Masonry contractor in Oakland, CA - repairs for older brick and hillside walls
Liberty San Leandro Concrete & Masonry repairs and builds brick, block and stone in Oakland, from chimneys and front steps on older houses to retaining walls on sloped lots.
Masonry work on Oakland's older houses and hills
Oakland has a lot of brick in it, and most of it has been there a while. On our jobs here we see chimneys and porch steps on older houses in the flats, front walks and garden walls that have settled, and retaining walls holding up yards on the hill streets, plus a few patch jobs from whoever got there first. We're based in San Leandro and do the same work down in Hayward and up in Berkeley, but Oakland jobs usually come with more years on the masonry.
What moves the price here is mostly how much has to come apart, whether old brick and mortar need matching, and how hard it is to get material onto a steep or tight lot. The schedule usually turns on the permit. If your job needs one, we take care of it with the city's Planning & Building department, which wants an approved recycling plan and summary report before it issues a building permit, so that paperwork goes in early and we don't start until the permit is issued. The city's list of work that needs no building permit does include some retaining walls and fences, but each comes with limits, so we check your project against them instead of guessing. When I come out, I measure, take photos and write it up so you can see what each part of the job covers, and on most Oakland houses that starts with what the old brick and the ground under it are doing.
What we do on Oakland properties
Foundation repair
Older Oakland houses often sit on brick or block foundations that have cracked or settled, and we find out why before we fix the part you can see.
Chimney repair
A lot of brick chimneys here have a cracked cap, worn mortar or a top that's started to lean. We rebuild what's failing and leave sound brick alone.
Tuckpointing
On brick fronts and garden walls, we grind out worn joints and refill them with mortar matched to the old, so the brick isn't fighting a harder mix.
Brick repair
When a few bricks have cracked, flaked or worked loose, we cut them out and set replacements that match in size and color as closely as we can find.
Driveway pavers
Plenty of Oakland driveways are short and steep, so we dig out, pack a solid base and set the pavers to handle a car turning on a slope.
Retaining wall construction
Hill lots here lean on retaining walls. We build new ones with drainage behind them, because water trapped behind a wall is what usually pushes it over.
Masonry restoration
For older brick and stone that's worn but worth keeping, we clean, repoint and repair it so it looks like the original, not one more patch on top.
Fireplace installation
Adding a masonry fireplace, or rebuilding a tired one in an older living room, means brick and stone indoors, so we cover floors and keep the dust contained.
Stone veneer installation
Stone veneer, a thin stone face over a wall, works on foundation skirts and entry walls. We put the right backing behind it so water can drain out.
Concrete block walls
Block walls suit side yards and property lines on tight Oakland lots. We set steel and grout in the hollow centers so the wall works as one piece.
Foundation block wall installation
Where an old crawlspace wall has given out under a house here, we lay new block on a sound footing, the concrete strip it sits on.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
Backyards here are often small, so we build outdoor kitchens in block, brick or stone that fit the space and leave room to walk around the grill.
Walkway construction
Front walks on older houses here have often heaved or sunk over the years. We rebuild them in brick, stone or pavers on a packed base that drains.
Brick wall installation
A new brick garden or front wall should look like it belongs with an older Oakland house, so we match brick and joint style to what's already there.
Stone masonry
For stone steps, seat walls and garden walls on sloped yards, we fit each stone by hand so the wall holds by its fit, not just its mortar.
Brick pointing
Small spots of crumbling mortar don't always need a whole wall redone. We refill just those joints with a mix soft enough to spare the old brick.
What signs mean your Oakland brick or stone needs work?
A lot of Oakland masonry is decades old and has been patched more than once, so small problems hide well. These are the ones worth catching early.
- Mortar crumbling out of the joints
- Stair-step cracks in brick or block
- White crust on the brick face
- Retaining wall leaning or bulging
- Loose bricks at the chimney top
- Steps pulling away from the house
If you're looking at one of these, call or send the form and I'll come take a look and tell you what's behind it.
Fix the old masonry or start over?
On an older Oakland house, I start with why it failed, usually water or the wrong mortar, then see how much sound brick or stone is left to work with.
When a repair does it
If the wall or chimney still stands straight and most of the brick is sound, a repair is the right call. We fix the cause, swap out the bad bricks and refill the joints with mortar that suits the old brick. No sense tearing out what's still doing its job.
When rebuilding makes sense
If a retaining wall is leaning, a chimney top is coming apart or the brick crumbles when you press on it, patching just buys time. We take it down to solid ground or sound masonry and rebuild with drainage and a proper base.
What Oakland's older brick and hill lots need
I come out to look at every job myself and I'm on site with our crew while the work gets done, so the person who quoted it is the one watching it get built.
Cause found before the patch
Most failed brick comes down to water or the wrong mortar, so I track that down before anyone touches a joint.
Mortar matched to old brick
Older brick is often softer than today's, so we mix mortar that gives a little instead of cracking the brick around it.
Planned for tight hill streets
We plan deliveries for narrow, steep streets so the crew and materials reach your yard with the least fuss for neighbors.
Licensed in California, insured
California's contractors board requires a license when a job needs a permit, hired workers or $1,000 or more in labor and materials.
Honest about what can wait
If a crack isn't moving, I'll say it can wait rather than sell you a job you don't need.
Call about your Oakland masonry job
Describe the job and ask about Oakland's permit steps at (510) 264-7154, and we'll set a time for me to come see it.
Other cities we serve, and more
If your city has its own page, you'll find it here. If it doesn't, call (510) 264-7154, because we work in plenty of places in between.