Masonry Contractor in Ashland, CA - Brick and Block Work That Stays Put
Liberty San Leandro Concrete & Masonry is a masonry contractor based in San Leandro, and we repair brick, rebuild steps and walls, and fix chimneys and foundations for homes across Ashland.
What masonry work looks like in Ashland
Ashland is an unincorporated community with no city government, so Alameda County does the job a city hall would. A job here that needs a permit goes through the county's building inspection, and you or your contractor apply on the county's permit portal. If yours needs one, we take care of it with the county and don't start until it's issued. Any contractor working here also owes the county's annual business license tax, even one based in another city with its own license, so it's a fair thing to ask about.
We're a masonry contractor in San Leandro, CA, and on our jobs in Ashland we see a lot of older houses set close together on small lots, with apartments and shops along East 14th Street. Front steps settle, block walls between yards start to lean, and the brick has usually been patched more than once, often with mortar harder than the brick around it, which is how a patch ends up cracking the wall it was meant to save. We do the same work in San Lorenzo and Cherryland. The schedule turns on the permit, if there is one, and on the rain, since almost all of the county's rain falls between October and April. Your estimate gives you your own figure. The price moves with how much has to come out before new work goes in, the brick or stone you pick, and how we get a mixer and a pallet of brick onto a lot where the houses sit this close together.
What we build and fix in Ashland
Foundation repair
Older Ashland houses sit on footings that have had decades to settle, and we find out why a crack opened before we patch or rebuild anything.
Chimney repair
A brick chimney on an older house takes the winter rain and the odd shake, so we check the cap and the flashing before we rebuild the top.
Tuckpointing
When old joints wash out, we grind out the loose mortar and repack it with a mix soft enough to suit brick that's been here for decades.
Brick repair
Brick that's cracked or flaking on steps and planters gets cut out and replaced with a close match, because smearing mortar over it just traps water.
Driveway pavers
On a short Ashland driveway, pavers over a packed base flex with the ground, and a sunken patch can be lifted and reset instead of torn out.
Retaining wall construction
Where a backyard steps up to the neighbor's, we build retaining walls with drainage behind them, since a wall holding wet soil is the one that leans.
Masonry restoration
Plenty of brick around here has been patched by a few different people. We sort out what's sound, take out what isn't and bring the wall back together.
Fireplace installation
In a smaller Ashland house the fireplace is often the centerpiece, so we lay out the firebox, hearth and surround to fit the space you have.
Stone veneer installation
We set thin stone veneer over a stucco front or porch base, which gives you the stone look without loading an older house with full-weight stone.
Concrete block walls
Block walls between close-set yards give you privacy and a solid property line, and we put steel and grout in the hollow cores so the wall stays put.
Foundation block wall installation
When the crawlspace wall under an older house is past patching, we lay a new block foundation wall on proper footings, working in sections so the house stays supported.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
A small backyard can still hold a grill counter. We build it in block and face it in brick or stone, sized so you keep room to move.
Walkway construction
The short path from the sidewalk to your door takes the most foot traffic, so we build walkways in brick, pavers or stone on a packed base.
Brick wall installation
A brick garden wall out front is the kind of job I started on, and we set it on a real footing because brick on bare dirt cracks.
Stone masonry
Stone steps, planters and wall caps suit the older houses here, and we fit each stone by hand so the joints stay tight and shed water.
Brick pointing
Pointing is the touch-up between bigger jobs. We refill the few joints that have opened on a step or wall before the rain gets in behind them.
What signs mean your Ashland masonry needs a look?
Older brick and block here dry out all summer and then sit wet through the rainy months, so small openings tend to grow once water gets in.
- Mortar crumbling out of the joints
- Stair-step cracks in a brick wall
- Front steps pulling away from the house
- Block wall leaning out of line
- White powder streaking the brick
- Loose bricks at the chimney top
If you spot one of these, call or send the form and I'll come out and look at what's causing it before anyone talks about fixing it.
Patch it or rebuild it?
On older Ashland houses I start by finding why it failed, usually water or the wrong mortar, because that tells us whether the brick or block itself is still worth keeping.
When a repair does it
If the brick is sound and only the mortar has worn, or a few bricks have cracked, we repair. Repacking the joints with fresh mortar and swapping out damaged pieces keeps the original wall, and it's usually the smaller bill.
When it's time to rebuild
If a wall leans, a step has pulled loose from the house, or the footing under it has failed, a patch is just a slower way to rebuild. We take it down to sound ground and build it back on a proper base, with drainage where water caused the trouble.
What Ashland's houses and ground ask of us
I come out to every Ashland estimate myself and stay on site with our crew while the work gets done, so the person who priced it is the one watching it get built.
Cause found before the joints
Water or the wrong mortar causes a lot of the trouble here, so I track down the cause before touching a joint.
Reinforced for earthquake country
Alameda County notes fault zones throughout the county, including along the Hayward Fault, so we build walls with steel and solid footings.
Licensed and insured in California
The state requires a license on any job with a permit, hired help or $1,000 or more in labor and materials.
Honest about what can wait
If a crack is old and stable, I'll tell you it can wait rather than sell you a job you don't need.
Your next step
Satisfaction guaranteed on every job, and you can start with a call to (510) 264-7154 or the form on this page.
Call about your Ashland masonry job
We're open seven days, 7 AM to 11 PM on weekdays and 6 AM to 10 PM on weekends, so you can call after work and ask about your project and whether it needs a county permit.
Working outside Ashland? Call us
If your city is listed, pick it below, and if it isn't, call (510) 264-7154, since we work in plenty of places across the cities around San Leandro.