Masonry contractor in Los Gatos, CA - careful brick repair and solid hillside walls
Brickworks San Jose Concrete & Masonry is a masonry contractor based in San Jose that works across Los Gatos, repointing and repairing older brick, fixing chimneys, and building retaining walls, walkways and stone work on hillside lots.
Old brick near downtown, steep ground to the south
Los Gatos borders Saratoga and Campbell, and on our jobs here the houses tend to fall into two groups. On the older streets near downtown we find brick chimneys, porch steps and garden walls that have stood for generations, with mortar worn soft and joints patched over the years with whatever was handy. Farther south the lots climb and the drives get steep, and the masonry there is mostly about holding ground, with retaining walls, stone steps and block walls under additions.
That split shapes most of what we do here. Either something old is wearing out and needs to be fixed without harming what's around it, or something new has to sit on ground that slopes.
What we check before starting a job in Los Gatos
The Town of Los Gatos Building Division reviews plans for all new construction, additions and remodels in Los Gatos, so whether your wall, chimney or patio needs a permit is the division's call, not ours. When it does, the plan review comes before any work, and that's usually what sets the start date. Before you hire anyone here, you can check two things, a California contractor's license and a current Town Business License, which a contractor needs to get a permit in Los Gatos.
When a job needs a permit, we check with the Building Division first, apply as the licensed contractor and meet the inspector on site. What moves the price here is mostly access and ground, because the hillside roads in the south end are narrow and winding, so material comes in smaller loads, and a steep lot means more digging, drainage and base work before the first row of block goes down. On older brick, the price turns on how much has to be cut out and how closely new brick and mortar have to match the old. We work the same way in Los Altos and the other cities around San Jose, checking each city's own rules before we start.
Masonry services in Los Gatos
- Foundation repair
- Chimney repair
- Tuckpointing
- Brick repair
- Driveway pavers
- Retaining wall construction
- Masonry restoration
- Fireplace installation
- Stone veneer installation
- Concrete block walls
- Foundation block wall installation
- Outdoor kitchen masonry
- Walkway construction
- Brick wall installation
- Stone masonry
- Brick pointing
Steep lots and old mortar drive most calls here
On a steep Los Gatos lot, soil and water both want to go downhill, and a wall holding them back carries that load every wet winter. We see leaning garden walls, cracked steps and block that's pushed out at the bottom, and the cause is usually water with nowhere to drain. So we build with drainage behind the wall and a solid footing under it, and when an addition sits on the slope, our foundation block wall installation starts with the same close look at the ground.
The older houses have a different problem. Their brick was usually laid in softer, lime-based mortar that lets moisture out through the joints, and when someone repoints it with hard modern mortar, the brick takes the stress and starts to flake off at the face. I'd rather match the old mortar and stop the water behind the damage than patch the same spot twice.
Get a free on-site masonry estimate in Los Gatos
We reply within one business day to set a time, and the estimate is free with no pressure to book. I come out to your Los Gatos property myself, measure the job, take photos, and write up what I found and what we'd do about it.
What happens after you call us about a Los Gatos job
Call or send the form
Tell us what you're seeing and where it is on the property. If the lot is steep or the drive is narrow, mention it, since that's part of what I'll look at.
I walk and measure everything
I come out, look over the whole job, measure it and take photos. We talk about what's causing the problem before we talk about the fix.
Get a written, itemized estimate
The estimate lists each area and each step, so you can see what we'd do and why. If part of it can't be judged until the job is open, I'll tell you plainly which part.
Sort out the permit first
If the Building Division needs a permit, it has to be issued before we start, and the division's review sets that timing. Los Gatos takes permit applications only through its online permitting system, so that's where we file.
Build, check and walk through
Our own masons do the work, and I check it as it goes up. When it's finished, we walk the job together.
Brick, stone and block work
Los Gatos masonry questions we hear
Do I need a permit for masonry work in Los Gatos?
New construction, additions and remodels in Los Gatos all go through the Building Division's plan review, so a new wall or a masonry addition should start with a question to the division. Its published permit list names electrical, plumbing and mechanical work rather than masonry, so we ask the division about each job instead of guessing.
How do I know if my masonry contractor needs a CSLB license?
Under the Contractors State License Board guidance, a contractor needs a license when the project needs a building permit, uses additional workers, or totals $1,000 or more in labor and materials. A larger job can't be broken into pieces under $1,000 to get around that. We're licensed and fully insured.
Does my masonry contractor need a Los Gatos business license?
Yes, Los Gatos requires a Town Business License from any business located in Los Gatos and from any business that comes into Los Gatos to do work. These licenses expire on December 31, so ask whether your contractor's license is current for this year.
How much does masonry work cost in Los Gatos?
Your price comes from the size of the job, the material you choose and how hard the site is to work. Natural stone takes longer to lay than block, a taller wall needs more footing and drainage, and salvaging or matching old brick adds hand work. The free on-site estimate gives you each of those pieces in writing.
Do Los Gatos wildfire rules affect masonry on a hillside home?
They can, when the work is part of a new building, addition or alteration in a Wildland-Urban Interface area, because the rules for those areas cover exterior materials, systems and assemblies. The wildfire planning area is mainly the steep, wooded land in southern Los Gatos. On a hillside project, we confirm with the Building Division which rules apply before we choose materials.
What is the best way to fix a cracked brick chimney on an older Los Gatos home?
Find out why it cracked first, because on an older chimney the damage usually follows the water, starting at the crown, the concrete cap the flue passes through, and the worn joints below it. We repoint or rebuild only as far down as the brick is loose, with mortar matched to the old brick for the reason above.
Plan your Los Gatos masonry project with us
Call (669) 234-3391 any day, evenings included, or send the contact form with a few photos so I know what to look for.