Masonry contractor in Antioch - walls, chimneys and mortar fixed at the cause
Allied Brentwood Masonry and Concrete is a masonry contractor based in Brentwood that repairs and builds chimneys, brick and block walls, retaining walls, walkways and driveways for homeowners across Antioch, CA, starting with a straight answer about what's wrong.
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Antioch homes and the walls around them
Antioch covers a lot of ground, from the blocks around downtown out to the streets near Contra Loma, and the houses change as you go. On our calls here we see brick fireplaces and chimneys, block walls along back fences, poured driveways and walkways, and plenty of yards that need a low wall to hold a slope. The city sits between Pittsburg to the west and Brentwood to the southeast, where we're based, so the homes have a lot in common with the ones we work on every week.
That mix is the point. A chimney, a fence-line block wall and a cracked walkway fail for different reasons, so I look at what's pushing, leaking or settling before we ever talk about the fix.
What I check before we start a job in Antioch
Building permits in Antioch come from the city's Building Services Division, which also sends the inspectors, and owners or contractors can apply through the city's online permitting system. When a job needs a permit, the schedule waits on that review and the inspections, so I'd rather know at the start than halfway through. Before you hire anyone here, ask for two things: a California contractor's license and a current Antioch business license, which the city requires from everyone doing business in Antioch, subcontractors included.
Before we start, we check with the city for your address, and when a permit's needed we pull it and set up the inspections. We come over on Highway 4 from Brentwood and do the same work in Oakley and the other cities nearby, so the walls and chimneys you've got are familiar to us. The price moves with the size and height of the job, the material, how much old work has to come out first and how easy it is to get a crew and a mixer to the spot, and the schedule turns on the permit and on any brick or stone that has to be matched and ordered. I write your own figure into the estimate once I've seen the job.
What wears down masonry on Antioch homes?
Antioch doesn't get much rain, a little over 13 inches a year on average, with average highs around 73 degrees and lows around 50. That's fairly easy on brick, so the trouble we find here usually comes from water we put there ourselves: sprinklers soaking the base of a wall, downspouts dumping against a chimney, a planter wall with no way to drain. When I see damp or flaking brick, I look for that source first, because fixing the brick without turning the water away just buys you a few years.
The other thing we see a lot is movement. Block walls along property lines, steps and walkways get pushed by roots or shifted by a footing that was too small, and the crack you notice is only the sign of it, so we find what moved the wall before we patch anything.
- Call (925) 503-1047
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–10 PM
- Brentwood, CA 94513
Masonry work we do in Antioch
Chimney repair
A cracked crown or loose bricks on an Antioch chimney let rain run down inside the flue. Our chimney repair seals the crown and rebuilds the bad joints.
Tuckpointing
Mortar on Antioch brick fireplaces and planters goes sandy long before the brick wears out. We grind out the soft joints and pack in fresh mortar.
Retaining wall construction
Plenty of Antioch yards step up or down a grade, and a timber or dry-stacked wall holding it starts to lean. We build block retaining walls with drainage behind.
Concrete block walls
Block walls between Antioch back yards crack and lean when the footing is too small or a cap is missing. We fix the footing, not just the face.
Driveway pavers
Cracked poured driveways are common in Antioch, and a paver drive can be repaired one piece at a time. We grade and pack the base before laying.
Brick repair
Flaking faces and cracked bricks on Antioch porches and walls usually trace back to water. We stop the water, then cut out and replace bricks to match.
How it goes when you call us about an Antioch job
Call us or send the form
Tell us what you're seeing, and a photo helps if you have one. We set a time for me to come out, and you don't need anything figured out first.
I look it over with you
I come out myself and walk the job with you, pointing out what I see and what I think is causing it. Then I send a written estimate with photos, so you can see what I saw before you decide anything.
Our crew does the work
Once any permit and inspections are lined up with the city, our own crew does the work. I'm on site to set the layout and check it as it goes.
We walk it together
When we're done, you and I walk the finished job so you know what you're looking at. I'll show you what to watch for, because a homeowner who knows the signs is the best inspector a wall can have.
Get a written estimate for your Antioch masonry job
We reply to every call and form within one business day, and then I come out to your Antioch home myself to look the job over with you. The estimate is free, written up with photos, and comes with no pressure and no obligation.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Phone
- (925) 503-1047
- Location
- Brentwood, CA 94513
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–10 PM
Questions about masonry work in Antioch
Does replacing a fence or garden wall in Antioch need a permit?
A replacement fence up to six feet tall in the side or back yard, or three feet in the front, is on the city's list of permit-exempt work. That list says replacement fences, so when you're replacing a brick or block wall, or building one where none stood, we confirm with the Building Services Division before we start.
How do I know if my retaining wall in Antioch needs a permit?
Start with the height, because the city lists retaining walls three feet tall or less as exempt from a building permit. A taller wall isn't on that list, so we check with the city for your address before we dig and pull the permit if one is needed.
Does driveway work in Antioch need a separate permit from the city?
It can, because any work in the public right-of-way, including curb cuts and changes to a driveway, needs an encroachment permit from the city's Engineering Division. Most residential concrete flatwork, the slabs for drives, patios and walks, is on the building permit exempt list, but the encroachment permit is a separate thing. If your new drive or pavers reach the curb, we sort that out before we start.
When does a masonry contractor need a California state license?
The Contractors State License Board requires a license when the job needs a building permit, uses any additional workers, or costs $1,000 or more in labor and materials, counted across one or more contracts on the project. That covers almost any real masonry job, so ask to see the license before you sign anything. We're licensed and fully insured.
How do I get an accurate price for masonry work in Antioch?
Have the job looked at in person, because most of what sets the price on a repair can't be seen in a photo. How deep a crack runs, whether the footing under a wall is sound and how much mortar has gone soft all change the number, and I can only judge those standing next to the wall.
What causes mortar joints to crack and crumble on Antioch homes?
Mortar joints usually crack and crumble because water keeps getting into them, or because the wall underneath is moving. Water coming through a cracked chimney crown or a missing wall cap slowly loosens the joints, and a footing that shifts cracks them along the line where it moved. That's why I find the source before we repoint, or the new mortar goes the same way as the old.
Tell us about your Antioch project
Call (925) 503-1047 or send the form with a photo of the crack or wall you're worried about, so I show up already knowing what to look at.
Request an estimateCall (925) 503-1047