Masonry Contractor in El Rio, CA - Brick, Block and Stone Repairs and New Walls
Blockworks Oxnard Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor in Oxnard, CA that repairs and builds brick, block and stone in El Rio, from yard walls and chimneys to pavers and walkways.
Masonry contractor for El Rio homes
El Rio is a county community right next to Oxnard, so it's close to home for our crew. It has older houses alongside newer streets, and the calls we get here are the ones we get across Oxnard: block walls along property lines, brick and mortar wearing out, chimneys that leak, and driveways or walkways people want redone. We do the same work up the river valley in Santa Paula and over in Ventura.
If your address is in unincorporated Ventura County, building permits come from Ventura County Building and Safety. The county says most construction work needs a permit so it can be reviewed and inspected, and it lists retaining walls among the work a building permit covers. Permit rules depend on which city or county your address is in, so I check with that office and tell you what I find before work starts, and if a permit is needed, we handle the paperwork and the inspections. Your price moves with how much is damaged or how much we're building, the material you pick and how hard the spot is to reach. The schedule turns on any permit review and the weather, and the written quote I leave spells out what's included. On houses that have stood a while, most of the job is sorting the sound brick and block from the worn, and that's where I start.
What we build and fix in El Rio
Foundation repair
Cracked or settling block along the bottom of an older house gets looked at first, so we fix what's failing and leave the sound sections alone.
Chimney repair
A leaking chimney on an older El Rio house usually comes down to a cracked crown or open joints, which are best fixed in the dry months.
Tuckpointing
When the mortar on a brick house or garden wall has worn back, we grind out the loose joints and fill them so water stops getting in.
Brick repair
Chipped, cracked or loose bricks on steps, planters and older walls get replaced one at a time with the closest match we can find.
Driveway pavers
Plenty of driveways here are cracked concrete, and pavers laid on a packed base let us lift and reset a section later instead of breaking it out.
Retaining wall construction
Where a yard steps down between neighbors, we build retaining walls with gravel and a drain behind them, because trapped water is what usually pushes walls over.
Masonry restoration
Older brick and stone that's stained, patched over the years or crumbling at the edges can be cleaned and repaired so it reads as one wall again.
Fireplace installation
Backyards here get used most of the year, so we build patio fireplaces as well as indoor ones, in brick or stone matched to the house.
Stone veneer installation
Stone veneer dresses up a stucco wall, a column or a plain block wall out front, and we set it over a backing that lets water drain.
Concrete block walls
Block walls along property lines are common here, and when one cracks or leans we tell you straight whether it needs a repair or a rebuilt section.
Foundation block wall installation
For an addition or a new garage on a lot here, we lay the block foundation wall, filled and reinforced the way the plans call for.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
Outdoor kitchens are a common ask for a patio here, and we build the block frame, counters and grill surround, then face it in brick or stone.
Walkway construction
A cracked path from the sidewalk to the door is easy to trip on, so we rebuild it in pavers, brick or stone on a packed base.
Brick wall installation
For a new garden wall or a low brick wall across the front yard, we pour a proper footing first, because that's what keeps the courses straight.
Stone masonry
Stone steps, planters and wall caps on older homes here often just need resetting, and we build new stonework when the old pieces are too far gone.
Brick pointing
If only a few joints have cracked or dropped out, pointing just those is the right fix, and I'll say so rather than quote the whole wall.
When does masonry in El Rio need a look?
Most of the year's rain falls in a few winter months, going by the weather station at the Oxnard airport outside El Rio, and that's when water finds open joints.
- Mortar crumbling out of joints
- Cracks running through a block wall
- A yard wall starting to lean
- Loose or missing bricks
- Water stains around the chimney
- White powder on brick or block
If you spot one of these, call or use the form, and I'll come out and tell you what it actually needs and what it doesn't.
Should you repair the wall or rebuild it?
I start by finding what's still sound, because a wall or chimney that's stood a while here is usually part good and part worn, and you should pay to fix the worn part.
A repair is enough
If the cracks are narrow, the wall still stands straight and the bricks are solid, we fix the bad joints and the few damaged pieces and stop there. You pay less, and you keep the original work, which usually suits the house better than anything new.
Rebuilding makes sense
When a wall leans, its footing has cracked or the mortar is soft all the way through, patching won't hold for long. Then I'll quote rebuilding the bad section and put the reason in writing, so you're not paying for the same repair twice.
What El Rio homes ask of their mason
I've written a lot of masonry quotes, so you can count on a plain answer about what your house needs and on finished work that matches the quote.
Estimates written by the owner
I come out to look at the job myself, and the written quote lists exactly what's included.
Sound mortar stays put
If your joints are sound, I'll tell you to leave them alone rather than sell you a bigger job.
A lead mason on the job
Our crew works under a lead mason, and I check on the job as it goes so it matches the quote.
Licensed and insured in California
The state licensing board requires a license on jobs of $1,000 or more in labor and materials, and we're licensed and insured.
In business since 2013
I learned brick, block and stone on crews after writing quotes for a supplier, and started this business in Oxnard in 2013.
Call about your El Rio masonry job
We pick up weekdays until 11 PM and weekends from 6 AM, so you can call (805) 342-2830 when you're home and can see the wall.
Working somewhere else? Call and ask
If your city is listed below, its page has the local details, and if it isn't, call (805) 342-2830 and ask, since we work in many cities around Oxnard.