Masonry Contractor in Long Beach, CA - Brick, Block and Stone Built to Fit Your House
R&S Compton Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor working in Long Beach, CA. We repoint old brick, repair chimneys and foundations, and build new block walls, retaining walls and paver driveways from our base in Compton.
Masonry work in Long Beach, CA
We're a masonry contractor based in Compton, CA, and Long Beach is a short drive south of us. The work there runs from brick chimneys, porch steps and garden walls on older houses that have taken a lot of weather, to block walls along property lines and plain concrete driveways that owners want to swap for pavers. It's the same mix we see up in Downey and next door in Carson.
The ground matters as much as the brick. The city's flood information says some parts of Long Beach could flood in a major rainstorm, so before we set a footing or a paver base we look at where water sits and runs on your lot, because masonry that stays wet lets go sooner.
What we build and fix in Long Beach
Foundation repair
When a crack opens in the low wall under an older Long Beach house, we find out why it moved before we patch it.
Chimney repair
Brick chimneys here lose mortar at the top cap and the roofline first. We rebuild what's loose and repoint the rest instead of tearing down a sound stack.
Tuckpointing
Tuckpointing means raking out worn mortar joints and filling them fresh. On Long Beach brick, we match the old mortar's softness so the brick doesn't crack around it.
Brick repair
A few flaking or broken bricks on a porch or garden wall don't mean a new wall. We cut out the bad ones and set matching brick in place.
Driveway pavers
Swapping a cracked concrete driveway for pavers? We dig out, pack a solid base and slope it to drain, so the pavers stay flat through wet winters.
Retaining wall construction
Where a yard steps down or a planter holds soil against a fence, we build block or stone retaining walls with real footings and drainage behind them.
Masonry restoration
For older brick fronts and stone details, we clean, repoint and repair with materials that suit the building, not whatever's hardest or quickest.
Fireplace installation
Want a fireplace on the patio or a new surround inside? We build the firebox and face in brick or stone that fits the house it's going into.
Stone veneer installation
Thin stone veneer can dress up a plain stucco front or porch columns, and we prep the wall behind it so water drains out instead of sitting there.
Concrete block walls
Block walls line a lot of Long Beach property lines. We build new ones on proper footings and fix leaning sections without tearing out more than needed.
Foundation block wall installation
For additions and rebuilt sections under older houses, our crew lays reinforced block foundation walls set to the plans and checked before anything goes on top.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
Backyards here get used most of the year. We build the block base for an outdoor kitchen and face it in brick or stone to match the house.
Walkway construction
The path to your front door takes the most foot traffic, so we build it in brick, stone or pavers over a packed base that stays level.
Brick wall installation
New brick garden walls and entry walls should look like they belong. We pick brick and mortar color to sit next to an older house, not fight it.
Stone masonry
Stone steps, planters and wall caps here take sun and the odd hard rain. We set each stone on a full mortar bed so it doesn't rock loose.
Brick pointing
Mortar that scrapes out with a key means it's time. We point the worn joints and leave sound ones alone, which keeps the job smaller.
Talk to us about your masonry
Tell me what's going on with your brick, block or stone, and I'll come out and write the estimate myself.
Why Long Beach property owners call us
I've run this business out of Compton since 2017, and I still come out to every job myself. Here's what that means when we're working on your house.
I write every estimate
I look at the job in person and write the estimate myself, so the price comes from your house, not a guess.
Our own masons do it
Our own crew of masons does the work, and I'm on site checking joints, lines and levels as it goes.
Repairs sized to the problem
If a few joints or one wall section is the problem, that's what we fix, not the whole wall.
A quick, honest no
If your masonry doesn't need work yet, I'll tell you that on the spot instead of selling you a job.
Licensed and fully insured
We carry our license and insurance on every job, from a few repointed joints to a new block wall.
Long Beach masonry questions
Do I need a permit for masonry work in Long Beach, CA?
Often, yes, because the City of Long Beach says most construction on a house needs a permit and inspections, including alterations, replacements and repairs. Some minor repairs or replacements can be exempt, and the city's building official makes that call, so check the city's permit guidance or ask the Development Permit Center, which issues building permits for private property. Houses in a historic district or a coastal zone can face added requirements under the city's zoning rules. If your job needs a permit, we pull it and handle the paperwork and inspections with the city.
Do I need a permit to build a retaining wall in Long Beach?
Not for a retaining wall or planter box four feet tall or less, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, according to the city's permit questions page. That exemption doesn't cover a wall holding back sloping ground or extra weight above it, or any wall on a slope steeper than one foot of rise in five feet of run. Since the footing counts, the part you see is shorter than four feet, and I'll tell you at the estimate which side of that line your wall falls on.
How do I know if a masonry contractor needs a California license?
A contractor needs a license from the Contractors State License Board when the job needs a building permit, uses any extra workers, or when labor and materials on the project's contracts total $1,000 or more. Long Beach also requires anyone doing business in the city to hold a Long Beach business license, and it issues permits only to a contractor with both. Ask whoever you're hiring about both before work starts.
Can I pull my own permit for a masonry project in Long Beach?
You can if you live in the house or will live there, since the city lets owners get a permit for construction, alteration or repair on their own home and accessory buildings. The city limits owner permits to certain kinds of dwellings, so confirm with the permit center that yours qualifies before you start. If we're doing the work, the permit is on us, as covered above.
How much does a masonry contractor cost in Long Beach, CA?
The price comes down to the size of the job, the material, how much old work has to come out first and how hard the spot is to reach, so I give you a number after I've seen your property. Repointing a few worn joints costs far less than rebuilding a chimney, and matching old brick or digging footings in soft, wet ground adds labor. The schedule turns on permits and inspections, the weather and how quickly matching brick or stone comes in, and a dumpster in the street needs a Public Works permit from the city while one on your own property doesn't.
What causes brick and block walls to crack or lean in Long Beach?
Most of the time it's water and the footing, when wet soil softens under a wall set on too small a footing or built without enough steel inside the block. Tree roots and mortar that's harder than the brick do their share too, because hard mortar makes the brick crack instead of the joint. We find the cause before we quote a fix, since rebuilding a wall without fixing what moved it means doing it twice.
Other cities we work in
Pick your city below, or call (562) 232-8311 if yours isn't listed, because we work in plenty of cities around Compton that don't have their own page.
Get your Long Beach masonry estimate
Call (562) 232-8311 any day, weekdays from 6 AM to 11 PM and weekends from 8 AM to 9 PM, or send us the form.