Masonry Contractor in Union City, CA - Walls and Brick Built for Your Lot
Bedrock Hayward Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor based in Hayward, CA. We work in Union City on retaining walls for hillside yards, brick and chimney repair, block walls, paver driveways and walkways.
Union City from the hills down to the flats
Union City runs from the hills along Mission Boulevard down to the flat ground past Union City Boulevard, with Hayward on one side and Fremont on the other. Most of the calls we get here are from single-family houses and townhomes on tidy lots. We see block walls along property lines, brick on some of the older homes, and plenty of fireplaces that nobody has looked at in years.
Here the ground usually shapes the job more than the house does, so I look at the yard before we talk about block or brick. A wall on a sloped lot near Mission has to hold back soil and let water out, while a wall on the flats mostly needs a footing that stays put.
Services in Union City, CA
Retaining wall construction
Hillside yards near Mission push soil and water against any wall that holds them back. We build retaining walls with drainage behind them so water has a way out.
Foundation block wall installation
Additions and garage conversions here need a solid base under the new walls. We lay foundation block walls on a proper footing, built to the engineer's design when the job has one.
Concrete block walls
Property-line block walls here can crack and lean as they age. We repair or rebuild them with grouted cells and a footing suited to your ground.
Brick pointing
Brick on the older houses here often has mortar crumbling out of the joints. We rake out the loose mortar and repoint with a mix that suits your brick.
Chimney repair
Many chimneys here go years without anyone checking them above the roofline. We climb up, check the crown and joints, and fix whatever is letting water in.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
Many backyards here have room to cook outside but no level base for it. We build outdoor kitchens on a solid base, finished in brick, block or stone.
Permits, licenses and pricing for masonry work in Union City
In Union City, the Building Division issues building permits, and its counter takes over-the-counter permits and plan submittals. When your job needs a permit, that step comes before we set a single block, so it often decides the start date. You can check two things about any contractor working here. The first is a state contractor license. The second is a Union City business license, which the city requires of contractors working inside city limits, including ones from out of town. We're fully licensed and insured. We check with the city about what your job needs, and when a permit is required we handle the paperwork and the inspections.
The price comes down to how much wall or brick there is, how deep the footing and drainage have to go, how easy it is to get material into your yard, and whether old work has to come out first. The schedule mostly turns on the permit and on whether an engineer needs to design the wall, and I'll tell you both at the estimate along with your own number. Sloped yards are nothing new to us, because we see the same kind of ground over the hill in Dublin.
Why Union City yards and walls end up needing masonry work
The Building Division's design information lists general soils hazard zones east of Mission Boulevard and west of Union City Boulevard. That's a broad area, not a finding about your lot, but it matches what we see on jobs here, which is walls that lean or crack where the ground moves or holds water. When your wall sits in one of those areas, we find out what the city wants for your address before anything gets built, and then we size the footing and the drainage to the ground.
The other cause is age. Mortar in older brick and block wears out a little at a time, and a chimney crown that's been rained on for years starts letting water in, so the sooner I see it, the better the chance it's still a repair and not a rebuild.
Get a free on-site masonry estimate in Union City
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set up a visit. I come out to your Union City house myself, look the job over and give you a free estimate on site, with no obligation to go ahead.
How a masonry job goes when you call us from Union City
Call or send the form
Call (510) 264-7015 or use the form and tell us what you're seeing. A photo or two helps me know what to look for.
I come out and look
I walk the job with you, ask what you've noticed and when it started, and give you an estimate on site. If the work needs an engineer's design, I tell you then.
We sort out the permit
We check with the Building Division about what your job needs, and when a permit is required we handle the paperwork. Our start date waits on that review.
We prep and build it
We prep first, the way a kitchen gets ready before the rush, so your plants and paths are protected and the materials are staged. Then our crew and I do the work and keep a clean site as we go.
We walk the finished job
Before we call it done, I check the work the way a cook tastes a dish before it goes out, and any permit inspections happen at this stage. Then we walk it together so you can see what you're getting.
Union City masonry questions we hear
Who issues permits for masonry work in Union City?
Permits come from the city's Building Division, whose counter handles over-the-counter permits, plan submittals and resubmittals. Whether your wall, chimney or block foundation needs one depends on the job, so we ask the division about your address and handle the paperwork and inspections when a permit is required.
Does a masonry contractor need a Union City business license?
Yes. The city requires a business license for every business working in Union City, and its list names contractors and out-of-town businesses working inside city limits. That covers a crew coming over from Hayward too, so it's fair to ask any contractor about it before you sign.
When does a contractor need a California state license?
Under the Contractors State License Board, a contractor needs a license when the job needs a building permit, uses any additional workers, or costs $1,000 or more in labor and materials across one or more contracts. A very small job can be exempt only if it needs no permit, uses no employee labor and comes in under $1,000 in total, so most masonry work needs a licensed contractor.
How much does a masonry job cost in Union City?
It comes down to the size of the job, the ground under it and how hard your yard is to reach, and I give you your own number at the estimate. On sloped lots near Mission, the deeper footings, the drainage and carrying material uphill usually add the most. On the flats, tearing out an old wall is often the bigger cost.
What causes retaining walls to lean or crack in the Union City hills?
Usually it's soil and water pushing on a wall that has no way to drain, or a footing that's too shallow for the ground under it. When we build one, we put gravel and drain pipe behind the wall and size the footing to your soil.
How do I know if my Union City retaining wall needs an engineer?
I'll tell you at the estimate, because it depends on the wall, the ground it holds back and what the city asks for at your address. When a design from an engineer or other design professional is needed, we build from that design.
Ask us about your Union City project
We take calls every day from 7 AM to 11 PM, so you can call (510) 264-7015 after work or send the form tonight.