Masonry Contractor in Pittsburg, CA - Brick, Block and Concrete Fixed at the Cause
Allied Brentwood Masonry and Concrete is a masonry contractor working in Pittsburg, CA. We fix cracked and crumbling brick, chimneys, block walls and steps, and build new walls, walkways and paver driveways for homes across the city.
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Pittsburg runs from the river to the hills
Pittsburg starts at the water, where the city marina sits at the meeting of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers, and climbs south toward the hills. The older blocks around Old Town have the brick walls, chimneys and porch steps that have been patched a time or two over the years, and plenty of them have settled enough to show it. Farther south the houses get newer, often on graded lots with a slope behind them, a lot like what we see next door in Antioch and over in Bay Point.
So the work here splits two ways. Down by Old Town it's usually tired mortar and old brick that has to be matched, and up the hill it's usually walls and walks losing a fight with the slope and the clay under them.
Working in Pittsburg: permits, licenses and what moves the price
Inside city limits, the City of Pittsburg's Building Division runs construction permits from the first application through the final inspection, and the city also requires an engineering permit for concrete work, grading and work in the right of way, the public strip along the street where the sidewalk sits. A retaining wall cut into a slope or a new concrete walk can fall into that second group, so the permit, not our crew, often sets the start date. Before we schedule anything, we check with the city for your address, and when a permit is needed we pull it and set up the inspections. Whoever you hire, ask to see their current City of Pittsburg business license, because the city requires one from everyone doing paid work here, out-of-town companies included, and a Contra Costa County license only covers the unincorporated parts of the county.
Pittsburg is a short drive for us down Highway 4 from Brentwood, the same highway our crew takes the other way out to Discovery Bay, so the drive isn't what holds a job up. What moves the price is how much has to come apart before it goes back together, how tall and long a wall runs, whether old brick has to be matched, how easy it is to get materials to the work, and whether a permit is part of it. The schedule turns on that permit and on what we find once a wall or step is open, and the written estimate I send after seeing your job spells out the work for your house, with photos.
What do Pittsburg houses need most from a mason?
On the older houses, the mortar usually gives out before the brick does. Rain works into soft or cracked joints, the brick around them loosens and starts to spall, flaking off at the face, and a chimney or front step that's a few years past due will start to lean or let water in. We rake out the bad joints, repoint with a mortar that suits the old brick, and replace only the brick that's actually done, because tearing out good brick just makes more work and more bill.
Up on the newer, sloped lots, the trouble is usually ground that moves. Clay swells when it's wet and shrinks when it dries, and a wall with no drainage behind it or a walk on a thin base will crack and heave, so we fix the drainage and the base along with the crack.
- Call (925) 503-1047
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–10 PM
- Brentwood, CA 94513
Masonry work we do in Pittsburg
Brick repair
Older houses near Old Town often have loose or flaking brick at steps and walls. Our brick repair swaps out only the damaged brick, matched to yours.
Tuckpointing
Worn mortar joints are what we find most on older brick here. We rake them out and repoint so water stops getting behind the brick.
Chimney repair
Chimneys on older houses usually lose mortar near the top first, where weather hits them hardest. We rebuild the concrete cap and loose brick before water gets inside.
Retaining wall construction
Sloped lots on the south side need walls that hold back the hill. We build them with drainage behind and a solid base, because wet clay pushes.
Concrete block walls
Block yard walls in newer neighborhoods often crack where the footing settled. We find out why first, so the rebuilt section isn't sitting on the same problem.
Walkway construction
Front walks on clay ground heave and crack until somebody trips. We dig out, pack a proper base and rebuild in concrete, brick or stone.
What happens when you call us about a Pittsburg job
Tell us about the job
Call (925) 503-1047 or send the form and tell us what you're seeing, whether it's a crack, a leaning wall or crumbling joints. We set up a time that works for you so I can look at it in person.
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 and line it up against anyone else's.
We handle permits and build
If you go ahead, we take care of any permit and inspections the city needs. Our own crew does the work, and I'm on site to set the layout and check it as it goes.
We walk the finished job
When we're done, we walk it together and I show you what to keep an eye on. A homeowner who knows what to watch for is the best inspector a wall can have.
Get a written estimate for your Pittsburg masonry job
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I come out to your Pittsburg property myself, look it over with you, and send a free written estimate with photos. There's 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 Pittsburg homeowners ask us
How long do I have to start work after a permit is issued in Pittsburg?
The city gives the permit holder 180 days from the day the permit is issued to start work and get an inspection, or the permit expires and becomes void. The permit holder can ask for one 180-day extension. When we pull the permit, keeping track of that window is on us, so we plan the start date around it.
Can I check online if my masonry project needs a permit in Pittsburg?
You can get a rough idea online, but not a final answer. The city's OpenCounter tool is there for general guidance only, city staff make the final call on permits, fees and zoning, and the city asks you to contact its Building Division directly with questions. If you hire us, making that check is part of our job before work starts.
How much does masonry repair cost in Pittsburg, CA?
Masonry repair in Pittsburg is priced job by job, because a few feet of tired mortar on a chimney and a rebuilt hillside wall don't have much in common. The biggest swing is usually whether the cause gets fixed along with the crack, like drainage or a new base, which costs more today and less later. I'll give you a number for your house in the written estimate after I've seen it.
Can a leaning retaining wall on a sloped Pittsburg lot be fixed, or does it need rebuilding?
It can often be fixed if the wall itself is sound and only leaning a little, by digging out behind it, adding drainage and resetting it. If the base has moved or the block has rotated and cracked, rebuilding usually costs less over the years than patching the same wall twice. Either way, digging into a slope can bring in the city's grading permit we covered above, so that check comes first.
How do I match old brick on an older house in Pittsburg?
The best way is to match it against the wall itself, comparing size, color and texture with salvaged or new brick in daylight, not from a catalog page. The mortar matters just as much, because a hard modern mix in soft old brick makes the brick crack before the joint does, which is backwards. We bring samples out and pick the mix to suit the brick you've got.
How do I know if a crack in the brick on my Pittsburg house is serious?
A crack is worth a look when it's getting wider, stair-steps through the mortar, or the brick on one side has shifted out of line with the other. Thin cracks that stay put are often just settling, and you only know by watching, so a pencil mark at each end with the date on it tells you a lot. If it moves, call and I'll come out and show you what's driving it.
Tell us what's cracking in Pittsburg
A crack caught while it's small usually means less to take apart, so call (925) 503-1047 or send the form while it's still a repair.
Request an estimateCall (925) 503-1047