Masonry Contractor in Upland, CA - Careful Brick and Block Work for Older Homes
BR Jurupa Valley Concrete & Masonry is a masonry contractor working in Upland, CA. We repair and build brick, block and stone, from worn joints on older homes to new garden walls, walkways and grill islands.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Masonry work on Upland homes and yards
We're based in Jurupa Valley and work in the cities around it on both sides of the county line, so Upland is a regular drive for us, just like Colton or Rancho Cucamonga next door. A lot of our calls here come from older brick houses where the mortar has gone sandy or the top of the chimney has worked loose. Others come from newer neighborhoods where a block wall between yards has cracked or started to lean. Then there are the folks who've finally decided to finish the backyard with a patio wall or a grill island.
The price mostly depends on the size of the job, the material, how much old work has to come out and how easy the spot is to reach. The schedule usually depends on whether the city wants a permit first, and your own figure comes in the written estimate. On the older houses, most of the skill goes into matching, because new mortar that's harder than the old brick ends up cracking the brick.
- Mortar matched to your older brick
- Written estimate that spells out the work
- Permit paperwork and inspections handled
- Final walkthrough with the owner
Our masonry services in Upland
Here's what we do for Upland homes, from repairs on older brick to new walls, walkways and outdoor kitchens.
Foundation repair
Cracks in the foundation of an older Upland house usually start small, so we find what's causing them before we patch anything.
Explore Foundation repairChimney repair
Older brick chimneys here usually lose mortar at the top first. We rebuild the cap and the loose bricks so water stays out of the chimney.
Explore Chimney repairTuckpointing
When the joints on your brick house have gone sandy, we grind out the worn mortar and pack in new mortar matched in color and strength.
Explore TuckpointingBrick repair
Bricks with flaking faces or cracks through them get cut out one at a time and replaced with the closest match we can find for your house.
Explore Brick repairDriveway pavers
Pavers make sense where an old concrete driveway has cracked past saving, because a single broken paver lifts out and goes back without tearing up the rest.
Explore Driveway paversRetaining wall construction
On a sloped Upland yard, we build retaining walls with drainage behind them, because water trapped behind a wall is what pushes it over.
Explore Retaining wall constructionMasonry restoration
Brick homes in Upland's older neighborhoods often need cleaning, repointing and repairs done together. We plan the work so the house still looks like itself afterward.
Explore Masonry restorationFireplace installation
We build brick and stone fireplaces for living rooms and patios, sized to the space and laid so the firebox draws smoke up and out.
Explore Fireplace installationStone veneer installation
Stone veneer is thin stone set over an existing wall. It dresses up a plain stucco front or a block planter, and we leave water a way out from behind it.
Explore Stone veneer installationConcrete block walls
Block walls between Upland yards bring us plenty of calls. When we build new ones, they go on a proper footing with steel run inside the block.
Explore Concrete block wallsFoundation block wall installation
For an addition, we lay block foundation walls on a footing sized for the load, with steel and grout where the plans call for them.
Explore Foundation block wall installationOutdoor kitchen masonry
Grill islands, counters and bars are built from block and finished in brick, stone or stucco, laid out around the way you cook in your backyard.
Explore Outdoor kitchen masonryWalkway construction
We build brick, paver and stone walkways from the street to your door on a packed base, so they stay flat where roots and water get underneath.
Explore Walkway constructionBrick wall installation
A new brick garden or front wall on an older lot looks best when it fits the house, so we pick the brick and the joint style to suit it.
Explore Brick wall installationStone masonry
We cut and fit natural stone by hand for planters, columns and wall caps, so each piece sits tight against the one beside it.
Explore Stone masonryBrick pointing
Small runs of cracked or missing mortar along a garden wall or front step get pointed before water gets in and loosens the brick around them.
Explore Brick pointing
Ask for your Upland estimate
Tell us what you'd like done and where in Upland. I'll get back to you within one business day to set a free on-site visit, with no obligation.
What Upland's homes and yards ask of masonry
Upland mixes older brick houses with newer homes ringed by block walls. Each asks something different of the mortar, the footing and the drainage.
Older brick, softer mortar
We match new mortar to the old so it's no harder than the brick, because harder mortar pushes the cracking into the brick itself.
Block walls between yards
When a yard wall leans or cracks, we check the footing and the steel first, because a wall rebuilt on the same weak footing fails the same way.
Heavy rain behind walls
Upland's building standards plan for rain falling at 4 inches an hour, so we plan gravel and drains behind retaining walls to let that water out.
Your city not listed? Call us
Each city in this list has its own page. If your home is in one of them, pick it to see the work we do there and what the houses there ask of it.
If your city isn't on the list, call (951) 416-3127 anyway. These are just the cities with their own page, not the only places we work, and I'll tell you plainly if your job is too far for us.
From your call to a finished Upland job
I keep the estimate free and simple, because you should know what you're paying for, and why, before anyone picks up a trowel.
You get in touch
Call (951) 416-3127 or use the form. I'll ask a few questions about the job so we can set a time for me to come look.
I walk the job
I come out to your Upland home, walk the job with you, and take measurements and photos, so the estimate reflects what's actually there.
Your written estimate
You get a written estimate that spells out the work. If the job needs an Upland permit, the estimate says so.
Work and walkthrough
Once you say go, we handle any permits and our crew does the work under a lead mason. Then I walk it with you again at the end.
Upland masonry questions we hear
Do I need a permit to build a block wall or fence in Upland?
Upland doesn't require a building permit for block walls 2 feet tall or less or fences 6 feet tall or less. For anything taller, or for other masonry work, it's worth checking with the city's Building and Safety Division before work starts. When a job needs a permit, we handle the paperwork and line up the inspections.
How do I request a building permit in Upland?
You request it online, because Upland's building office only takes permit requests through its website. The application asks you to upload the contractor's license and business license, and a PDF or a JPEG photo works for each. On our jobs we take care of that application, and if you'd like to check on your project yourself, I'm glad to point you to the city's building office.
Does my older Upland home need extra review before exterior masonry work?
It does if your house is a designated historic resource. Exterior changes that alter its look need a Certificate of Appropriateness from the city's Planning Division first. Upland has nine locally designated historic districts, so it's worth checking before you plan new brick, stone or a wall out front. If your house is on the list, we plan the work around that approval.
How much does masonry work cost in Upland?
The price comes down to the size of the job, the material and how much old work has to come out, and I'll put your figure in a written estimate after I've seen the job. Brick and natural stone usually cost more than plain block. Matching mortar and brick on an older house takes more hand work than building new, and a tight side yard where we can't bring equipment in adds labor.
What should I check before hiring a masonry contractor in Upland?
Ask whether they hold a current Upland business license, because the city requires licensed contractors working there to have one. The business license also goes in with the permit application, along with the contractor's license. We're licensed and fully insured, with satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
What is the best way to fix crumbling mortar on an older brick house in Upland?
The best fix is usually tuckpointing. That means grinding out the worn mortar to a sound depth and packing in new mortar that matches the old in color and is no harder than the brick. Smearing fresh mortar over the old joints may look fine for a season, but then it flakes off and traps water. If your house is a designated historic resource and the repair would change how it looks, check with the city first.
Get an estimate for your Upland job
If you call before your plans are set, I can check the city's permit and historic rules for your house before you've chosen a design.