Masonry Contractor in Hermosa Beach, CA - Repairs That Suit Each Wall
CJ Redondo Beach Concrete & Masonry is a masonry contractor working in Hermosa Beach, CA. We repoint crumbling joints, repair brick and chimneys, and build garden walls, walkways and fireplaces on homes across the city.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Hermosa Beach houses and what they ask of masonry
Hermosa Beach fits a lot of house onto small lots, so most of the masonry we do here sits tight against a property line, a neighbor's wall or a narrow side yard. On one block you'll often see an older cottage with a brick chimney and a low garden wall right beside a newer home faced in stone, and both need repairs that match what's already there.
We do the same kind of work up the coast in Manhattan Beach and back home in Redondo Beach, but the tighter spacing in Hermosa means we decide where the mixer, the pallets and the wheelbarrows go before we start. With little room to stage and no space to dig wide, the lot and the neighbors shape the job as much as the wall does.
Masonry services for Hermosa Beach homes
- Foundation repair
Cracks or settling in an older Hermosa foundation usually show first under a porch or along a side yard, and we find what moved before choosing a repair.
- Chimney repair
Brick chimneys on the city's older cottages often have loose top courses or worn crowns, and we rebuild or repoint them to keep water out of the brick.
- Tuckpointing
When the joints on an older brick wall or chimney have gone sandy, we rake them out and refill them with mortar soft enough to suit that brick.
- Brick repair
Cracked, flaking or loose bricks in an older garden wall or front step get cut out and replaced with brick matched to the old in size and color.
- Driveway pavers
Short Hermosa driveways and parking pads leave little room for error, so we set pavers on a packed base that sends water toward the street, not the house.
- Retaining wall construction
Where a lot steps up from the street or a yard is cut level, a retaining wall holds the soil back, and we build it for that slope.
- Masonry restoration
For an older house with worn brick, tired joints and old patches that don't match, we bring the masonry back with materials that suit its age.
- Fireplace installation
Many homes here are being remodeled or rebuilt, and a new brick or stone fireplace, indoors or on a patio, is often part of that plan.
- Stone veneer installation
Stone veneer, a thin layer of real or cast stone, gives a newer stucco front or a garden wall the look of solid stone without the weight.
- Concrete block walls
Block walls are a common choice along Hermosa property lines, where they give privacy between close neighbors and stand up well to daily wear.
- Foundation block wall installation
When a Hermosa addition or rebuild calls for a block foundation wall, we lay it to the approved plans, with the steel and grout those plans call for.
- Outdoor kitchen masonry
Small yards here have to make the most of every foot, so we build compact block or brick counters for a grill and sink that fit the space.
- Walkway construction
Narrow side yards and front walks here take a lot of foot traffic, and we lay brick, stone or concrete paths on a firm base sloped to shed water.
- Brick wall installation
A new brick garden or front wall suits the older cottages here, and we match the brick, the laying pattern and the joint style to the house.
- Stone masonry
Natural stone suits steps, planters and low garden walls on Hermosa lots, and we shape and set each piece by hand so it sits tight and solid.
- Brick pointing
When only one area has worn, like around a gate post or along the base of a wall, we repoint just that part to match the rest.
Get a free on-site masonry estimate in Hermosa Beach
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I'll come out myself, look at the job and give you a free estimate with no obligation.
Call (424) 265-1368Working in Hermosa Beach, from permits to parking
Building permits in Hermosa Beach come from the city's Building and Safety Division, which issues them for construction, additions and alterations only after plan check, its review of the drawings, so on a job that needs a permit that review comes before any digging. The division handles fence permits too, so a new wall along a property line is a question we put to them early. We're licensed and fully insured, and because the city's Revenue Services Division issues business licenses that have to be renewed every year, it's fair to ask anyone you hire whether theirs is current.
Hermosa streets are narrow and parking is tight, so on most jobs here we plan deliveries, where the mixer sits and how block gets carried to the backyard before the first day. We're a masonry contractor based in Redondo Beach, CA, and we do the same planning in Palos Verdes Estates, but on Hermosa jobs the price moves with how much wall or paving there is, how far material has to be hand-carried and how closely old brick has to be matched, while the schedule mostly turns on the permit review. Your estimate puts a number on your own job.
Groundwater and older brick in Hermosa Beach
In some parts of Hermosa Beach the groundwater sits only six to 15 feet down, and the city says digging a basement in the coastal zone can break into it and flood the basement. That matters for footings, foundation walls and deep retaining walls, so before we dig I look at where your house sits and plan the depth and drainage around it.
Plenty of older houses here still have their original brick chimneys and garden walls, and after decades the joints go soft and sandy and let water in. We also see a lot of old patches done in mortar harder than the brick, which makes the brick crack instead of the joint, so we repoint with a mix that gives way before the brick does.
What to expect when you hire us in Hermosa Beach
From the first call to the finished wall, here's how a job with us runs in Hermosa Beach and when you'll hear from me.
Call or send the form
Call (424) 265-1368 or send the form with a few words about the wall, chimney or path. We get back to you and set a time for me to come by.
I come out and look
I look at the job with you, answer whatever you want to ask and tell you plainly what I think the wall needs and why. You get an estimate for your job before you decide anything, so you know where you stand on cost.
We sort out the permit
If you go ahead, we sort out the permit steps with the city first. Where the job needs plan check, that review sets the start date, and I'll tell you where it stands as it moves.
Our crew builds, I check
Our crew does the work with me checking it on site as it goes, inside the city's construction hours of 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays, with no work on Sundays or national holidays. You don't need to be home while we work, and when it's done I'm glad to walk the finished job with you.
Questions about masonry in Hermosa Beach
How much does masonry repair cost in Hermosa Beach?
The cost comes down to the size of the job, the material and how much prep the lot and the permit call for, and I put a figure on your own job at the estimate. On Hermosa lots, hand-carrying material through a side yard, matching old brick and any plans or reports the permit needs can each add to it, while a simple repair on an open wall stays smaller. Some things, like rotten brick behind a sound face, only show once the wall is open, and I'll tell you up front where that could happen.
Which building code applies to my masonry project in Hermosa Beach?
Your project stays under the code edition in effect when the city receives a complete building permit application and plans. Planning approvals don't set it, so the date the full submittal goes in is the one that counts. Right now that means the current California building codes the city has adopted, and we draw up the job to match.
Which fire code applies to a new fireplace or outdoor kitchen in Hermosa Beach?
Hermosa Beach has adopted the Los Angeles County Fire Code, and its fire service comes through LA County Fire. For a new fireplace or a grill built into an outdoor kitchen, we check what that code and the plans call for before we build, because clearances on a small lot can get tight.
Does my older Hermosa Beach home need an asbestos survey before masonry work?
It can. For a home built before 1980, work that removes or disturbs 100 square feet of surface adds an asbestos step before the city will issue the permit. Either a survey goes to the city showing the asbestos material poses no risk, or an abatement permit, for removing it, is obtained before that work begins, and a chimney teardown or a long wall can reach that size, so I look at it during the estimate.
How do I find out if my Hermosa Beach project needs a geotechnical report?
Plan on the possibility, because the city lists a geotechnical report, a soils engineer's study of the ground, as one of its own requirements and asks applicants to submit it before construction starts. It matters most on foundation and retaining wall jobs, so we confirm with the city whether yours needs one before we settle the design, since it can change the footing and the schedule.
What is the best way to match old brick on a Hermosa Beach house?
The best way is to match the old brick's size, color and texture and the color of the joints, using salvaged or close-match brick and a test patch of mortar before the real work. Wet mortar looks darker than it dries, so we usually let a sample cure first, and I'd rather wait a day than have a patch stand out on your front wall.
Redondo Beach, CA
Book your Hermosa Beach masonry estimate
Catching a loose joint or a cracked brick early usually keeps the repair small, so call (424) 265-1368 or send the form while it's still a patch job.