Masonry contractor in Richmond, CA - chimneys, walls and walks built to match your house
J&R Vallejo Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor based in Vallejo that repairs and builds brick, block and stone work for Richmond homeowners, from chimneys and crumbling mortar to retaining walls, walkways and paver driveways.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
Richmond homes from the shoreline to the hills
Richmond stretches a long way along the bay, from the shoreline parks and the Bay Trail out to hill streets well inland, and the houses change a lot from one part of the city to the next.
We see older wood and stucco houses with brick chimneys, steps and planters, sloped lots that need retaining walls, and newer homes nearer the water with paver driveways and patios. We're based in Vallejo, and it's the same kind of work we do next door in San Pablo and out in Fairfield. On the older houses, most of the job is matching the brick and mortar that's already there, and on the hills it's holding the ground and giving water somewhere to go.
Our services in Richmond, CA
- Chimney repair
Older Richmond houses often have brick chimneys with cracked caps and open joints near the roofline. We do chimney repair by rebuilding what's failing and matching the brick that's sound.
- Tuckpointing
On older brick here, the mortar usually gives out before the brick does. We clean out the worn joints and refill them with mortar that suits the old brick.
- Brick repair
Front steps, porches and planters are where loose or flaking brick shows up first on houses here. We replace the damaged brick with pieces that match what's already there.
- Retaining wall construction
Sloped yards here often need a wall to hold the hill back and give you flat ground. We build block and stone walls with drainage behind them.
- Walkway construction
Cracked, lifted concrete walks are a common call at older houses here, usually from tree roots and years of use. We tear out the broken walk and build a new one on a solid base.
- Driveway pavers
On short city driveways, a cracked slab is the first thing people see. We lay pavers on a packed base, and a broken one can be swapped out later.
What Richmond's older houses and hills ask for
A lot of Richmond houses have brick in just a few places, usually the chimney, the front steps and a planter or garden wall, and after years of patching those are where water gets in first. I start by showing you which joints are open and which old patches are hurting the brick, so you can see the problem yourself, and then we fix what needs fixing and leave the sound work alone.
On sloped lots, the usual trouble is a wall, walk or set of steps built with nowhere for water to go, so it leans or cracks a bit more every year until it's rebuilt with drainage behind and under it. Price here mostly follows the size of the job, how much old work has to come out and how hard the spot is to reach, and the schedule turns on whether the city requires a permit and how soon materials come in. Your own figure comes from the estimate.
Get a masonry estimate for your Richmond home
Tell us about the chimney, wall or walk, and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I come out to Richmond myself, walk the job with you and explain what I'd do and why, and the estimate is free with no obligation. If you'd rather talk it through, call (707) 310-8446.
Brick, block and stone work
Richmond masonry questions answered
Do I need a permit for masonry work in Richmond, CA?
Usually, yes, because the city requires a building permit before you build, alter, repair or demolish any building or structure, and its handout says a permit is likely needed for any project it doesn't list as exempt. You can read the city's list of work exempt from permits, and when your job isn't clearly on it, we check with the Building Division for your address before work starts.
Does a brick or block wall along my property line in Richmond need a permit?
Plan on at least one, because the city's exempt-work handout says a Planning Division permit is required for any fence, even though fences no more than 7 feet high don't need a building permit. Whether your wall counts as a fence or as a structure that needs a building permit is the city's call, so we get that answer for your address before we dig the footing.
Who can pull a building permit in Richmond, CA?
Property owners or their authorized agents and licensed contractors can, according to the city's permit page. A licensed contractor has to show a Contractor's State License Card, a workers' compensation insurance certificate and a current City of Richmond business license when registering for the permit. We're fully licensed and insured, and when your job needs a permit, we handle the filing and line up the inspections with the city.
How long does it take to get a building permit in Richmond?
Simple jobs can move fast, because the city says most single-trade permits and residential remodels that need no drawings are issued once it receives and verifies the required application documents. Beyond that, the city says timing depends on the scope of the work, so a bigger wall or a rebuild that needs drawings can take longer to clear.
How much does it cost to repair a brick chimney or wall in Richmond, CA?
Your price comes from the estimate, after I've seen what's behind the damage, because two chimneys that look the same from the street can need very different work. The big swings here are access, like a tall chimney that needs scaffolding or a backyard wall up a slope where everything goes in by wheelbarrow, and matching old brick and mortar, which takes longer than laying new. A permit, when the job needs one, adds to both the cost and the schedule.
What is the best way to repair old brick and mortar on a Richmond house?
Match the repair to what's already in the wall, with a mortar no harder than the original and brick close in size, color and strength. Hard cement mortar on soft old brick forces the brick to take the stress, so it cracks and flakes around the patch and the fix ends up doing more harm than the worn joint did. Before we quote anything, I point to the joints and bricks that need work and explain why.