Masonry contractor in Union City, CA - walls that hold on hills and flats
Liberty San Leandro Concrete & Masonry builds and repairs retaining walls, block walls, brick, stone and chimneys for homes in Union City, from the hillside lots to the flat streets.
Our masonry work in Union City
We're a masonry contractor based in San Leandro, and our work runs down through Hayward to Union City and out east to San Ramon. Most of what we do here is on houses. You'll see stucco homes with block walls between the backyards, brick on the fireplace or the front planters, and concrete or paver driveways. The ground changes as you cross town. The lots climb into the hills east of Mission Boulevard, and the streets west of it run flat. A hillside yard usually needs a retaining wall that holds soil back and lets water out. A flat yard is more about block walls, walks and drives that don't settle.
What moves the price is the size of the job, how much old work comes out, how close we can get a wheelbarrow and the brick or stone you pick. The schedule mostly turns on whether a permit is needed. If one is, we handle it with the city's Building Division, which takes permits and plans at its counter, and we don't start until it's issued. We're licensed and insured. The state requires a contractor's license when a job needs a building permit, uses any extra workers or runs $1,000 or more in labor and materials, and the city also wants contractors working inside its limits to carry a city business license. Your own figure comes on the estimate.
What we build and fix in Union City
Foundation repair
Cracks in the short concrete wall under your house get foundation repair once we know why they opened, and I'll tell you when one can wait.
Chimney repair
Plenty of houses here still have a brick chimney with loose bricks up top or a cracked cap. Chimney repair fixes that before water works its way inside.
Tuckpointing
Worn joints on an older brick house get tuckpointing, where we grind out the tired mortar and pack in fresh so the joints shed water again.
Brick repair
Bricks that crack or flake on front steps and planters get cut out and swapped in our brick repair work, matched so the patch doesn't announce itself.
Driveway pavers
On the flatter streets, driveway pavers are a common swap for cracked concrete. Most of the work is the packed base underneath that keeps them from sinking.
Retaining wall construction
Hillside lots east of Mission Boulevard often need retaining wall construction to hold the yard, with drainage behind the wall so water doesn't build up and push.
Masonry restoration
Older brick and stone can come back with masonry restoration, which means cleaning, new joints and replaced pieces in materials that suit what's already on the house.
Fireplace installation
Adding a fireplace to the family room or back patio? Our fireplace installation work builds it in brick or stone, following the unit maker's instructions.
Stone veneer installation
Stucco fronts here often get stone along the base or around the entry, and our stone veneer installation puts a water barrier behind it so moisture drains out.
Concrete block walls
Block walls between backyards are common in Union City. When one leans or cracks, our concrete block walls work rebuilds it with steel and grout inside the blocks.
Foundation block wall installation
When an addition or crawlspace needs new walls, foundation block wall installation sets reinforced block on a footing sized to the soil we find when we dig.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
Flat backyards west of Mission have room for a grill counter, and our outdoor kitchen masonry builds the base in block with brick, stone or stucco outside.
Walkway construction
A side-yard path or front walk in brick, stone or pavers comes from our walkway construction, laid on a packed base and sloped so rain runs off.
Brick wall installation
Low garden and front-yard walls come from our brick wall installation work, set on a real footing, since a wall is only as good as what's under it.
Stone masonry
Natural stone steps, columns and garden walls on the hillside lots come from our stone masonry work, fitted by hand so the weight bears down, not out.
Brick pointing
Small runs of cracked mortar on a step or chimney get brick pointing, which beats the gray caulk somebody smeared on last time.
What signs mean your Union City masonry needs a look?
Most masonry trouble starts small, with water getting in or a footing shifting, and these are the signs I'd want you to catch on your own walls, steps and chimney.
- Mortar crumbling out of the joints
- Cracks running through the bricks
- A block wall leaning out
- Loose bricks near the chimney top
- White chalky stains on brick
- Pavers sinking or rocking underfoot
If you spot one of these, call or send the form. I'll come out, tell you what's causing it and tell you honestly whether it can wait.
Should you repair the wall or rebuild it?
On Union City walls and chimneys it comes down to whether the cause can be fixed and how much of the old work is still sound, so I check the footing and the water first.
When a repair is enough
If the bricks are sound and the footing hasn't moved, new mortar and a few replaced pieces usually do the job. That covers most of the chimneys and steps we see. I'd rather fix the part that failed than sell you the whole wall.
When rebuilding makes sense
When a wall leans, its footing has cracked or the same spot keeps failing after every patch, the problem is underneath. Patching it again just buys you another patch. Taking it down and building it right on a proper footing usually costs less over the years.
What Union City ground asks of a wall
I look at every job myself before we price it, and I'm on site with our crew while the work gets done, so nothing gets lost between the estimate and the build.
Soil checked before footings
The city flags general soils hazard zones east of Mission and west of Union City Boulevard, so we check your lot's soil first.
Mortar matched to the brick
We match the mortar to the brick, because mortar that's harder than the brick cracks the brick instead of itself.
The cause found first
Before I touch a crack, I track down the water or movement behind it, so we fix the cause and not just the symptom.
Straight talk on what can wait
If a crack is old and hasn't moved, I'll tell you it can wait instead of selling you a job.
Satisfaction guaranteed
It's satisfaction guaranteed on every job, and our crew cleans up the dust and mortar before we call it done.
Call about your Union City masonry job
Our line at (510) 264-7154 is open until 11 PM on weekdays and 10 PM on weekends, so you can call after work once you've had a look at the wall.
Other cities, or call about yours
If another city here is yours, open its page. If yours isn't listed, call (510) 264-7154, because we work in plenty of places in between.