Masonry Contractor in Walnut Creek, CA - Brick Repair and Walls That Fit Your House
A&K Pittsburg Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor working in Walnut Creek, CA. We repair brick, repoint mortar joints, fix chimneys and build retaining walls, garden walls, walkways and outdoor kitchens that look like they belong to the house.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Walnut Creek houses and hillside yards we work on
Our Walnut Creek calls cover a real mix of houses. There are ranch homes with brick fireplaces and planters out front, newer places with stone veneer around the entry, and homes on streets that climb toward Shell Ridge, where the yard steps up behind the house. Most of what we're asked for here is the same brick repair, repointing and wall building we do next door in Pleasant Hill and Concord.
On those sloped lots, a wall has to be built for the weight of the ground behind it, and getting block, stone and mortar to the backyard often means carrying it through a side gate by hand.
Masonry work we do in Walnut Creek
When cracks show up in the block or brick at the base of an older house, we find out what's moving before we patch anything.
Brick chimneys on older ranch homes lose mortar near the top first. We rebuild the cap and the loose rows of brick so it stays sound and sheds water.
For brick fronts and planters, we grind out tired mortar and refill each joint with color-matched mortar and a crisp finished line.
Cracked, flaking or loose bricks on steps, planters and walls get cut out and replaced with brick matched to the house, so the patch doesn't stand out.
Pavers work well on sloped driveways because a settled section can be lifted and reset. Most of our time goes into the packed base that keeps them flat.
Where a backyard steps up the hill, a retaining wall turns slope into usable yard. We size the footing and drainage behind it for the weight it holds.
For a brick or stone front that's decades old, we clean, repoint and repair it so it keeps its original look instead of looking redone.
We build masonry fireplaces, inside or out on the patio, with the firebox and surround in brick or stone that fits the rest of the house.
Stone veneer dresses up a stucco front, a chimney or a column base. The wire and water barrier behind it matter as much as the stone.
Block walls make solid property-line and side-yard walls. We set them on a proper footing with steel and grout in the hollow cores where the wall needs strength.
For an addition, a garage or a crawlspace wall that needs replacing, we lay foundation block on a footing sized for the load, with steel tied in.
We're often asked for outdoor kitchens here. We build the block base and face it in stone or brick, with room for the grill and counters you choose.
A walk up to a hillside front door often needs steps built in, and we lay it in brick, stone or pavers on a packed base.
A new brick garden wall or planter should look like it came with the house. We match the brick, joint and pattern to what's already there.
Natural stone suits the gardens and hillside lots here, for a border stacked without mortar, a mortared wall or stone steps. We fit each piece by hand.
When a few joints are cracked or open, we repoint just those so water stops getting in. It's a small fix that can head off a bigger one.
Get a free on-site estimate in Walnut Creek
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day. I'll come out to Walnut Creek, look at the job with you and write up a free estimate in plain terms, with no obligation.
(925) 318-8090- Based in
- Pittsburg, CA 94565
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–11 PM
Working in Walnut Creek: permits and what moves the job
Building permits in Walnut Creek come from the city's Community Development Department, and the city requires one when you add a structure to your property or physically change it. Its list of examples covers things like remodels, roofs and windows rather than masonry, so whether your wall or chimney needs a permit is the city's call, and we check with them before we start. When a job needs one, we pull it and handle the paperwork, and the start date waits until the city issues it.
We're a masonry contractor based in Pittsburg, CA, licensed and insured, and we've been at it since 2017 across the cities around it, from Concord out to Brentwood. What moves the price here is usually the size of the job, the material you pick and how much old brick or mortar has to come out first, and the written estimate puts your own figure on it in plain terms. The schedule turns on the permit, if there is one, and on giving mortar and concrete time to set before the next stage goes on.
What wears out on Walnut Creek houses and yards
A chimney is the most exposed brick on a house, so it's usually the first place we find loose top rows, a cracked cap and open joints on the older homes here. We rebuild from the cap down to sound brick and match the color so the chimney still looks like part of the house, and if a neglected one has to come down further than you'd hoped, I'd rather tell you straight than patch over it.
The other big driver is the yards. Hillside lots and garden-heavy backyards mean retaining walls, terraced beds, steps and walkways, and a wall holding back a slope needs its footing and drainage done right, because that's usually where a skimped wall gives out.
What happens after you call us about a Walnut Creek job
Here's how a job runs from your first call to the final walk-through, so you know who you'll talk to and what you'll get at each step.
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Call or send a message
Call (925) 318-8090 or use the form and tell us what you're seeing, and we'll set a time for me to come out. Photos help if you have them.
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Walk the job together
I come out myself, look at the brick, wall or yard with you and answer your questions, so it helps if you're home. You get a written estimate in plain terms that spells out what's included, so the price isn't a guess.
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Permits first, then the work
If the city requires a permit, we pull it and handle the paperwork, and then I and our crew do the work. Saturday work in Walnut Creek needs an after-hours permit from the city and no construction is allowed on national holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas, so we plan the days around that.
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Walk the finished job
We clean up and walk the finished job with you before we pack up, so you can see every joint and wall we touched. It comes with our promise of satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
Questions about masonry work in Walnut Creek
Do I need a permit to build a retaining wall in Walnut Creek?
Not for a smaller one, since the city doesn't require a building permit for a retaining wall 4 feet high or less, measured from the bottom of the footing, that holds back 3 feet of soil or less. That changes if something above the wall adds weight, like a driveway or a slope rising behind it, which builders call a surcharge. Above those limits, plan on a permit, and we'll pull it.
Does a brick or block wall along my front yard need a permit in Walnut Creek?
It can, because the city requires a minor use permit for a fence taller than 6 feet, or taller than 36 inches inside the required front yard setback, the strip near the street where the city limits what you build. The rule is written for fences, so before we settle on a height for a garden or property-line wall, we check with the city on how it applies to yours.
How do I apply for a building permit in Walnut Creek?
You apply through the city's Online Permit Portal, as its building permits page explains, because Walnut Creek no longer takes paper or emailed applications. The permit has to be signed by the legal property owner or a California licensed contractor, so when we pull one for your job, we sign for it and handle the rest of the paperwork.
Do I need a permit to replace my driveway with pavers in Walnut Creek?
For the part at the street, yes, because replacing the driveway approach, the apron where your driveway meets the street, or the sidewalk in front of your house takes an encroachment permit from the city. The city's building permit FAQs say concrete flatwork on private property, like a replaced driveway or path, needs no permit, but pavers aren't poured concrete, so we confirm with the city before we start.
How much does masonry work cost in Walnut Creek?
Your price comes from the size of the job, the material and how hard the site is to work on, and the written estimate gives you your own figure. On hillside lots, carrying block or stone through a side gate and digging footings on a slope add labor, and matching old brick takes more time than laying new. If you want a number for your job, call (925) 318-8090 and I'll come take a look.
What causes mortar joints to crumble on older brick homes in Walnut Creek?
Mostly age and water, because mortar is meant to be the softer part of a brick wall and wears out before the brick does. Sprinklers hitting a wall, a gutter spilling down a chimney or an old patch done with mortar harder than the brick can speed it up. We grind out the failed joints and repoint with a mortar that suits your brick, and I'll show you which joints need it when I come out.
Tell us about your Walnut Creek project
Send a couple of photos through the form or call (925) 318-8090, and I'll show up already knowing what to look at, so our time on site goes to your questions.
Pittsburg, CA