Masonry Contractor in Gardena, CA - Brick and Block Work Built Right the First Time
Blockworks Long Beach Concrete & Masonry is a Long Beach masonry contractor working in Gardena, CA. We repair worn brick joints, chimneys and foundations, and build block walls, retaining walls, pavers and walkways for homes across the city.
Masonry work on Gardena homes and yards
Gardena is a short drive from our base in Long Beach, between Compton and Torrance, and the calls we get there sound a lot like the ones closer to home. Brick joints worn hollow, a chimney past its best, a block wall along the back lot line that's started to lean. Most streets are single-story houses on flat lots, with shops and light industry along the bigger roads, so the work is usually walls, planters, steps and driveways rather than tall brick fronts.
Flat ground makes this kind of work look simple, and that's usually where it goes wrong. The footing, the drain behind a wall and the mortar between the bricks all disappear once the job's done, so those are what I look at first on a Gardena house.
Masonry services we bring to Gardena
Foundation repair
When a corner settles or a crack runs through the foundation, I find out why it moved first, so the repair fixes the cause, not just the crack.
Chimney repair
Plenty of older houses here still have a brick chimney, and when the top bricks loosen or the crown, the concrete cap, cracks, we rebuild what's failing.
Tuckpointing
We grind out mortar that's gone sandy and pack the joints fresh, which keeps water out of the wall and catches loose bricks before they fall.
Brick repair
Cracked or flaking bricks in a front-yard wall or planter can usually be cut out and replaced with a close match, so the rest stays put.
Driveway pavers
On flat Gardena lots a paver driveway lives or dies by its base and slope, so we dig out, compact in layers and pitch it toward the street.
Retaining wall construction
Retaining walls here are usually short ones holding a raised yard or planter bed, and the drain and gravel behind them matter as much as the block you see.
Masonry restoration
When a brick or stone front has been patched with the wrong mortar, we take the bad repairs out and bring it back with matching materials.
Fireplace installation
Adding a fireplace to a living room or a backyard patio starts with where the flue runs and what the floor can carry, so I plan that first.
Stone veneer installation
Stone veneer dresses up a stucco front or a plain block wall, and what goes behind it decides whether water drains out or stays trapped.
Concrete block walls
Block walls along the property line are common in Gardena, and when one leans or cracks we check the footing and steel before deciding to repair or rebuild.
Foundation block wall installation
For an addition, a block foundation wall needs a sound footing plus steel and grout in its hollow cores, and we build it to the approved plans.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
For a backyard barbecue island we build the block base and counter frame, leaving openings for the grill and for the gas and electric lines other trades run.
Walkway construction
A front walkway should shed water away from the house, so we set its slope and pack the base before laying brick, pavers or stone.
Brick wall installation
A new brick garden or front wall is mostly about what you can't see, the footing, the steel and the mortar, so it stays straight for years.
Stone masonry
Natural stone suits a planter, steps or a low garden wall, and since every piece is fitted by hand, the stone and pattern you pick shape the work.
Brick pointing
If only a few joints have cracked or fallen out, we point just those spots instead of the whole wall, and I'll tell you which your wall really needs.
Tell me about your masonry job
Call (562) 257-3026 or ask for an estimate through the form, and tell us what the wall or chimney is doing.
Why Gardena homeowners call us
I come out to look at every job myself and work on site with our crew, so the person who figures out why something failed is there when it's fixed.
The cause found first
I'd rather spend an extra hour finding why a crack opened than patch it and watch it come back.
Licensed and fully insured
We're licensed and carry full insurance, so you aren't carrying the risk of our crew working on your property.
Mortar matched to the brick
On older brick we use mortar soft enough to give before the brick does, so a repair doesn't crack what's around it.
Drainage behind retaining walls
We set gravel and a drain behind retaining walls, because trapped water is what usually pushes a wall over.
Our satisfaction guarantee
Every job we do is backed by our satisfaction guarantee, from a few repointed joints to a full new wall.
Questions we hear in Gardena
Do I need a permit for a block wall or masonry repair in Gardena?
Plenty of masonry jobs do, because the city's Building Services issues permits for most home construction, repair and alteration work, and its list of common exceptions names open walkways and driveways. The city's code also exempts some low retaining walls, but the height counts from the bottom of the footing, and a wall holding back an added load, like a sloped yard or a driveway above it, doesn't qualify. Fences are worth asking Building Services about, since the city's permit page lists them as permit work even though the code exempts lower ones. We check with the city on every job before work starts and pull the permit when one's needed.
What licenses does a masonry contractor need to work in Gardena?
A contractor working in Gardena needs a state contractor's license for most jobs and a Gardena business license too. The state contractor board requires a license from anyone contracting for work that needs a building permit, uses employees or totals $1,000 or more in labor and materials, so a job is exempt only when it needs no permit, uses no employees and costs less than $1,000 in all. The city requires its business license from anyone doing business in Gardena, contractors based outside the city included, and only properly licensed people, or those the state exempts, can take out a permit there.
How much does masonry work cost in Gardena?
The price comes from your own job: how long and tall the wall is, the brick, block or stone you pick, how much old work has to come out and whether a permit is needed. Hidden things move it too, like a footing that's too shallow or mortar that's failed deeper than it looks, which is why I'd want to look first. The schedule turns on the permit, the materials and how long mortar and concrete need to set, and the estimate is where you get the figure for your job.
How long does it take to get a building permit in Gardena?
The city says typical over-the-counter permits, such as fence permits, are usually turned around in three business days. If the work touches the sidewalk, alley or street, like a new driveway apron, the Engineering Division of Public Works issues a separate permit as well. We ask about permits early so the wait comes before your job, not in the middle of it.
Is Gardena in an earthquake fault zone, and does it matter for a new wall?
The city's older general plan shows a state-mapped earthquake fault zone in the northeast part of Gardena, near El Segundo Boulevard and Vermont Avenue. For a property inside a hazard zone the state has mapped, the state has found weak soil or rock is likely underneath, and that ground can fail in a quake and damage structures unless grading and construction take it into account. If your house is up that way, I want to know what the ground is doing before we size a footing, and that's part of what I look at when I come out.
What causes cracks in brick and block walls in Gardena?
Most cracks I find come from the footing moving, water working into the wall, or an old repair made with mortar harder than the brick around it. A stair-step crack running along the joints usually points to settling, while cracked bricks with sound joints often mean the mortar was too stiff. I'd want to look at the crack, the ground and what's behind the wall before saying what to do, because a fix only holds if it matches the cause.
City not listed? Give us a call
Pick another city below, or call (562) 257-3026 if yours isn't listed, since we work in plenty of cities around Long Beach beyond these.
Get a Gardena masonry estimate from Blockworks
We pick up the phone late on weekdays and on weekends too, so call (562) 257-3026 after work or send the form for your estimate.