Masonry Contractor in San Mateo, CA - Brick, Chimneys and Walls That Fit Your House
Bedrock Hayward Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor working in San Mateo, CA. We repair old brick and chimneys, build retaining walls on sloped yards and lay walkways and paver driveways that suit the house beside them.
How San Mateo houses shape the work
San Mateo is just across the bay from our base in Hayward, and the calls we get there tend to come in a few kinds. Around downtown it's older houses with brick chimneys, front steps and garden walls that have taken a lot of weather, while the postwar neighborhoods have more block walls and concrete that has settled over the years. Toward the west the streets climb into the hills, and a sloped yard there often needs a retaining wall before it's much use.
That's why I ask questions before I talk price. How old is the house, and where does the water go when it rains? The mortar has to suit the brick and the wall has to suit the slope, and those two answers usually tell me which job I'm looking at.
Services in San Mateo, CA
Brick repair
Brick steps and planters on older houses here crack and flake with age. Our brick repair swaps bad brick for a close match in suitable mortar.
Chimney repair
Chimneys here take the most weather, so the cap and top rows usually go first. We rebuild what's loose and refill worn mortar joints on the rest.
Retaining wall construction
Hillside lots to the west often need a wall to make the yard usable. We build retaining walls with drainage behind them so water has a way out.
Foundation repair
Older houses near downtown can sit on brick or early concrete footings that crack and settle. We find the cause first, then repair it.
Tuckpointing
Mortar joints on older brick here wear back and let water in. Our tuckpointing grinds out the worn mortar and packs in new mortar that matches.
Driveway pavers
Flat lots nearer the bay can stay wet after rain, so a paver driveway needs a base that drains. We dig out and pack that base first.
Permits, licenses and pricing for San Mateo jobs
The City of San Mateo's Building Inspection Division issues building permits there, and the city requires one to build, enlarge, alter, repair, remove or demolish a structure, houses and garages included. A permitted job can't start until the permit is in hand, so that review is often what sets the start date. Two things you can check about any contractor are the state license, which I cover in the questions below, and the city's annual business tax, sometimes called a business license, which anyone doing business in San Mateo has to pay before starting work there. That tax is separate from any permit or other license, so having one doesn't stand in for the rest.
We check with the city on what your job needs, and when a permit is required we handle the paperwork and the inspections, the same as we do in Oakland and the other cities we work in on both sides of the bay. Price mostly turns on the size of the job, how easy it is to reach and how closely new work has to match old brick, while the schedule turns on the permit and on whether the job needs an engineer's design. I'll tell you which applies, and give you your own figure, when I come out for the estimate.
What San Mateo houses and yards need from a mason
Older brick here usually wears from the joints out. Many older houses were laid with softer mortar than what's sold today, and when someone patches it with hard modern mortar, the brick ends up taking the stress and its faces flake off. We look at what's in the wall before we mix anything, so the repair moves with the brick instead of fighting it.
On the sloped lots to the west, the ground sets the terms. The city's building plans work from a soil bearing value, the load the ground is assumed to carry, of 1,500 pounds per square foot at most, or else a soils report is required. That's a number for plans, not a test of your yard, so on a big wall or uncertain ground I'll tell you at the estimate if we need that report first.
Get a free on-site masonry estimate for your San Mateo home
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set up a visit to your San Mateo address. I come out myself, look the job over and give you a free estimate on site, with no obligation to go ahead.
How a San Mateo masonry job goes once you call
Call or send the form
Call (510) 264-7015 or send the form with your address and what you've noticed. We'll set up a time for me to come see it.
I come out and look
I come out myself, look the job over and ask what you've seen, like where water sits or when the cracks showed up. Then I give you an estimate on site.
We sort out the permit
If the job needs a permit or an engineer's design, we line it up and handle the paperwork. The city says simple alteration projects can often be approved while you wait, so a small repair may not sit long before we start.
We prep and do the work
Like a cook setting up before the rush, we protect the plants, paths and walls next to the work before any brick comes out, so it helps to move cars and clear the side yard. Then our crew and I do the job and keep the site clean as we go.
We walk the finished job
Before I call it done, I check the work the way a cook tastes before it goes out. Then we walk it with you and answer whatever you want to ask.
San Mateo masonry questions we hear
How do I find out if my masonry project needs a permit in San Mateo?
The city's building FAQ lists the work that doesn't need a building permit, and most masonry on a house, garage or chimney isn't on that list. The closest masonry item is a retaining wall no more than four feet tall, measured from the bottom of its footing, and even that drops off the list if the wall holds up added weight, like a driveway or a slope above it, or holds back certain liquids. We confirm what your job needs for your address before we start.
Does a masonry contractor in San Mateo need a California license?
Yes, the Contractors State License Board requires a state license whenever the job needs a building permit, uses any additional workers, or costs $1,000 or more in labor and materials. That $1,000 counts every contract on the project together, so splitting a job into small bills doesn't get around it. We're fully licensed and insured.
Who do I call with a permit question in San Mateo?
Call a permit technician at the city at (650) 522-7172, and the city's building permits page covers the basics. If we're doing your job, leave that call to us, since the permit is part of the work we take on.
What building codes apply to masonry work in San Mateo now?
Permitted work in San Mateo goes by the current California building codes, in effect in the city since January 1, 2026, along with the city's own local changes to the residential code. The older parts of your house were built to the rules of their day, which is normal, and anything new we add or rebuild under a permit is built to today's.
How much does masonry work cost in San Mateo?
Your price comes from what I find on site, mainly the size of the job, how hard it is to reach and how closely new brick and mortar have to match the old. A permit, an engineer's design or a soils report each add cost, and on a permitted job the city wants at least 65% of the construction and demolition waste recycled, so hauling old brick and concrete off properly is part of the bill. I'll give you your figure at the estimate.
How do I know if a retaining wall in San Mateo needs an engineer?
I'll tell you at the estimate, after I look at the wall's height, the slope and what sits above it. Taller walls, or walls holding up a driveway or a hillside, usually call for an engineer's design, and on uncertain ground the soils report I mentioned above may come first. When there's a design, we build from it.
Tell us about your San Mateo masonry job
Cracked mortar and leaning walls tend to get worse with each wet season, so call (510) 264-7015 any day from 7 AM to 11 PM or send the form while the fix is still small.