Masonry Contractor in Camarillo, CA - Repairs That Fix What Caused the Crack
G&R Camarillo Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor based in Camarillo. We repair and build block walls, brick, chimneys, steps, retaining walls and stone work for homeowners, landlords and property managers across the city.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Masonry work on Camarillo homes
Camarillo is a mix of older neighborhoods close to Old Town, newer tracts toward the edges of the city and hillside lots where the back yard sits on a retaining wall. Most of our calls here are repairs to block walls, brick steps, planters and chimneys, along with new walls, and they come from homeowners and from landlords and property managers who want a quick, clear answer. We do the same work nearby in Thousand Oaks and Oxnard.
The price here moves with how much wall or brick needs work, whether the trouble is on the face or down in the footing, and how hard it is to get a crew and materials to the spot. The schedule turns on the weather and on whether the city wants a permit first, and you get your own figure in writing at the estimate. On most jobs the ground decides the work, because walls crack where wet soil pushes or settles, so I look at drainage and footings before anyone talks about a patch.
- A fix aimed at the cause
- A plain word on what can wait
- New work that matches the old
- Work checked by the owner
Masonry services we offer in Camarillo
These are the jobs we take on across Camarillo, from a single cracked step to a new wall along the property line.
Foundation repair
Cracks in the short foundation wall under a house usually start with water at the footing, so we find where it's coming from before we patch anything.
Explore Foundation repairChimney repair
Lots of brick chimneys here haven't been looked at in years. We check the cap on top, the mortar and the flashing, then repair what's failing.
Explore Chimney repairTuckpointing
When the mortar on an older brick wall turns soft and sandy, we grind out the worn joints and pack in fresh mortar matched to the old color.
Explore TuckpointingBrick repair
Bricks with a flaking face on planters and front steps are usually soaking up sprinkler water. We replace the damaged ones and deal with how the water gets in.
Explore Brick repairDriveway pavers
Pavers suit Camarillo driveways because a sunken spot can be lifted and reset instead of torn out. We dig out, pack a base and set the pavers tight.
Explore Driveway paversRetaining wall construction
Hillside yards here need a retaining wall that holds back wet soil, so we build in drainage behind it and size the footing to the slope.
Explore Retaining wall constructionMasonry restoration
For older brick and stone that's been patched over and over, we strip back the bad repairs and rebuild with materials that match what's there.
Explore Masonry restorationFireplace installation
We build masonry fireplaces indoors and out, often replacing a worn original in an older house, and line the firebox with firebrick that's made to take the heat.
Explore Fireplace installationStone veneer installation
Stone veneer over stucco or block needs a sound backing and a way for water to drain behind it, and we build both before the stone goes up.
Explore Stone veneer installationConcrete block walls
Block walls line back yards across Camarillo. When one leans or cracks, I check the footing and the steel inside before deciding between repair and rebuild.
Explore Concrete block wallsFoundation block wall installation
When an older house here gets an addition, we lay its block foundation on a footing set to the drawings, with the steel and grout they show.
Explore Foundation block wall installationOutdoor kitchen masonry
Back yards here get used most of the year, so we build outdoor kitchens on a block core finished in stone or brick to match the house.
Explore Outdoor kitchen masonryWalkway construction
We build walkways in brick, pavers or stone, often along the narrow side yards between Camarillo houses, sloped a little so rain runs off instead of pooling.
Explore Walkway constructionBrick wall installation
New brick garden walls and entry pillars go on a poured footing, and we pick brick and mortar color to sit right with the house you already have.
Explore Brick wall installationStone masonry
We lay natural stone for garden walls, steps and seat walls, fitting each piece by hand, which suits the larger lots and hillside yards around the city.
Explore Stone masonryBrick pointing
If only a few joints on a wall here have cracked, we refill just those, which is often all it needs and costs less than redoing the face.
Explore Brick pointing
Request an estimate in Camarillo
Tell us your address and what you're seeing. We reply within one business day to set up a free on-site estimate, with no obligation.
What Camarillo homes ask of masonry
Most masonry trouble here comes down to water, footings and old work that was patched wrong, so that's what I look at first.
Rain that comes in winter
Most of the year's rain falls in winter here, so we put drainage and weep holes, small gaps that let water out, into the walls we build.
Slopes behind the house
Hillside lots push soil downhill against walls and steps, so we set footings into firm ground and give the soil behind a wall a way to drain.
Sprinklers soaking the brick
Lawn sprinklers aimed at planters and walls keep brick wet year round, which loosens mortar. We point that out, repair the damage and suggest moving the heads.
Don't see your city? Call us
We're based in Camarillo and work in cities across Ventura County and over the line into Los Angeles County. Pick yours from the list to see what we run into on jobs there.
The list isn't everywhere we go. If your city isn't on it, call (805) 233-6281 and tell us where the job is, and we'll tell you straight whether we can take it.
From your call to a finished job
I keep the estimate simple because you should know what the job needs, and what can wait, before you decide anything.
Call or write
Call (805) 233-6281 or send the form with your address and a few words about the problem, and we'll set up a time to come out.
I look it over
I come out myself and look at the whole job, not just the crack you called about, so I can tell you why it failed.
Estimate in writing
I tell you what I'd do and put the estimate in writing, with what needs doing now and what can wait.
The work and the check
Once you say go, we take care of any permit and our crew does the work. I check it as it goes and before we call it done.
Camarillo masonry questions
How do I get a grading permit for my yard in Camarillo?
You apply to the City of Camarillo, which requires a grading permit for any grading and issues a separate one for each site. One permit can cover both digging out and filling, and the application lists how much work is planned, and where shallow ground water, loose sandy soil and strong quake shaking come together, the City Engineer can ask for a soil study first. When your job needs a permit, we file it and meet the inspector, and whether a wall needs one of its own is the city's call, so we check before we start.
Can I still file paper plans for a permit in Camarillo?
No, the city no longer takes paper plans, and every plan submission now goes in digitally through its online permitting and licensing system. For questions in person, the public counter is at City Hall, 601 Carmen Drive, and the phone is (805) 388-5340. On jobs where we handle the permit, we do the online filing for you.
Does a masonry contractor in Camarillo need a California license?
Yes, in most cases. The California Contractors State License Board requires a license when a project needs a building permit, uses employee labor, or costs $1,000 or more in labor and materials, and a home improvement contractor has to be licensed before bidding, with a few exemptions the board lists. Anyone doing business in Camarillo also has to pay the city's yearly business tax, and a business license from another city doesn't take the place of applying with Camarillo. We're licensed and insured.
Who handles the fire hazard maps for Camarillo?
The Ventura County Fire Protection District, which provides Camarillo's fire protection, led the local review of the state fire marshal's recommended fire hazard severity zone maps. The district proposed no changes to the state's maps, and a local agency can't lower a zone the state has set. Brick, block and stone don't burn, which is one reason homeowners near open hillsides ask us about masonry walls.
What affects the cost of masonry work in Camarillo?
The biggest thing is whether the problem is on the surface or in the footing, because refilling a few joints is a small job and rebuilding a wall section on a new footing is not. Matching older brick or mortar color, hauling away old block and working on a slope add to it, and if the city requires a permit, its permit and plan check fees can carry city surcharges on top. I'll tell you which parts need doing now and which can wait, so you're not paying for work you don't need.
What causes block walls to crack in Camarillo yards?
Most block wall cracks start at the footing or with water, not with the block itself. A footing too small for the wall, soil washed out by a downspout, tree roots and cells left without steel or grout are the usual reasons, and I find which one it is before I quote a fix, because a patch over a footing that's still moving just cracks again.
Get your masonry looked at in Camarillo
A small crack is cheaper to fix before the rain season gets into it, so call (805) 233-6281 or send the form.