Masonry contractor in San Lorenzo, CA - repairs and new walls built for flatland ground
C&M Castro Valley Concrete & Masonry is a masonry contractor based in Castro Valley, CA, fixing cracked brick, worn mortar and chimneys in San Lorenzo and building the block walls, pavers, walkways and stone that go with a home.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We reply within 1 business day.
San Lorenzo homes, yards and the ground under them
San Lorenzo sits on the flat ground between San Leandro and Hayward, and most of our calls here come from houses on regular, level lots with a driveway out front, a walk to the door and a block wall or two out back. A lot of these homes have some years on them, so the brick planters, porch steps and chimneys have had time to show wear, and people usually call after a crack has been quietly widening for a while.
Flat lots make the work easy to reach, but water doesn't run off them on its own, so a good share of what we fix here starts with where the water goes. That's the first thing I look at.
Masonry work we do for San Lorenzo homes
Foundation repair
When a crack runs through an older foundation here or a door starts sticking, we find out whether the ground moved or water's the culprit before patching anything.
Chimney repair
Older brick chimneys here often lose mortar near the top first, where weather hits hardest, so we rebuild loose rows and reseal the cap before water gets in.
Tuckpointing
Tuckpointing means raking out worn mortar joints and packing new mortar, and it's usually the right call when the brick is sound but the joints have gone sandy.
Brick repair
Cracked or spalling brick, where the face flakes off, shows up on planters, steps and porches around here, and we replace the bad ones with matching brick.
Driveway pavers
Flat lots suit paver driveways here when the base is dug and packed right, because pavers only stay level when what's under them does.
Retaining wall construction
Even where a yard looks flat, a raised bed or grade change along a side yard needs a wall with drainage behind it, or wet soil pushes it over.
Masonry restoration
When an older brick front, chimney or garden wall needs more than one fix, we plan the whole job together so new and old brick blend.
Fireplace installation
Adding a masonry fireplace or rebuilding a worn-out one in an older house starts with checking the hearth, the chimney above and the framing around it.
Stone veneer installation
Stone veneer, thin stone set over an existing wall, dresses up a plain front or garage here, and the backing behind it matters as much as the stone.
Concrete block walls
Block walls between yards here take a beating from tree roots, sprinklers and settling, and we build new ones on a real footing with steel inside.
Foundation block wall installation
When a garage, addition or crawlspace needs a new block foundation wall, we lay it on a footing sized for the load and the ground it sits on.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
Level backyards here leave room for a built-in grill counter, and we build the footing, block base and stone or brick facing as one solid piece.
Walkway construction
A heaved or sunken front walk trips people, so we dig it out, rebuild the base and lay it back with a slight slope away from the house.
Brick wall installation
A brick garden wall or front planter suits many older homes here, and we give it a solid footing and small weep holes so trapped water drains out.
Stone masonry
Natural stone steps and garden walls give a yard here more character than block, and we fit each stone so its weight bears down where it should.
Brick pointing
When only a few joints on a porch, step or chimney have cracked open, spot pointing, filling just those joints, keeps water out without redoing the whole wall.
Get a free estimate for your San Lorenzo masonry job
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I'll come 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
What working in San Lorenzo means for your job
San Lorenzo is unincorporated, so it sits outside any city's limits and Alameda County serves it, which means that when a masonry job here needs a building permit, the county issues it, not a city hall. It's the same county we work with on jobs at home in Castro Valley, and when a job needs a permit, the county's review and inspections set the pace more than our crew does. Before you hire anyone, ask for their California contractor license and check that they hold a county business license too. We're fully licensed and insured, and when your job needs a permit, we handle the paperwork and the inspections.
The county also handles permits for work in its roads, sidewalks and public right-of-way, which matters when a new driveway apron or front walk meets the sidewalk, so we work out where your property ends before we plan that edge. It's different over the hill in Dublin, where the city's own building office handles permits, which is why I check who covers an address before I talk about timing. The price turns on how much is really damaged once we look closely, whether a cause like poor drainage or a weak footing has to be fixed first, the brick, block or stone you pick and whether a permit is needed, and your written estimate spells all of that out for your job.
What wears on San Lorenzo brick and block
The ground does most of the work against a wall here. The creek flats San Lorenzo sits on, between the hills and the bay, are layers of sand, gravel, silt and clay, and each lot has its own mix. Layers like that can settle unevenly, which is why we see stair-step cracks in block walls and walks that have dropped at one end, so before we rebuild anything we dig enough to see what the footing sits on and fix the drainage that's softening it.
Age is the other part. Mortar is meant to wear out before the brick does, so on older chimneys, porches and planters we usually find soft, sandy joints letting water in, and repointing them in time protects the brick behind them.
How a masonry job runs when you call us in San Lorenzo
Here's how it goes from your first call to the last walk-around, with me on site at the start and at the finish.
Call or send a message
Call (510) 264-7156 or use the form and tell me what you're seeing, whether it's a cracked step, a leaning wall or loose chimney brick. We'll set a time for me to come out.
Look at the work together
I look at the work with you, explain what I think caused it and walk you through your choices, so it helps if you can be there. Then you get a written estimate that spells out the work and the materials, so you know what you're paying for before anything starts.
Get the permit and schedule
Once you say go, we sort out any permit your job needs with the county and put the work on the calendar. When there's a permit, the county's review comes before we start, so that's the date we plan around.
Build it and walk it
My crew does the work with me checking in as it goes. At the end we walk the finished job together, and I'll show you what we did and why.
Questions about masonry work in San Lorenzo
How do I get a building permit for masonry work in San Lorenzo?
You apply through the Alameda County Permit Portal, which handles building permits for the county's unincorporated areas, San Lorenzo included. That's where plans get submitted, inspections get scheduled and you can check a permit's status. When we do your job, we file it and handle the inspections, and you can follow along on the portal.
Does a masonry contractor in California need a state license?
Yes, a California contractor license is required for most masonry jobs. The state licensing board requires one when a project needs a building permit, uses any hired help, or comes to $1,000 or more in labor and materials across one or more contracts. A small job only skips that rule when it meets every one of the board's conditions at once, so for anything past a quick fix, ask to see the license.
Does a contractor from another city need a business license to work in San Lorenzo?
Yes, the county requires its business license for any business activity in the unincorporated area, even when the business is based somewhere else or already holds another city's license. The county treats it as an annual tax, and it shows only that the tax has been paid, so it's no stand-in for a state contractor license.
How much does masonry repair cost in San Lorenzo?
The cost comes down to how much of the wall, chimney or walk is damaged and what caused it, so two jobs that look alike can price very differently. Fixing a drainage problem or a weak footing first adds to the job but keeps the repair from failing the same way, and the material you choose and any permit move the number too. I'll look at it with you, and the written estimate puts your figure on paper.
What building code applies to masonry work in San Lorenzo?
The building code the county sets for its unincorporated areas applies, since San Lorenzo has no city of its own. Minutes from a county committee describe a proposed ordinance that would adopt updated codes for those areas, so ask the county which edition applies when the permit is filed. We check that at filing so the plans match what the inspector expects.
How do I find out the zoning on my San Lorenzo property?
Look your lot up on the county's zoning maps for the urban unincorporated area, then confirm it by calling the county Planning Department at (510) 670-5400, as the county asks. It's worth knowing before you plan a new wall or outdoor kitchen, and I'm glad to help you look it up when I come out.
Castro Valley, CA
Tell us about your San Lorenzo masonry job
Cracked joints and loose bricks are usually a smaller fix before a few more wet winters push water in behind them, so it's worth having a look sooner.