Masonry contractor in Ashland, CA - brick and block work that fits older homes
Bedrock Hayward Concrete and Masonry repairs and builds brick, block and stone work in Ashland, CA, from worn chimneys and crumbling mortar to new walls, walkways and paver driveways that suit the houses already standing here.
Ashland, as we see it from the job site
Ashland sits just up the road from us. It's a busy, tightly built community along East 14th Street, with shops on the main drag and small older houses, duplexes and apartment buildings filling the blocks behind it. As a masonry contractor in Hayward, CA, we see the same things on job after job here, like original brick steps and planters, chimneys that have taken decades of weather, and block walls added along narrow side yards. It's much like San Lorenzo and Cherryland next door, and the work carries across all three.
That shapes how we work. Lots are narrow and side yards are tight, so we plan where the brick, the mixer and the debris go before we show up, the same way you prep your station before the rush.
Services in Ashland, CA
Chimney repair
Older Ashland houses often keep the original brick chimney, and its top takes the most weather. We climb up, see what's loose and rebuild what needs it.
Tuckpointing
Mortar on Ashland brick fronts and steps wears out long before the brick. We rake out soft joints and refill them with mortar that suits the old brick.
Brick repair
Brick planters, porch steps and garden walls here crack when the ground settles under them. We swap broken brick for a close match and fix what moved it.
Stone veneer installation
Plain stucco fronts and porch columns on Ashland houses take stone well. Our stone veneer installation starts with the wall behind, so water drains out.
Driveway pavers
Old concrete driveways on Ashland's narrow lots crack where roots and tires work at them. We dig out, pack a solid base and lay pavers that can be reset.
Concrete block walls
Block walls along Ashland property lines often lean or crack after years of settling. We rebuild them on a proper footing with steel where the wall needs it.
What working in Ashland looks like for us
Ashland has no city government of its own, so permits here are the county's call. It's an unincorporated community that Alameda County serves, and an older county page puts permits and inspections for private construction in those areas with the county's building inspection division, so on a permitted job the start date turns on the county's review and inspection schedule. Before you hire anyone, ask to see their state contractor license, and ask whether they hold the county business license, which the county requires of any business working in its unincorporated areas, even one based in another city that holds that city's license.
When a job here needs a permit, we check with the county office that covers your address and handle the paperwork and the inspections, and if the work calls for a design from an engineer, I tell you at the estimate and we build from that design. The price moves with the size of the job, how much old work comes out first, how closely new brick and mortar have to match the old, and how easy it is to get material onto a tight lot, while the schedule turns mostly on the county and the rain. Jobs on or near East 14th Street take some planning for parking and deliveries, the same as the busier streets we work in San Leandro, and you'll get your own figure at the estimate.
What older Ashland houses need from a mason
Most calls I get from Ashland are about brick that's been up a long time. Mortar is supposed to wear before the brick does, so old joints go soft and sandy, and where someone patched them with a hard modern mix, the brick beside the patch starts to chip and flake. Before I recommend anything I ask what you've noticed, then scratch a joint and look closely at the brick, because new mortar has to suit the old wall. On block walls and driveways the trouble usually starts in the ground underneath, so that's where we start too.
The county's own findings put state earthquake fault zones and seismic hazard areas throughout the county, including heavily populated stretches of the Hayward Fault, though that's a regional finding and doesn't say whether your lot sits in a zone. Old chimneys and tall brick are where we look hardest, at how they're tied to the house and whether the top is loose, and we tell you plainly what we find.
Get a free on-site estimate for your Ashland masonry job
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set up a visit. I come out to your Ashland property myself, look the job over and give you a free estimate on site, with no obligation.
How a masonry job in Ashland goes from call to cleanup
Call or send us the form
Call (510) 264-7015 or send the form and tell us what's going on at your Ashland property. We get back to you to set up a visit.
Show me what you've noticed
I come out myself, ask what you've noticed and when it started, and look over the brick, block or ground. It helps to clear a path to the chimney, wall or drive so I can see all of it.
Get your estimate on site
You get the estimate right there, with what we'd do and why. If something needs a closer look before I can price it, I say so.
Sort out the permit steps
Once you say yes, we sort out any permit steps with the county before work begins. We set the start date around the county's review when a permit is needed.
Prep, build and walk it together
We prep first, setting out materials and protecting your plants and paving, then our crew does the work and keeps the site clean as we go. When it's done, I walk the finished job with you, the way a cook tastes before the plate goes out.
Ashland masonry questions we hear
How do I apply for a building permit for masonry work in Ashland, CA?
Owners and contractors apply for building permits through the Alameda County Permit Portal, which is also where plans get submitted, inspections get scheduled and permit status gets checked. When we take a job that needs a permit, we handle the paperwork and the inspections, and you can follow along on the portal.
When does a masonry contractor need a California contractor license?
The state licensing board requires a license when a job needs a building permit, uses any other workers, or costs $1,000 or more in labor and materials. Only a job that needs no permit, uses no employees, costs under $1,000 and isn't advertised as licensed can go without one, which leaves out most chimney, wall and driveway work. We're fully licensed and insured.
Do I need a county permit for a driveway or walkway that meets the sidewalk in Ashland?
It may, because the county has a separate permit category for work within county roads, sidewalks and public rights-of-way. If your new driveway apron or walkway ties into the sidewalk, we check with the county before we break ground.
What is the best time of year for outdoor masonry work in Ashland?
The dry months are easiest, because county findings say virtually all of the county's rain falls from October through April. Mortar, concrete and paver bases do best when they aren't soaked, so in the wet season we cover fresh work and plan around storms. If you want a wall or patio done by summer, calling in winter leaves time for the estimate and any county permit.
How much does masonry work cost in Ashland, CA?
The cost comes down to how big the job is, what has to come out first and how hard it is to reach, so you get a real number once I've seen it. A chimney that needs rebuilding above the roof costs more than repointing the top, and a wall that needs an engineer's design costs more than a low garden wall on flat ground. Tight side yards where everything goes in by wheelbarrow add labor too, and you'll get your own figure at the estimate.
How do I match new mortar to old brick on an older Ashland house?
The best way is to match the mortar's strength to the old brick as well as its color, because mortar harder than the brick pushes the damage into the brick itself. We look at the old joints, the brick and how the wall has weathered, then mix to suit it and test a small patch so you can see it before we do the wall.
Ask about your Ashland masonry project today
We take calls every day from 7 AM to 11 PM, so you can call (510) 264-7015 after work or send the form and tell us what you're seeing.