Masonry contractor in Thousand Oaks - walls and brickwork built for sloped yards
Blockworks Oxnard Concrete and Masonry builds and repairs retaining walls, block walls, brick, stone and fireplaces for homeowners in Thousand Oaks, from cracked mortar on a chimney to a new wall up a slope.
Masonry work on Thousand Oaks homes
We're a masonry contractor based in Oxnard, CA. In Thousand Oaks, most of our work is on single-family homes, a lot of them on yards that step up or down a hillside. The city has kept much of its hill country as open space, so plenty of back yards end at a slope instead of a neighbor's fence. The houses, walls and slopes are a lot like what we work on in Simi Valley and Agoura Hills.
That slope shapes most jobs here. A wall that holds back soil needs a footing sized for the load, and on a lot that climbs it's harder to get block, stone and our crew to the back of the yard. The price usually turns on how much digging and hauling the job takes, how tall the wall runs and the material you choose. The schedule depends on the size of the job and whether the city wants a permit and inspections first. Your written quote lists what's included.
What we build and fix in Thousand Oaks
Foundation repair
On a sloped lot, cracks in the foundation wall or a sticking door can mean the ground has moved, so we find out why before we patch.
Chimney repair
Brick chimneys here often need the concrete cap on top or the upper rows rebuilt, and we take down only what has actually come loose.
Tuckpointing
On the brick planters and garden walls in front of many homes here, we grind out worn mortar and refill it to match, and sound joints stay put.
Brick repair
A few cracked bricks on a front step, porch or fireplace face usually get cut out and replaced one at a time, so the rest is left alone.
Driveway pavers
Sloped driveways are common here, so a paver driveway needs a well-packed base and solid edges to keep the pavers from creeping downhill.
Retaining wall construction
Where a back yard climbs toward the hills, a retaining wall can win you flat ground, and we build it with a footing and drain rock behind it.
Masonry restoration
For brick and stone that's worn all over, like a tired chimney or an old garden wall, we clean, repoint and repair it so it matches the house.
Fireplace installation
Plenty of homes here were built around a living-room fireplace, and we rebuild tired surrounds or build new ones in brick or stone.
Stone veneer installation
We face plain stucco fronts, fireplaces and driveway block walls here with stone veneer, a thin stone layer set onto the existing wall.
Concrete block walls
Block walls run along a lot of property lines here, and when one leans or cracks we tell you whether it needs a fix or a new wall.
Foundation block wall installation
For an addition or a garage on a sloped lot, we lay the block foundation walls that carry it, stepped down the grade where the ground drops.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
We build grill islands, bars and counters in block for Thousand Oaks patios, then face them in brick or stone to match the house.
Walkway construction
On a hillside lot, a walkway often needs steps built in, and we set them in brick, pavers or stone on a packed base so they sit level.
Brick wall installation
A new brick wall along a front yard or patio goes up on a poured footing, with the brick and mortar color picked to suit your house.
Stone masonry
Natural stone fits the hillside setting of many yards here, and we lay it for walls, steps, planters and columns, dry-stacked or set in mortar.
Brick pointing
When just a few joints on a chimney or wall have cracked or fallen out, we refill those with fresh mortar and leave the good joints alone.
What masonry problems should Thousand Oaks homeowners look for?
Walls holding back a hillside and brick that's been up for years usually show trouble well before anything comes down, and most of it you can spot from your own yard.
- Retaining wall leaning toward the yard
- Stair-step cracks in a block wall
- Mortar that crumbles when scratched
- Loose or cracked chimney bricks
- Pavers sinking or spreading apart
- Cracks in the foundation wall
If you see one of these, call or send the form. I'll come look, tell you what it needs and what it doesn't, and put it in writing.
Should you repair your wall or rebuild it?
On a sloped Thousand Oaks lot, it mostly comes down to whether the footing and the ground under it are still sound, or only the surface has worn.
When a repair does it
If the wall stands straight and the footing hasn't moved, worn mortar, a few cracked bricks or a loose cap can be fixed on their own. I'd rather do that than sell you a new wall you don't need.
When to rebuild
If a retaining wall leans, the footing has cracked through or the soil behind it keeps pushing, patching the face just hides the problem. Rebuilding it on a proper footing costs more up front, but it beats patching the same crack again and again.
What Thousand Oaks hillside yards ask of masonry
You get a straight answer about what your masonry needs, a written quote the finished work is meant to match, and the person who wrote it checking on the job.
The owner writes your quote
I come out to look at the job and write the estimate myself, the way I have since starting in 2013.
Walls built for the slope
On hillside lots we start with the footing and the soil a wall has to hold back, not the face you see.
Permits checked with the city
We ask the city first, and if a permit's needed we apply and book inspections through its online TO/24 system.
A lead mason on site
Our crew works under a lead mason, and I stop by to check on the job as it goes.
Licensed, insured, guaranteed
We're fully licensed and insured, and the one promise we make on every job is "Your satisfaction, guaranteed."
Call about your Thousand Oaks masonry job
We're open seven days a week and until 11 PM on weeknights, so you can call once you're home from work.
Your city not listed? Call us.
Pick your city below to see what we do there, or call (805) 342-2830 if yours isn't listed, since we work in many cities around Oxnard.