Masonry Contractor in Hawthorne, CA - Repairs that suit the wall they're in
CJ Redondo Beach Concrete & Masonry repairs and builds brick, block and stone work in Hawthorne, CA, from repointing crumbling joints and fixing cracked brick to new block walls, walkways, retaining walls and fireplaces.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Hawthorne homes and the masonry around them
Hawthorne is a busy, closely built city, mostly single-family houses on narrow lots, with apartment buildings and shops along the main roads. On our jobs here we see a lot of older homes with a brick planter or porch steps out front, block walls along the side and back lot lines, and now and then a brick chimney that's been patched more than once. We're a masonry contractor based in Redondo Beach, and the streets here look a lot like the ones we work on in Lawndale and Inglewood.
Those tight lots shape the job. Side yards are often only a few feet wide, many block walls are shared with a neighbor, and older mortar is usually softer than what's sold today, so we plan how we'll get in, talk through the wall line and mix our mortar to suit the old work before we start.
Masonry services we offer in Hawthorne
- Foundation repair
When a crack runs up from the slab or a door starts sticking in an older Hawthorne house, we look at the footing first and repair what's moving.
- Chimney repair
Some older houses here still have a brick chimney with loose top rows or a cracked cap, and we rebuild those with mortar that suits the old brick.
- Tuckpointing
Tuckpointing suits the brick fronts on older homes here, filling worn joints with mortar tinted to the brick and running a thin line on top so they look crisp.
- Brick repair
We cut out cracked or flaking bricks on porch steps and planters one at a time and set in a close match in size and color.
- Driveway pavers
Short, cracked concrete driveways are common here, and pavers on a packed base can be lifted and reset in one spot if a patch settles.
- Retaining wall construction
Where a yard steps down to a neighbor or a planter holds back soil, we build retaining walls with drainage behind them, because trapped water pushes walls over.
- Masonry restoration
When a brick or block wall has years of patches, stains and worn joints, restoration brings the whole face back together instead of adding one more mismatched fix.
- Fireplace installation
If you're adding a fireplace to a living room or a small back patio, we build the firebox and surround in brick or stone sized to the space.
- Stone veneer installation
Thin stone veneer set over a prepared wall can dress up a plain stucco front, porch column or planter here without the weight of full stone.
- Concrete block walls
Block walls along lot lines are common here, and when one leans or cracks we rebuild it on a proper footing instead of patching the face.
- Foundation block wall installation
When you're adding a room or rebuilding a garage on a tight lot, we lay the block foundation wall the framing sits on, built to your plans.
- Outdoor kitchen masonry
Small backyards here make every foot count, so we build compact outdoor kitchen counters in block with brick, stone or tile faces that fit the space you have.
- Walkway construction
When the front path has heaved or cracked, we rebuild it in brick, pavers or stone on a packed base so it sits level again.
- Brick wall installation
A low brick front-yard wall gives a house here a clear edge, and we set it on a real footing because walls on loose soil start to lean.
- Stone masonry
Full stone suits front steps, low walls and planter borders on smaller lots, and we fit each piece by hand so the joints come out tight and even.
- Brick pointing
Brick pointing replaces worn joints on chimneys, planters and walls with fresh mortar mixed no harder than the old brick, so the mortar wears instead of the brick.
Get a free on-site masonry estimate in Hawthorne
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day. I'll come out myself to look at the job, answer your questions and give you a free estimate with no obligation.
Call (424) 265-1368Working in Hawthorne: permits, licenses and what moves the price
When a masonry job in Hawthorne needs a permit, it goes through the city's own Department of Building and Safety, which reviews the plans and sends an inspector to check the work against what was approved. Whether your job needs one is the city's call, which is why we ask before we start, and any plan review or inspection becomes part of the schedule. The city's Licensing Department issues business licenses, with a separate online application for businesses based outside Hawthorne like ours, and it lists 2 to 5 business days for those online applications, so that's the office to ask if you want to check on a contractor's city license. We're licensed and fully insured, and I'm happy to go over any of it when I'm out there.
The price here mostly comes down to the size of the wall or path, how much old brick, block or concrete has to come out, how closely we have to match the existing brick and mortar, and how easy it is to get material to the spot. A lot of Hawthorne driveways are narrow and street parking is tight, so on some jobs we carry block and mortar to the back yard by hand, and that time shows up in the cost. The schedule turns on the permit if there is one, on tracking down brick that matches, and on giving fresh mortar time to set before we load a wall, and the estimate puts your own figure on all of it. We do the same kind of work down in Carson and across the cities around Redondo Beach.
Why Hawthorne walls, steps and joints wear down
Mortar is meant to wear out before the brick does, and on the older houses here a lot of it has had decades of sun, damp mornings and sprinkler water. Once the joints go sandy, water gets in behind the brick, and old repairs made with a hard cement patch make it worse, because the stiff patch pushes the movement into the brick itself. We cut out the worn mortar and the bad patches and repoint with a mix that suits the wall, and that's the part of this work I'm most careful about.
The block walls along the lot lines take a different beating, with sprinklers soaking the base, roots pushing at the footing and the occasional car backing into a corner. When one leans, we look at the footing and drainage first, because a wall that's only patched on the face usually keeps going.
How a masonry job runs when you call us in Hawthorne
Here's how a job goes from your first call to the final walk-through, and who you'll be dealing with at each step.
Call or send the form
You call (424) 265-1368 or fill in the form, and we get back to you to set up a visit. Tell us what you've noticed, like a leaning wall or crumbling joints, so I know what to look at.
I come out and look
I come out myself, look over the wall or chimney with you and answer whatever you want to ask, however small it seems. You get the estimate from me before anything is decided, so you know the cost before you commit.
We sort out the permit
If you go ahead, we work through the permit steps with Hawthorne's Building and Safety office and take care of the permit when the job needs one. Where there's a plan review or an inspection, it sets the start date, and I'll keep you posted on where it stands.
Our crew builds, I check
Our crew does the work and I'm on site checking it as it goes, so the mortar and the lines come out the way we talked about. At the end we walk it together and clean up, and the job is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Questions about masonry work in Hawthorne
Can I apply for a building permit online in Hawthorne?
Yes, Hawthorne takes permit applications through its Citizen Self Service portal, where you can also check a permit's status and review plan submittals. On our jobs that need one, we handle the application, and you can follow its status there whenever you like.
How do I schedule a building inspection in Hawthorne?
You schedule an inspection through the same city portal used for permit applications. If your permit was issued before July 2022, you call Building and Safety at (310) 349-2990 instead. On our permitted jobs, we set up the inspections as part of handling the permit.
When is Hawthorne Building and Safety open?
Building and Safety is open Monday through Thursday, 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and closed on Fridays. The plan check counter keeps shorter hours, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 8:00 to 11:00 AM, with no counter hours on Wednesday, so it's worth planning a visit around that.
How much does masonry repair cost in Hawthorne, CA?
A repair usually costs far less than a rebuild, which is why I'll tell you when repointing or swapping out a few bricks will do the job. Brick and stone take longer to lay than block, and a taller wall, a hard-to-reach back yard or a job that needs plans and a permit all add to the cost. I'll give you the figure for your own job when I come out.
How do I fix a leaning block wall in my Hawthorne yard?
Usually by taking the leaning section down to the footing and rebuilding it, because bracing a wall or pushing it back rarely holds once the footing has moved. Sometimes only part of the run has to come down, and I can tell you that once I've looked at the base. If the wall sits on the lot line, talk with your neighbor before we start, since the work happens on both sides.
What happens if a Hawthorne business license inspection finds work my building needs?
You pay permit and plan check fees on top of the application fees, because the application fees for a new business location only cover the Code Compliance Inspection itself. An undated city page says that added fee is based on the cost of the work. If the inspector's corrections include brick, block or concrete, we can look at them and tell you what the fix involves.
Redondo Beach, CA
Book your Hawthorne masonry estimate today
Call (424) 265-1368 or send the form now, because joints that are only starting to go can usually be repointed before any brick has to be replaced.