Masonry Contractor in Oakland, CA - Worn Brick and Mortar Put Right
Anchorstone Oakland Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor based in Oakland, CA. We repair crumbling mortar joints, loose brick, old chimneys and leaning walls, and we build new walls, walkways and paver driveways 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.
Oakland homes and the masonry they need
Oakland is home base for us, and most of the calls we take here come from owners of older houses who've noticed crumbling joints, a loose brick on the front steps or a damp wall where water's getting in. We do the same work across the East Bay, from Alameda to Berkeley and the cities around them.
Plenty of houses here still have their original chimneys, brick steps and garden walls, and the hillside lots lean on old block and stone walls. On places that age, a brick problem usually starts with the mortar or with water, so that's where we start too.
Brick and mortar problems we see on Oakland houses
- The original mortar in older Oakland homes goes soft and sandy with age, and once the joints open up, water works its way in behind the brick.
- Chimneys stand above the roof with nothing around them, so their top rows of brick and the cap usually fail first and start leaking into the attic.
- Many past repairs were done with hard modern mortar that doesn't give with softer old brick, so the brick around the patch cracks and flakes instead.
Masonry services for Oakland houses
Foundation repair
When an older Oakland house shows cracked foundation walls or crumbling block below the siding, we find what's moving it and repair the masonry so it stays put.
Chimney repair
We rebuild loose chimney tops, replace cracked caps and repoint worn joints on the old brick chimneys that many Oakland houses still have.
Tuckpointing
When a whole wall's joints have gone sandy but the brick is sound, we grind out the old mortar, pack in new and match the color to the older brick.
Brick repair
Cracked, flaking or loose bricks on a front stoop, garden wall or chimney get cut out and replaced with brick matched in size and color to the old.
Driveway pavers
Paver driveways suit Oakland's tight, sloped drives because single pavers can be lifted and reset if a section settles, instead of cutting out a whole slab.
Retaining wall construction
On hillside lots, we build retaining walls with drainage behind them, because a wall holding back wet soil with nowhere for water to go starts to lean.
Masonry restoration
For older homes where brick, stone and mortar have worn together, we clean, repair and repoint in one plan so the masonry holds up and looks right again.
Fireplace installation
We build masonry fireplaces in brick or stone for living rooms and patios, laid out to fit the room and the chimney that serves it.
Stone veneer installation
Stone veneer, a thin layer of real or cast stone, gives plain block or concrete the look of a stone wall on foundations, steps and garden walls.
Concrete block walls
Block walls work well along property lines, side yards and raised beds, and we set them on a solid footing because that's what keeps them straight.
Foundation block wall installation
When an older foundation or crawlspace wall has to be replaced or extended, we lay new block on a fresh footing tied into the house above it.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
We build the masonry for outdoor kitchens, from block counters and grill surrounds to brick or stone faces, sized to fit the yard and patio you have.
Walkway construction
We lay brick, stone and paver walkways from the sidewalk to your door on a packed base, which is what keeps a path level over the years.
Brick wall installation
New brick garden walls and front-yard walls can be built to match an older house, with the brick and mortar color picked to sit right beside the original.
Stone masonry
We build and repair stone walls, steps and pillars, the kind found on many older Oakland lots, with mortar chosen to suit the stone instead of fighting it.
Brick pointing
When just a few joints have cracked or washed out, around a step or under a window, we refill those spots with fresh mortar before water works deeper.
- Request an estimate
Get a free on-site masonry estimate in Oakland
We reply to every call and form within one business day to set a time that works for you. I come out to your Oakland property myself, look at the problem and what's causing it, and write the estimate, free and with no obligation. If you go ahead, I'm on site with the crew and you'll know where things stand at each step.
(510) 216-0213Masonry questions from Oakland homeowners
How do I get a building permit for masonry work in Oakland?
You apply to the City of Oakland's Planning & Building department, and when your job needs a permit, we handle the application and the inspections for you. The city keeps a list of work that needs no building permit, which includes some retaining walls and certain home improvements, but each item has limits, so we confirm with the city whether your job needs one before we start.
When is a California contractor license required for masonry work?
A state contractor license is required when the project needs a building permit, uses any additional workers or adds up to $1,000 or more in labor and materials across its contracts. The Contractors State License Board allows an exception for some small jobs, but only when there's no permit, no employee labor, combined costs under $1,000 and no claim in ads to be a licensed contractor. We're licensed and fully insured.
How large a down payment can a contractor ask for on a home improvement job in California?
A contractor in California can't ask for or take a down payment of more than $1,000 or 10 percent of the total contract price, whichever is less. The board applies that limit to home improvement projects across the state, so on a larger job, $1,000 is the most a contractor can ask for up front.
Does a contractor working in Oakland have to pay the city's business tax?
Yes, the city says everyone who does business in Oakland has to file and pay an annual business tax, and that includes companies based outside the city that take work here. The city handles business licenses and renewals online, and its business taxes and licenses page has the current terms.
How much does brick and masonry repair cost in Oakland?
The price comes down to how much brick and mortar needs work, how hard it is to reach and whether the cause behind it has to be fixed too. A chimney that needs staging, old brick that has to be matched or a wall that needs new drainage adds to it, while catching loose joints early keeps it down. I'll give you your own number in a written estimate after I've seen the job.
How long does a masonry repair take in Oakland?
Small repairs move fastest, and jobs that need a building permit take longer to get started because the city has steps to clear first. Before it issues a permit, Oakland wants an approved plan for recycling the job's debris, so we get that going early. After that, the size of the job and how much old mortar or brick has to come out set the time on site, and I'll lay out the schedule when I write your estimate.
Call us about your Oakland masonry job
Call (510) 216-0213 any day until 11 PM, or use the form, and tell us what you're seeing so we can talk through any permit steps before I come out.