Masonry contractor in Highland, CA - old brick fixed right, new walls built solid
Prestige Redlands Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor based in Redlands, CA, working across Highland. We fix crumbling joints, tired chimneys and older brick, and build block, brick and retaining walls on a solid base.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
Highland homes from Craftsman bungalows to block-walled tracts
Highland runs from the older streets of the Highland Historic District, with its early 1900s Craftsman bungalows, out to newer neighborhoods where most backyards end at a block wall. Base Line ties the city together, and at its east end the Natural Parkland Trail takes riders and walkers right along the San Andreas Fault Line. Much of what we see on Highland jobs looks like what we see in Redlands and Mentone, with old brick on one block and new block walls on the next.
On the older houses, the job is usually matching soft old brick and mortar so a repair doesn't fight the wall around it. On the newer lots it's the base, because a wall in fault country only stands as well as its footing and steel.
Masonry services for Highland homes
Foundation repair
When a crack shows up in the foundation of an older Highland house, we find out why it moved before we patch anything, instead of just covering it.
Chimney repair
Chimneys on older houses here usually fail at the top first, where the cap and last rows take the weather. We rebuild what's loose and keep sound brick.
Tuckpointing
When most joints on an older Highland wall have gone sandy, we rake them out and refill with mortar matched to the old in color and hardness.
Brick repair
When a brick's face has popped off, we cut it out and set the closest match we can find, so an older Highland house doesn't look patched.
Driveway pavers
On a Highland driveway, one cracked paver lifts out and gets replaced, where a cracked slab means breaking out a section. It all rides on a well-packed base.
Retaining wall construction
Sloped Highland yards often need a wall to hold back the hill. We build it on a real footing with steel inside and a drain behind it.
Masonry restoration
On Highland's oldest brick and stone, restoration means cleaning, repairing and repointing with materials that suit the wall's age, not hard modern cement that cracks the brick.
Fireplace installation
Adding a masonry fireplace to a Highland family room or patio? We build the firebox and chimney as one job, so the two are sized and tied together.
Stone veneer installation
Stone veneer, a thin layer of real or cast stone, dresses up a plain stucco wall or column on a Highland house without the weight of full stone.
Concrete block walls
When a block wall on a Highland lot leans or cracks, we check the footing first. New walls go up with steel and grout in the hollow cores.
Foundation block wall installation
For a Highland addition or garage, we lay the block foundation wall the framing sits on. I framed houses for years, so I know what it carries.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
Highland summers push cooking outside. We build the grill island and counters in block, then face them in brick, stone or stucco to match the house.
Walkway construction
A brick, paver or stone walk to the front porch suits old and new Highland houses alike. We pitch it so water runs off, not toward the house.
Brick wall installation
New brick garden and yard walls go up on a proper footing, and beside an older Highland house we match the brick and joint style so it belongs.
Stone masonry
Stone planters, columns and garden walls suit Highland's older porches and foothill yards. We lay each stone so its weight sits on the stones below, not the mortar.
Brick pointing
We repoint only the joints that have failed on a Highland porch, planter or wall. A sound old joint stays put, because replacing it just pads the bill.
Your free written estimate for a Highland masonry job
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out. I walk the job and send a free written estimate, with no obligation to go ahead.
(909) 488-7148- Based in
- Redlands, CA 92373
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–9 PM
Highland permits, licenses and what sets your price
In Highland the permit is the city's call, and the city's Building and Safety office reviews plans for home projects, from additions and remodels to new structures. A brand-new structure, like a detached garage, goes through planning review before its plans even reach Building and Safety, so the city's calendar often sets the start date more than ours does. Before you hire anyone, look up their license with the Contractors State License Board and ask for their Highland business license, which the city requires of contractors working here, with an Out of City license for one based elsewhere. We're in Redlands, so that goes for us too, and we're licensed and insured.
If your job needs a permit, we'll tell you at the estimate and handle the application, though for questions about the rules on your own lot the city has the final word. What moves the price is the size of the wall, how deep the footing has to go, whether it's brick, block or stone, how much old mortar has actually failed, and how close we can get a truck, since a tight side yard means wheeling every block in by hand. The schedule turns mostly on that permit review and the weather. Your written estimate puts a figure on all of it, the same way we price jobs in Colton and the other cities around Redlands.
Heat and old mortar on Highland houses
Highland summers are hot, and the long-run records, which stop in the 1960s, put the average July high at 92°F. That matters because fresh mortar that dries too fast never gets its full strength, so in summer we start early and keep new joints damp and shaded.
On the older houses, the usual trouble is a past repair done in hard cement mortar, which won't give with the softer brick around it, so the brick cracks before the joint does. Hard mortar is stubborn that way. It outlives the brick it was supposed to protect. We cut it out, repoint with a mix that suits the brick, and fix wherever the water's getting in.
How a masonry job in Highland goes from call to cleanup
Here's how it runs from your side, from the first call to the walk-around at the end, so you know who you'll see and when.
Call or send a message
Call (909) 488-7148 or use the form, and we get back to you to set a time for me to come out. It helps if you're home so you can show me what's bothering you.
I come look at it
I look at the wall, what's around it and where the water goes, because that's usually where the failure started. You get a written estimate saying what we'd do and what we'd use, so you see the cost before anything starts.
Our crew does the work
If the job needs a permit, the start waits on the city's plan review. Once we're going, I'm on site with the crew, so the person who wrote your estimate is the one checking the joints.
We walk it together
When the work's done, we walk it with you so you can point at anything you don't like. We haul off the scraps and leave your yard looking like we were never there, just with a better wall in it.
Questions about masonry work in Highland
How do I know if my block wall in Highland needs a permit?
A masonry or concrete block fence over 3 feet high needs a permit from the City of Highland, because the city puts fences on its permit list and only exempts masonry ones 3 feet and under. Zoning height limits and the city's setback rules still apply to a short wall. We tell you at the estimate which side your wall lands on, and permits are filed through the city's online permit portal.
Do I need a permit for a retaining wall in Highland, CA?
You need one for a retaining wall over 4 feet tall, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, and for a shorter wall holding back a slope steeper than two feet out for every foot up or carrying extra load above it, like a driveway. The city's policy also calls for a footing and vertical steel in every residential retaining wall unless it's specifically exempted, which is how we build them anyway.
Does my masonry contractor need a California state license?
Yes, if the job needs a building permit, uses workers beyond the contractor alone, or costs $1,000 or more in labor and materials across one or more contracts. That covers most wall, chimney and foundation work, so check the license before you sign anything.
How much can a contractor ask for a down payment in California?
The state caps a home improvement down payment at $1,000 or 10 percent of the total contract price, whichever is less. Every other payment has to be written into the contract and tied to work done or materials delivered, so if someone wants half up front, keep looking.
What affects the cost of masonry repair on an older Highland house?
The biggest factor is how much of the wall has really failed, because repointing a few bad joints is a much smaller job than rebuilding a chimney top or a leaning wall. Matching old brick and soft mortar also takes more time than laying new block. I'd rather leave a sound joint alone than charge you to replace it, and the written estimate spells out exactly what we'd touch.
What causes mortar to crumble on older brick houses in Highland?
Water is usually the cause, getting in at the top of a wall or chimney or wicking up from wet ground until the joints turn to sand. Old soft mortar is meant to wear before the brick does, so some crumbling is the joint doing its job. We find where the water's getting in before we repoint, or the new joints go the same way.
Redlands, CA
Get your Highland masonry estimate started
Matching old brick can take a while to track down, so calling (909) 488-7148 or sending the form early gives us time to find the right match before your job starts.