Masonry Contractor in San Bernardino - Repair for Older Brick and New Block Walls
Prestige Redlands Concrete and Masonry, a masonry contractor based in Redlands, CA, repairs and builds brick, block and stone in San Bernardino, from crumbling joints and tired chimneys to new retaining walls built on a solid base.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
San Bernardino homes we see on our jobs
San Bernardino is a big city with a lot of different housing in it, and on jobs here we see older brick homes with their original chimneys, tract houses ringed by block walls and hillside lots up toward the foothills. It's busier than our home base in Redlands, with houses, shops and older commercial blocks close together, and most calls here come from homeowners with a wall, a chimney or a run of joints that has had enough. We get the same kinds of calls from Highland and Loma Linda next door.
Lots here run from roomy older parcels to tight tract yards with a side gate barely wider than a wheelbarrow. That decides how we get block and mortar to the back and where we stage it, so your driveway stays usable while we work.
Masonry services for San Bernardino homes
Foundation repair
When a crack runs from a window corner or a floor slopes, we find out why the footing moved before we patch anything, so the fix holds.
Chimney repair
Older San Bernardino houses often have brick chimneys with cracked caps and washed-out joints, and we rebuild what's failed up top before it starts dropping bricks.
Tuckpointing
On older brick fronts where the mortar has gone sandy, we grind out the bad joints and refill them to match so the patch disappears.
Brick repair
Cracked, flaking or loose bricks in steps, planters and walls get cut out and replaced with brick close to the original, once we know what broke them.
Driveway pavers
Pavers suit driveways where a cracked slab needs replacing, because one sunk or broken paver lifts out and gets reset without tearing up the rest.
Retaining wall construction
Sloped lots toward the foothills need walls that hold the hill, so we set them on a proper footing with drainage behind them so water can't push them over.
Masonry restoration
For older brick and stone that's been patched badly, we take off the wrong repairs and bring the wall back with materials that suit its age.
Fireplace installation
We build masonry fireplaces for living rooms and patios, laid up in brick or stone with the clearances and lining the job calls for.
Stone veneer installation
Stone veneer dresses up block walls, house fronts and columns, and we fix it to a properly prepared surface so it stays put instead of sliding off in sheets.
Concrete block walls
Block walls along lot lines are common here, and when one leans or cracks we fix the cause or rebuild it on a deeper footing.
Foundation block wall installation
For additions and garages, we lay block foundation walls level on a solid footing, because I framed houses long enough to know what crooked block costs the carpenter.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
Backyard kitchens here get built from block, brick or stone on a real footing, so the counter stays level and the veneer doesn't crack around the grill.
Walkway construction
We build brick, stone and paver walkways from the driveway to the door or out to the yard, on a packed base so they don't heave or sink.
Brick wall installation
A new brick garden wall on an older San Bernardino lot should look like it belongs there, so we match the brick and joint style to the house.
Stone masonry
Stone walls, columns and steps take more fitting than block, and we lay them with joints tight enough to look right and strong enough to last.
Brick pointing
When a few joints have cracked or fallen out, we point just those, since a sound old joint is better left alone than replaced to pad a bill.
Get a written masonry estimate for your San Bernardino job
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out. The estimate is free, done on site and sent to you in writing, with no obligation.
(909) 488-7148- Based in
- Redlands, CA 92373
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–9 PM
Permits and licenses for masonry work in San Bernardino
In San Bernardino, building permits for structural work come from the city's Building and Safety Division, which is where any permit for a wall or foundation job comes from. If your job needs one, it comes before the first shovel of dirt, so the approval sets our start date. The city issues permits only to contractors who show the right state license and a current city business license, plus proof of workers comp if they have employees, so those are the three things to ask any mason for. We're licensed and insured, and we'll show you.
We're based in Redlands and bring the crew across for San Bernardino jobs, the same as we do in Riverside and Colton. The price moves with the size of the wall, how deep the footing has to go, how much failed work comes out first and how hard it is to get material into your yard, and the schedule mostly turns on the permit. The written estimate I send after walking the job spells out what we'd do and what we'd use, so you see your own number and what it buys.
Masonry on San Bernardino houses and hillside lots
A lot of the older houses here have brick chimneys, brick planters and block walls that have been through years of ground movement, and the cracks show up in the mortar first. The city even describes Earthquake Brace and Bolt on its building pages, a program that helps homeowners strengthen an existing house against ground shaking and soil failure. When we find a stair-step crack, I work out whether it's settling, a shallow footing or water pooling at the base before we touch the joints, because fresh mortar on a wall that's still moving just cracks again, and then you've paid twice.
Up toward the foothills, plenty of lots slope, and a slope always wants to end up in your yard. We build retaining walls on a solid footing with a way for the water behind them to get out, since a wall holding back wet dirt is in a fight it loses.
How a masonry job runs when you call us in San Bernardino
Here's how it goes from your first call to the last walk-around, so you know who you'll see and what you'll get in writing.
Call or send a message
Call (909) 488-7148 or use the form, and we'll get back to you to set a time for me to come out. Tell us what you're seeing so I know what to look at.
I walk the job myself
I look at the wall, what's around it and where the water goes, then send a written estimate that says what we'd do and what we'd use. You'll know the number and the reason behind it before you decide anything.
We handle permits and build
If the job needs a permit, we handle the application with the city before we start. Our crew does the work, and I'm on site with them.
Walk the finished job together
When it's done, we walk it together so you can look over every joint and ask about anything. We clean up as we go, so your yard should look like we were never there, minus the mess.
Questions about masonry work in San Bernardino
How do I get a permit for a block wall in San Bernardino?
Every fence and wall plan in San Bernardino needs zoning approval from the city's Planning Division, and the building permit exemption for fences up to 7 feet high covers only non-masonry fences, so a block wall doesn't get that pass. We'll tell you at the estimate which approvals your wall needs and handle the application for you.
How do I know if my retaining wall in San Bernardino needs a permit?
Measure from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, because the city doesn't require a building permit for a retaining wall 4 feet high or less on that measure. That exemption ends when the wall carries an added load, like a driveway or a slope above it, or holds back certain liquids, and the wall plan still needs Planning Division zoning approval. A wall at the foot of a slope often carries a load, so I check that at the estimate.
Can a homeowner get their own building permit in San Bernardino?
In most cases, yes, for work on a one or two-family house or its accessory structure, if you live there or plan to, show proof of residence and do the work yourself. You also sign a statement that you won't employ anyone in a way covered by California workers' compensation laws, so it's for jobs you're doing with your own hands. When you hire us, we take care of the permit.
Does a contractor from outside San Bernardino need a city business license to work there?
Yes, anyone doing business in San Bernardino needs a city registration certificate unless a state or federal law exempts them. Contractors based outside the city may be charged a flat rate set by the Mayor and City Council, and that includes us, since we're based in Redlands.
How much does it cost to repair a brick wall in San Bernardino?
There isn't one price, because fixing a few joints and rebuilding a leaning wall are different jobs, and I won't guess until I've seen yours. The biggest swing is usually repair versus rebuild. If the bricks are sound and only the mortar has failed, repointing the bad joints costs far less than tearing the wall down, and that's what I'd pick when the wall is still standing straight.
When does a masonry project in San Bernardino need plans from an engineer?
In certain circumstances the city requires plans from a California registered architect or engineer, and more complex projects need plans and specifications reviewed for code before a permit is issued. A tall retaining wall or anything holding up a load is where I'd expect that, and I'll tell you at the estimate so the design work isn't a surprise later.
Redlands, CA
Get your San Bernardino wall looked at
Call (909) 488-7148 or send the form, because a crack caught while the wall is still standing straight is usually a smaller repair than one caught after it starts to lean.