Masonry Contractor in San Leandro - Brick, Chimneys and Walls Fixed Right
C&M Castro Valley Concrete & Masonry is a masonry contractor working in San Leandro, CA. We repair old brick, mortar and chimneys and build the walls, paver driveways, walkways and stonework that go with a San Leandro home.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We reply within 1 business day.
San Leandro's older houses and the brick around them
We're a masonry contractor in Castro Valley, CA, and San Leandro is right next door, sitting between Oakland and San Lorenzo, so it's an easy drive for us. On jobs here I mostly see older houses on quiet residential streets, many of them on a crawl space, with brick chimneys, brick steps and planters that have been there as long as the house, and shops and businesses along the main roads in between.
That age shapes nearly every job here. Old mortar wears soft, old footings were often shallower than what we'd pour today, and a lot of the old brick isn't made anymore, so before I quote anything I want to know what the wall is sitting on and how closely we'll need to match it.
Masonry services we do in San Leandro
Foundation repair
Many older houses here sit on a short perimeter wall over a crawl space, and when it cracks we find out why before repairing it.
Chimney repair
Brick chimneys on older San Leandro homes often lose mortar near the top and crack at the cap, so we rebuild the loose rows and seal the top.
Tuckpointing
On older San Leandro brick where the mortar has gone sandy, we grind out the worn joints and pack in fresh mortar matched to the old color.
Brick repair
Bricks with flaking or cracked faces turn up on old front steps, planters and porch walls here, and we cut them out and set in close matches.
Driveway pavers
When an old concrete driveway here is cracked and heaved, pavers over a packed base are a good swap, since a single piece can be lifted and reset.
Retaining wall construction
Sloped yards in the uphill parts of the city need retaining walls that hold back soil and drain water out from behind, or they lean over time.
Masonry restoration
Older brick houses and garden walls here can be brought back with careful cleaning, repointing and brick replacement that keeps the original look instead of covering it up.
Fireplace installation
Many older homes here still have the original firebox, and when it's worn out we rebuild it or build a new masonry fireplace that suits the room.
Stone veneer installation
Thin stone veneer dresses up a stucco front or porch base without the weight of full stone, and we set it over a backing that lets water drain.
Concrete block walls
Block walls make sturdy privacy and property-line walls on the tighter lots here, and we run steel and grout through the hollow cores to tie them together.
Foundation block wall installation
When an old crawl-space foundation is too far gone to patch, a new block foundation wall, reinforced and set on a proper footing, gives the house solid support.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
Flat backyards here suit an outdoor kitchen, and we build the counters and grill surround in block, brick or stone on a footing sized to carry it.
Walkway construction
Old front walks here are often heaved by tree roots or sunk in spots, and we rebuild them in brick, pavers or stone on a firm, well-drained base.
Brick wall installation
A new brick garden or front wall fits the older streets here nicely, and we lay it on a proper footing with joints finished to match the house.
Stone masonry
Natural stone works well for steps, planters and low garden walls around San Leandro homes, and we fit each piece by hand so the joints sit tight.
Brick pointing
When only a few joints have opened up on a chimney or wall, we fill just those with fresh mortar instead of redoing the whole face.
Get a free masonry estimate at your San Leandro home
We reply within one business day to set a time, then I come out, look at the work with you and follow up with a written estimate. It's free and there's 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 San Leandro: permits, licenses and price
Inside city limits, the permit is the City of San Leandro's call, and it goes through the city's Permit Center, where you can also ask which codes apply to your job. A job that needs a permit can't start until the city issues it, so that's usually what sets the start date. If your address turns out to be just outside the city in one of the unincorporated areas nearby, it goes to Alameda County instead, and we check which office covers you before we plan anything. Two things worth checking on anyone you hire are a California contractor's license, since the city only issues permits to a licensed contractor or the owner, and a San Leandro business license, which the city requires before anyone does business inside the city. We're fully licensed and insured, and when your job needs a permit we handle the paperwork and the inspections.
The price usually turns on how much is really failing once we open it up, whether the cause has to be fixed too, like a cracked footing or water running toward the wall, and how easy the work is to reach, and you'll see your own figure on the written estimate. The schedule mostly turns on that permit and on finding materials that match. We do the same work in Hayward and Castro Valley, and on the busier San Leandro streets we plan deliveries and where the truck sits so your neighbors aren't boxed in.
What wears on San Leandro brick and foundations
Earthquakes are the big one here. The city runs a course to help homeowners strengthen older raised-floor homes that weren't built to modern seismic standards, and on those houses the masonry I watch is the crawl-space foundation wall and the old brick chimney, both of which can crack or loosen when the ground moves. When I'm out for any job, I take a look at both, and if we rebuild either one we build it to current code.
Age does the rest. Mortar is meant to be softer than brick and wear first, so after enough winters the joints go sandy, rain gets in behind the face, and pointing it then is a lot less work than rebuilding later.
How a masonry job in San Leandro goes, start to finish
Here's how it goes from your first call to the final walk-through, with me there to look at the work at the start and the end.
Call or send a message
Call (510) 264-7156 or use the form and tell me what you're seeing, like a crack, a loose chimney or a wall you want built. We set a time for me to come out that works for you.
Look at it together
I come out myself, look at the work with you and explain what I think caused it and what your choices are, so the price makes sense before you see it. Then you get a written estimate that spells out the work and the materials.
Handle permits and book it
Once you say go, we take care of any permit your job needs and put the work on the calendar. If the city has to review and issue a permit first, the start date waits on that, and I'll keep you posted while it's in review.
Build it and walk through
My crew does the work and I check in as it goes, so your questions go to the person who looked at the job first. At the end we walk the finished job together, and I show you what we did and why.
Questions about masonry work in San Leandro
Do I need a permit for a retaining wall in San Leandro?
The city's permit FAQ lists retaining walls up to 4 feet, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, as not needing a building permit, as long as nothing extra like a slope, driveway or building is bearing down behind it and it isn't holding back flammable liquids. The footing counts, so a wall that shows 3 feet above ground can measure over 4, and that FAQ isn't dated, so we confirm with the Permit Center before we dig. The city's permit guide also ties a grading permit to moving 50 cubic yards of soil or more, about six dump truck loads, or digging a hole or trench 5 feet deep or more.
How do I know if my house is in San Leandro city limits for a permit?
The city's building page has a lookup that tells you whether a property is in the City of San Leandro, and it matters because city rules only apply inside city limits. If you're not sure, give me your address and I'll check which office covers it before we plan anything.
Which building codes apply to masonry work in San Leandro now?
The city's current codes took effect on January 1, 2026, and they're the current California building codes with local changes the city added. The part that matters most for masonry is the structural rules, which the state and the city modified for earthquake design, so any wall, chimney or foundation we rebuild here is built to them.
How much does masonry repair cost in San Leandro?
Your number comes from the written estimate after I've seen the work, because masonry prices swing on things I can only judge in person. Here the local extras are any permits the job needs, including a street or grading permit on bigger jobs, along with how far the damage runs once old mortar is opened up and how hard it is to match brick that isn't made anymore.
How do I get approval for driveway work that reaches the street in San Leandro?
Any work on a street or roadway in San Leandro needs an encroachment permit from the city's Public Works engineering division, on top of whatever the work on your property needs. With a paver driveway, that usually comes up when we tie the new driveway into the street instead of stopping at your property line, and I'll tell you at the estimate whether yours does so it's in the plan.
What causes brick chimneys to crack on older San Leandro homes?
Usually it's a mix of worn mortar, rain and the ground shaking now and then, and older chimneys built without steel inside take that movement hardest. Water soaks into tired joints and a cracked cap, the brick loosens near the top first, and a small quake finishes what the weather started, so I check the cap, the joints and where the chimney meets the roof before deciding between pointing and a rebuild.
Castro Valley, CA
Get your San Leandro masonry looked at
Call (510) 264-7156 or send the form, and you'll come away knowing why your brick failed, even if you decide to wait on the work.