Masonry Contractor in Albany, CA - Sound Brick, Chimneys and Walls for Older Homes
Anchorstone Oakland Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor working in Albany, CA. We repair worn mortar joints, loose brick and tired chimneys, and build walls, steps and walkways for homeowners across the city.
- Foundation repair
- Chimney repair
- Tuckpointing
- Brick repair
- Driveway pavers
- Retaining wall construction
- Masonry restoration
- Fireplace installation
- Stone veneer installation
- Concrete block walls
- Foundation block wall installation
- Outdoor kitchen masonry
- Walkway construction
- Brick wall installation
- Stone masonry
- Brick pointing
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Albany's older homes and close-set lots
Albany sits just north of Berkeley, a short drive up from where we're based as a masonry contractor in Oakland. It's a city of homes on small, close-set lots, with shops and businesses along San Pablo Avenue. Calls here come from the flat streets near the avenue and from the ones that climb toward Albany Hill, and they're mostly about brick that's started to give: crumbling joints, a loose chimney top, a garden wall that's begun to lean.
Many of these houses are older, and their chimneys, front steps and low walls have usually been patched more than once. On the streets near the hill, yards often slope, so where the water drains past a wall or a foundation shapes the repair as much as the brick does.
Older Albany homes and what wears their brick
- Many Albany houses are older, and the mortar in their chimneys, porches and garden walls has often worn down to sand after decades of wear.
- Old, soft brick needs a mortar soft enough to match it, because hard modern mortar forces the cracks into the brick instead of the joint.
- Lots here sit close together, so we plan access, staging and cleanup around a narrow side yard and a neighbor a few feet away.
Masonry services we handle in Albany
Foundation repair
When the brick or block foundation of an older Albany house cracks or crumbles, we find what's moving it and fix that before patching what you see.
Chimney repair
Loose brick near the top of your chimney or a stain on the ceiling beside it usually means water is getting in, so we rebuild the worn section.
Tuckpointing
When joints on a brick wall have gone sandy or recessed, we grind out the worn mortar and pack in new so the brick stays tight and dry.
Brick repair
When a brick on your steps or wall cracks or its face flakes off, we cut it out and set a close match so the repair blends in.
Driveway pavers
On a short Albany driveway, pavers give you a surface we can lift and relay in one spot instead of breaking out a whole slab.
Retaining wall construction
On sloped yards near Albany Hill, we build retaining walls with drainage behind them, because trapped water is what usually pushes a wall over.
Masonry restoration
For an older Albany home with worn joints, loose brick and mismatched patches, we plan the repairs as one job so the whole wall holds up and matches.
Fireplace installation
If you're adding a fireplace or rebuilding a tired one in your Albany home, we size the firebox and hearth to the room and the chimney above.
Stone veneer installation
Stone veneer, a thin layer of real or cast stone set on a wall, dresses up a plain foundation or front porch without the weight of full stone.
Concrete block walls
For a side-yard wall between close Albany lots, we build concrete block walls that take stucco or paint and shrug off bumps from bins and bikes.
Foundation block wall installation
When an addition or rebuilt section of an older Albany house needs new support, we lay foundation block walls on a solid footing, built to the approved plans.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
A small Albany backyard can still fit a grill counter, so we build block or brick bases sized to the space and finished to match the house.
Walkway construction
When the path from the sidewalk to your door has heaved or cracked, we dig out, rebuild the base and lay brick, stone or pavers on top.
Brick wall installation
For a garden wall or low front-yard wall that suits an older Albany street, we lay new brick on a footing sized for the wall's height.
Stone masonry
Natural stone steps, planters and walls fit Albany's older gardens, and we set each stone on a solid bed so it doesn't rock loose underfoot.
Brick pointing
When only a few joints on a chimney or porch have opened up, we repoint just those with matched mortar instead of redoing the whole wall.
- Request an estimate
Get a free on-site masonry estimate in Albany
We reply to every call and form within one business day and set a time for me to come out to your Albany address. I look at the work myself, find what's causing it and write the estimate, which is free and comes with no obligation. If you go ahead, I'm on site with the crew, and we're licensed and fully insured.
(510) 216-0213Albany masonry questions homeowners ask us
How do I get a building permit for masonry work in Albany, CA?
The city's Building Division issues building permits in Albany, checks the plans against the building codes and inspects the work as it's built. The department is in the middle of moving permits to an online portal called Cloudpermit, so the way you apply may change. When your job needs a permit, we handle the application and the inspections with the city for you.
What building code applies to masonry work in Albany?
Albany follows the California Building Standards Code, the state's construction rules, with its own local amendments to the building and fire chapters of its city code. The city's ordinance list shows those local amendments as approved this year, tied to the latest edition of the state code. We build to what the city reviews and inspects, not to how an older wall happened to be built.
Who licenses masonry contractors in California?
The Contractors State License Board licenses and regulates contractors across California. It sorts them into about 45 license types for different kinds of work. We're licensed and fully insured, and I'm glad to go over that when I come out.
How much can a contractor ask for as a down payment in California?
The Contractors State License Board caps a contractor's down payment on a home improvement project at $1,000 or 10 percent of the total contract price, whichever is less. On a bigger job the $1,000 figure is the one that applies, and on a small repair 10 percent may come in lower. It's the board's rule for every contractor, so it covers whoever does your Albany job.
How much does masonry repair cost in Albany, CA?
The price of masonry work in Albany comes down to how much brick or stone is involved, how far the damage goes and what's causing it, so I give you a figure only after seeing the job. Tight access on a close lot, matching old brick and mortar, scaffolding for a tall chimney and whether the job needs a permit all move the price, while the permit review, the inspections and lead time on matching brick set the schedule. The free estimate at your property gives you your own figure.
What causes mortar joints to crumble on older brick homes in Albany?
Mortar on older homes usually crumbles because water keeps getting into the joints and breaks the mortar down from inside, and age makes it worse. Roof runoff, a missing chimney cap or soil piled against a wall keeps the brick wet, so I find where the water's coming from before we repoint, because new mortar over the same leak fails the same way. If the joints are only starting to go sandy, it can usually wait a season, and I'll tell you so.
Call us about your Albany masonry job
We take calls every day until 11 PM, so call (510) 216-0213 or send us a request as soon as you've had a look at the wall.