Masonry contractor in Redondo Beach, CA - repairs that suit the wall they're in
CJ Redondo Beach Concrete & Masonry is a masonry contractor based in Redondo Beach. We repoint crumbling joints, repair brick and chimneys, and build block walls, walkways and fireplaces for houses across the city.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Redondo Beach houses, from older brick to new rebuilds
Redondo Beach is where we're based, and it's where a lot of our calls come from, usually homeowners who've noticed crumbling joints on a brick planter, a block wall starting to lean or a chimney that's lost a few bricks up top. On a single street you'll often find an older single-story house with brick steps and a chimney next to a two-story rebuild or a row of townhomes, and that same mix carries on into Hermosa Beach to the north and Torrance to the east.
Lots here are often narrow, with a few feet of side yard and a block wall along the property lines. So we plan each job around getting to the work, which usually means mixing on the driveway, moving brick through the side yard by hand and keeping your neighbor's wall clean while we're at it.
Masonry work we do on Redondo Beach homes
- Foundation repair
When the brick or block foundation under an older house here shows cracks or crumbling mortar, we find the cause first and repair what's actually failing.
- Chimney repair
A lot of older homes here have a brick chimney with loose bricks or worn joints at the top. We rebuild or repoint it so it stands sound.
- Tuckpointing
When the joints on a brick house have gone sandy, we rake out the worn mortar and fill fresh joints shaped to match the old ones.
- Brick repair
Cracked or loose bricks on front steps, planters and garden walls are common calls here, and we swap them for brick that matches the color and size.
- Driveway pavers
The driveway is often most of the front yard on a narrow lot. We lay pavers on a packed base, and single pavers can be lifted for repairs.
- Retaining wall construction
Where a yard steps down toward a neighbor's lot, we build retaining walls with drainage behind them, because trapped water is usually what pushes walls over.
- Masonry restoration
For an older brick house with worn joints and patch jobs that don't match, we restore the whole wall with materials that suit its age.
- Fireplace installation
When you're remodeling a living room or adding a patio, we build brick or stone fireplaces sized to the space and finished to match the house.
- Stone veneer installation
Stone veneer is thin stone set over an existing wall, so it dresses up the block walls and house fronts we see on so many lots here.
- Concrete block walls
Many lots here are walled on the sides and back, and when one of those block walls cracks or leans, we repair it or build a new one.
- Foundation block wall installation
When a house here gets an addition or a full rebuild, we lay the block foundation walls it sits on, built to the approved plans.
- Outdoor kitchen masonry
A small back yard goes further with a built-in grill counter in block, brick or stone, laid out so it fits beside the patio without crowding it.
- Walkway construction
A cracked or uneven front path is the first thing a visitor steps on, so we rebuild walkways in brick, stone or pavers on a level, packed base.
- Brick wall installation
We build new brick garden and property line walls with caps and joints chosen to sit right beside the older brick houses around here.
- Stone masonry
Natural stone suits the planters, steps and low walls on many newer rebuilds here, and we set each stone by hand so the weight sits right.
- Brick pointing
When only a few joints have cracked or dropped out, brick pointing fills just those joints with mortar matched to the wall around them.
Get a free on-site estimate for your Redondo Beach masonry job
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day. I'll come out myself to look at the work and give you a free estimate, with no obligation to go ahead.
Call (424) 265-1368Permits, licenses and access on Redondo Beach jobs
Permits for work on your property here come from the city's Building Division, which also handles plan review and inspections and can be reached at (310) 318-0636, while work that reaches into the street or other public way goes through the Engineering Division instead. The city wants inspections called in as the work goes and done before anything gets covered up, so a footing or a filled wall waits for the inspector before we close it in, and that's often what sets the pace of a permitted job. Before you hire anyone, you can look up their state license with the Contractors State License Board and ask to see their Redondo Beach business license, and the questions further down cover when each one applies. We're licensed and fully insured, our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee, and we check the permit steps with the city before we start and take care of the permit when your job needs one.
Getting materials to the job matters here too. Streets near the pier and along the coast fill up on weekends, so we try to bring pallets of brick and block in on weekdays and keep the curb clear for your neighbors, the same way we do in Manhattan Beach and Lomita. The price mostly turns on how much wall needs work, how closely new brick and mortar have to match the old, and how easy the work is to reach, and your estimate puts a figure on your own job.
Why Redondo Beach walls and chimneys need masonry work
Older brick houses are a big part of what we see here, including in the Original Townsite, the old residential blocks between Diamond and Carnelian Streets and Guadalupe and Francisca Avenues that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Brick laid that long ago usually sits in a softer mortar than what's sold today, and if a repair uses mortar harder than the brick around it, the brick takes the stress and starts to crack and flake. So before we repoint or patch an older wall, I look at what's there and pick a mortar that gives way before the brick does, because a fix that's too hard can do more harm than the wear it replaced.
Many lots here are closed in by block walls along the sides and back, and some of them hold up a raised planter or a step in the yard. When a wall like that cracks or leans, it's usually being pushed from behind or has lost mortar at the joints, and we find out which before we decide whether to repair the section or rebuild it.
How a masonry job runs when you call us in Redondo Beach
Here's how a job goes from your first call to the finished wall, so you know who you'll be talking to at each step.
Call us or send the form
Tell us what you're seeing, whether it's loose joints, a leaning wall or a chimney, and we'll set a time for me to come out. You don't need the trade word for it, because a plain description is enough.
I come out and look
I come out myself, look at the wall with you and answer whatever you want to ask, so you understand the repair and what it costs before anything starts. It helps if you can be there, since standing in front of the wall is the easiest place to talk it through.
We sort out the permit
If you go ahead, we sort out the permit steps with the city and schedule the work inside its construction hours, which run weekdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. There's no construction on Sundays or on the days Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day are observed.
Our crew builds, I check
Our crew does the work with me checking it on site as it goes, so a joint or a course that isn't right gets redone before the mortar sets.
Questions about masonry work in Redondo Beach
Can I pull my own permit for a masonry project in Redondo Beach?
Not if the project is valued at more than $50,000 or involves two or more units, because the city doesn't let homeowners pull the permit in those cases. For a smaller job, the Building Division can tell you what applies to yours.
Does my masonry contractor need a Redondo Beach business license?
Yes, the city requires every business working in Redondo Beach to hold a city business license, and every contractor on the job, subcontractors included, needs a valid one before a permit can be issued. Contractors based outside the city apply for an Out of City Contractor Business License, so a crew from a nearby city needs one too.
When does a masonry contractor need a California state license?
A contractor needs a state license when the job needs a building permit, uses employee labor, or costs $1,000 or more in labor and materials across one or more contracts. A larger project can't be broken into smaller contracts under $1,000 to get around that rule.
Can I do masonry work on my own house in California without a license?
Only if every condition of the state's owner-builder exemption fits your situation. The house has to be your principal residence, the work has to be done before you sell, you have to have lived there for the 12 months before it's finished, and you can't have used the exemption on more than two structures in any three-year period. If any one of those doesn't apply, the exemption doesn't cover you.
How do I know if my masonry project needs a Planning permit in Redondo Beach?
The city's Community Development page links to a check of whether your project needs a Planning permit. Depending on the scope, a project can also need approval from Engineering, the Redondo Beach Fire Department, LA County Health or LA County Sanitation, and one that needs land use approval may go to the Planning Commission or, in some cases, the City Council. We check which of these apply to your job before work starts.
What causes masonry repair prices to vary in Redondo Beach?
Mostly how far the damage goes, which often only shows once the old mortar or loose brick comes out. Rebuilding a section costs more than repointing it, matching an older brick or a soft mortar takes more hunting and care than new work, and a job that needs a permit and inspections carries that time as well. Your estimate gives you the figure for your own wall.
Redondo Beach, CA
Book a masonry estimate in Redondo Beach
Call (424) 265-1368 or send the form while the cracks are small, because a few loose joints are usually a smaller fix now than they'll be once more of the wall works loose.