Masonry Contractor in Rialto, CA - Brick Repair and Walls on a Solid Base
Prestige Redlands Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor working in Rialto, CA. We repair crumbling mortar joints and old brick, fix tired chimneys, and build block walls, retaining walls and paver driveways on a solid base.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
Rialto houses and the block walls around them
Rialto sits between Fontana and Colton, and the work we see here looks a lot like both. Most of it is single-story stucco houses on lots fenced in block, with a scattering of older homes that still have brick chimneys, porches and planters. Plenty of those yards have been added onto by every owner since, so a walk around the back often turns up three kinds of wall and two kinds of mortar.
So many of those walls sit right on the property line that a repair here often starts with a talk with the neighbor, and the job itself usually comes down to what's under the wall, not the block you can see.
Masonry services we do on Rialto properties
Foundation repair
On older Rialto houses with block or brick foundation walls, we find out why a crack opened before we patch it, because a settled footing and water underneath need different fixes.
Chimney repair
Older brick chimneys here often lose mortar at the crown and top courses first. We rebuild what's loose and check how the chimney is tied to the house.
Tuckpointing
When the joints on a brick house or planter have gone sandy, we grind out only the failing mortar and repack it, leaving sound joints alone.
Brick repair
Bricks that crack or shed their face on Rialto porches, steps and garden walls get cut out and replaced with the closest match we can find.
Driveway pavers
Pavers suit Rialto driveways where an old slab has cracked and heaved, because one sunken paver can be lifted and reset instead of breaking out the whole driveway.
Retaining wall construction
Where a yard steps down or a grade change pushes on a fence line, we build retaining walls on a proper footing with drainage behind them.
Masonry restoration
For older brick and block that has been patched by three different owners, we sort the sound work from the bad and bring the whole face back together.
Fireplace installation
We build masonry fireplaces for family rooms and backyards, laying the firebox, hearth and surround in brick or stone to suit a ranch house or a newer build.
Stone veneer installation
Stone veneer dresses up plain stucco on a front wall, column or planter, and we set it over a proper backing so it holds to the wall.
Concrete block walls
Many Rialto backyards are bounded by block, and when a section leans or cracks we rebuild it with steel and grout in the cells on a sound footing.
Foundation block wall installation
For additions, garages and raised floors, we lay the block foundation walls the rest of the building sits on, starting from a level, well-packed footing.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
We build the block or brick base for a Rialto backyard kitchen or grill island, finished in stucco, stone or brick to match the patio around it.
Walkway construction
Walkways in brick, stone or pavers replace the cracked concrete path to a front door or side gate, built on a packed base so they sit flat.
Brick wall installation
Brick garden walls, planters and entry walls fit the older Rialto homes that already have brick trim, and we lay them on a footing sized to the wall.
Stone masonry
We lay natural stone for Rialto garden walls, steps, columns and planters, fitting each piece by hand so the joints read tight and even.
Brick pointing
When only a few joints have cracked or washed out, brick pointing fills them with fresh mortar matched in color, without grinding out the whole wall.
Get a written masonry estimate for your Rialto home
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time for me to come out. The estimate on site is free, you get it in writing, and there's no obligation.
(909) 488-7148- Based in
- Redlands, CA 92373
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–9 PM
Permits, licenses and price on a Rialto job
Rialto's building department issues the permits for work like masonry walls, retaining walls and patios, and it has the final word on what your lot needs, so on a lot of jobs here a city review sits between your estimate and the day we start digging. Before you hire anyone, ask for two things: a California contractor license and a Rialto business license. The city requires that business license of every state-licensed contractor who bids on or does work inside its limits, subcontractors included.
We're licensed and insured, and if your job needs a permit, I'll tell you at the estimate so it's in the plan from the start. Price moves on how much of the old work is really failing, whether we have to match old brick, how deep a new footing has to go and how easy it is to get block and a mixer into your backyard. The schedule moves mostly on the permit review and on how much has to come out before anything goes back in, and your written estimate is where your own numbers start.
Why Rialto walls and chimneys wear out
Two earthquake fault systems, the San Jacinto and the Rialto-Colton, run within the city's limits, though that's true of Rialto as a whole and says nothing about your lot in particular. Brick and block are heavy and stiff, so shaking finds every shallow footing and loose chimney top, which is why the walls we build are tied together from footing to cap.
The other thing we see is old mortar. A lot of the brick on older Rialto houses was laid in a softer mortar than you'd buy today, and over the years somebody patched it with hard gray cement that cracks the brick around it, which is the patch winning and your house losing. When joints scratch out with a key, we repoint them with mortar that's softer than the brick, so the joint gives before the brick does, and we leave the sound joints alone.
What happens after you call us about Rialto work
Here's how a job runs from your first call to the final walk-through, including where the city's permit review fits in.
Call or send a message
You call or fill out the form, and we get back to you to set a time for me to come out. Being home helps, so you can show me what's bothering you.
I look and write it up
I look at the wall, what's around it and where the water goes, because that's usually where the trouble started. Then you get a written estimate that says what we'd do and what we'd use, so you're comparing real work, not guesses.
We get the permit squared away
If the job needs a permit, we take care of the application, and for a patio or block wall the city says it can often review and issue it within 10 of its business days, which run Monday to Thursday. Other permits take longer, which the questions below cover.
Build it and walk it
Our crew does the work and I'm on site with them, so your questions get answered by the person who wrote the estimate. When it's done, we walk it together, and the goal is a yard that looks like we were never there, except for the new wall.
Questions about masonry work in Rialto
Do I need a permit to build a block wall in Rialto?
Usually yes, because masonry walls, retaining walls and patios are all on the city's permit list, and its permits cover repairs and alterations as well as new building. A retaining wall needs its own separate permit even when it's part of a bigger project, and the city notes that its list of separate permits isn't complete. We sort out which pieces of your job need one at the estimate.
How long does a building permit take in Rialto?
Outside of the patio, block wall and re-roof permits covered in the steps above, the city gives a tentative 20 business days for plan review, then a tentative 10 business days to turn approved plans into a permit. If the city sends back corrections or you revise the plans, the same tentative 20 business days starts over. That's the best reason to get the drawings right the first time.
When does a masonry contractor in Rialto need a California state license?
The Contractors State License Board requires one whenever the project needs a building permit or uses employee labor, or when one or more contracts on it total $1,000 or more in labor and materials. The board does list exemptions, such as qualifying owner-builders. We're licensed and insured.
How do I find out if my house in Rialto is in a fire hazard zone?
Look up your address on the city's fire hazard severity zone page, because zone status varies from one property to the next. The state fire marshal has issued recommended maps for San Bernardino County, so go by your own address, not your neighbor's. Brick, block and stone don't burn, which is why the question comes up when people are choosing between a block wall and a wood fence.
How much does a block wall cost in Rialto?
The price of a block wall comes mostly from its length and height, how deep the footing has to go, and whether an old wall has to be torn out and hauled off first. The finish moves it too, since plain gray block costs less than a wall with a cap, stucco or split-face block. Your written estimate breaks out what we'd do and what we'd use.
What causes a block wall to lean or crack in Rialto?
Usually it's the footing, either too shallow from the start or undercut by water from sprinklers or a downspout, and less often the block itself. Tree roots and soil piled against one side can also push on a wall that was never built to hold it back. We dig at the base to see which it is, because rebuilding the top of a wall that's still sitting on a bad footing just means doing it twice.
Redlands, CA
Get your Rialto wall looked at soon
A leaning wall or a loose chimney top only goes one direction, and the sooner I see it, the more of the original we can usually keep.