mortar between them has gone sandy, we rake out the worn joints and pack in fresh mortar.
Brick repair
Flaking or cracked bricks on an older step, planter or wall can usually be cut out one at a time and replaced with a close match.
Driveway pavers
When an aging concrete driveway has cracked past patching, pavers on a well-packed base are a good swap, because one sunken section can be lifted and reset.
Retaining wall construction
Sloped backyards and terraced lots need walls that hold soil and let water drain out behind them, because trapped water is what pushes most retaining walls over.
Masonry restoration
For older brick and stone with years of patches, stains and mismatched mortar, we sort out what's worth saving and bring it back to one consistent face.
Fireplace installation
Backyard fireplaces are popular in newer Pleasanton neighborhoods, and we build them in masonry outdoors and in, sized to the space and set on a solid footing.
Stone veneer installation
Thin stone veneer dresses up stucco walls, porch columns and fireplace faces, and we take care with the backing and drainage behind it so water doesn't get trapped.
Concrete block walls
Block walls make a sturdy, low-upkeep choice for side yards and property lines, built on a real footing with steel and grout where the wall needs it.
Foundation block wall installation
For additions, garages and crawlspace work, we lay block foundation walls on a poured footing, set level and square so everything built on top starts right.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
A block-built outdoor kitchen faced in brick or stone suits the way Pleasanton backyards get used, and it holds up outside far better than framed cabinets.
Walkway construction
A front walk that's heaved, cracked or tripping people up can be rebuilt in brick, pavers or stone on a packed base that drains away from the house.
Brick wall installation
Brick garden walls and entry pillars suit older homes and newer front yards alike, and we set each one on a footing sized for its height.
Stone masonry
Natural stone steps, garden walls and borders fit the hillside lots and open-space edges around Pleasanton, and we pick and fit each stone so the wall sits tight.
Brick pointing
When only a few patches of mortar have cracked or dropped out, spot pointing those joints with a matching mortar keeps water out without redoing the whole wall.
Get a free masonry estimate at your Pleasanton home
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I'll come out, 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 Pleasanton, from permits to pricing
Permits in Pleasanton go through the city's Community and Economic Development department, and its Building and Safety Official issues the permit to build, alter, repair or demolish a structure. When your wall, chimney or foundation work needs one, nothing gets built until it's issued, so the permit usually sets the start date more than our calendar does. Before you hire anyone, it's worth checking two things: that they hold a California contractor's license, and that they have a Pleasanton business license, which the city requires of anyone doing business here, including companies like ours that are based outside the city.
When your job needs a permit, we handle the paperwork and the inspections so you're not chasing the city yourself. What moves the price here is mostly the size and height of the work, how much old masonry has to come out first, and how easy it is to get material in, since plenty of backyards here are reached only through a narrow side yard. We run jobs the same way back home in Castro Valley and over in Union City, and your written estimate gives you the figure for your own house.
Why Pleasanton houses and yards need masonry work
A lot of the older houses here have a brick chimney, brick steps or a planter that's been out in the weather for decades, and the mortar goes first because it's meant to be the softer part of the wall. Left alone, open joints let water in and the brick itself starts flaking and working loose, so we repoint before it gets that far, and where a chimney's top has come apart, we rebuild it.
On the newer lots the trouble usually comes from water and ground, not age. Pavers laid on a thin base settle and a retaining wall with no drainage behind it starts to lean, so we dig out a proper base and give water a way out. The city says it has worked with FEMA to clear most of Pleasanton's mapped flood zones, though some areas are still mapped, which is worth knowing before you plan big changes to your yard.
How a masonry job runs when you call us in Pleasanton
Here's how a job goes from your first call to the final walk-through, with me there at the start and at the end.
Call or send us a message
Call (510) 264-7156 or send the form with a few words about what you're seeing, and we'll set a time for me to come out. You don't need to know what's wrong, since figuring that out is my job.
Look at the work together
I come out to your house, look at the work with you and explain what I think caused it and what your choices are. Then you get a written estimate that spells out the work and the materials, so you know exactly what you'd be paying for before you decide.
Settle permits and the schedule
Once you say go, we sort out any permit your job needs from the city and put the work on the calendar. If a permit is needed, work starts once it's issued.
Do the work, then walk it
My crew does the work with me checking in as it goes, and we line up any inspections the permit calls for. At the end we walk the finished job together, and I show you what we did and why.
Questions about masonry work in Pleasanton
Does a garden wall or fence in Pleasanton need a building permit?
A fence no taller than 7 feet is exempt from a building permit under the city's permit guide, while building, altering or repairing most other structures needs one. Exempt work still has to meet the state building code and the city's own code, and a planning or zoning permit can still apply even when a building permit doesn't. Whether your wall counts as a fence is something we confirm with the city before we start.
Does my masonry contractor need a California state license?
Yes, for most masonry jobs, because the California Contractors State License Board requires a license whenever a project needs a building permit, uses any additional workers or costs $1,000 or more in labor and materials. Below $1,000 the exemption only holds if the job also needs no building permit, uses no employees and isn't advertised as licensed work. We're fully licensed and insured.
How do I find out the permit rules for my Pleasanton property?
Call the city before you change the ground or build anything, either the Building Inspection Division at (925) 931-5300 or the Planning Division at (925) 931-5600. The city asks for that call before you alter, fill, re-grade or build on a property, easement or right-of-way, and if your house sits in a mapped floodplain, repairs to it go through a city review to decide whether the work costs more than half the value of the original structure. When you hire us, we make those checks for you.
How much does masonry work cost in Pleasanton?
The cost of masonry work in Pleasanton comes down to the size of the job, what has to come out first and the materials you pick, so your figure comes from the estimate after I've seen the work. Footings and drainage behind a wall, matching old brick, hand-carrying material through a tight side yard and permit work all add to it, while plain block or standard concrete pavers keep it down. Fixing the cause the first time is usually the cheapest choice over the years, because a patch that ignores it gets paid for twice.
Do I need city approval for a large paver driveway or patio in Pleasanton?
Yes, if the work creates or replaces 2,500 square feet or more of hard surface, the kind that sheds water instead of soaking it in, the city has forms or plans for you to submit. If you're redoing a driveway, a patio and walks all at once, we add up the square footage early so that step doesn't catch you by surprise. Under that size, we still check whether the rest of the job needs a permit.
What causes mortar to crumble on an older brick house in Pleasanton?
Usually it's age plus water, because mortar is the softer part of a brick wall and is meant to wear out before the brick does. A clogged gutter, a missing chimney cap or a hard cement patch smeared over soft old mortar speeds it up, since the water has nowhere to go but through the joints. I find where the water's coming from first, then we rake out the worn joints and repoint with a mortar that suits the brick.
Castro Valley, CA
Ask about your Pleasanton masonry project
Call (510) 264-7156 or send the form with what you're planning, and we can sort out the permit question for your address before it holds up your start date.