Brickworks San Jose Concrete & Masonry

Masonry Contractor in Palo Alto, CA - Older Brick Repaired, New Walls Built Right

Brickworks San Jose Concrete & Masonry is a masonry contractor working in Palo Alto. We repoint worn mortar, repair brick and chimneys, and build new garden walls, walkways, fireplaces and outdoor kitchens for homes across the city.

A white brick fireplace with a dark wooden mantel and mounted television anchors a bright sunroom.

Old brick chimneys and well-used gardens in Palo Alto

Our Palo Alto calls tend to come in two kinds. Owners of older houses call about a chimney that's shedding mortar, front steps that have shifted or a brick garden wall that's started to lean. Owners who've redone the house want a walkway, a seating wall or an outdoor kitchen to match it. It's the same range of work we do next door in Mountain View and over in Alum Rock, but the mix here leans toward careful repair on older brick.

Older brick here often carries years of patches in different mortars and different brick, so the first part of the job is working out what's original and what's actually causing the damage. Newer yards are easier to read, and there the work turns on layout, drainage and the material you pick.

How permits and pricing work on a Palo Alto job

Building permits here come from the city's Development Services office, which also reviews plans and handles inspections. Its permit list names remodels, re-roofs and new homes but doesn't name masonry, so I don't guess either way. I check with the office first, and when a job needs a permit we apply for it as the licensed contractor and meet the inspector on site. When a permit is needed, the city's plan review is usually what sets the start date. We're licensed and fully insured, and you're welcome to ask to see both. Palo Alto requires a business registry certificate from businesses with a fixed place of business in the city, which is worth asking about if you hire a firm based there. We're based in San Jose.

Price moves with how much wall, chimney or walkway there is, how far material has to be carried from the street to the work, and how much old brick has to come out before new brick goes in. Schedule moves with the permit and with matching materials, because finding a brick that sits right beside a decades-old wall can take time. We've been doing this work since 2013. My written estimate lays out what I found and what we'd do about it, so the figure you get is based on your own house.

Masonry services in Palo Alto

Chimneys and garden walls show their age first

On an older house, the chimney is usually where trouble shows first, because it stands above the roof with nothing to shelter it. I look for loose brick at the top, cracks in the crown, which is the concrete cap around the flue, and gaps where the flashing meets the roof. Then we repair from the cause down instead of patching the face. If you'd rather add a fireplace than fix one, we also do fireplace installation.

In the yard, it's usually walkways lifted by tree roots and garden walls that have started to lean. A lean almost always starts behind the wall or under it, so we check drainage and footing before we talk about rebuilding.

Get a free on-site masonry estimate in Palo Alto

Tell us about your Palo Alto project and we'll reply within one business day to set up a visit. I come out to walk the job and take measurements, and the estimate is free and on site. There's no pressure to book.

(669) 234-3391

What happens when you call us about a Palo Alto job

  1. Call or send the form

    Call (669) 234-3391 or use the form and tell us what you're seeing and where it is on the house. A couple of phone photos help me plan the visit.

  2. I look over the whole job

    I come out myself, look at the whole job and not just the spot you called about, measure it and take photos. We talk about what's causing the problem before we talk about the fix.

  3. You get a written estimate

    It lists each area and each step, so you can see what every part of the work involves. If something can't be known until the wall is open, the estimate says so plainly.

  4. We sort out any permit

    If the city needs a permit for your job, we get it before work starts. We're on site when the inspector comes out.

  5. Our masons build, we walk it

    Our own masons do the work, and I check it as it goes up. When it's done, we walk the finished job together.

Palo Alto masonry questions we hear

Does a remodel or re-roof need a building permit in Palo Alto?

Yes. The city lists home remodels and re-roofs among the projects that need a building permit, along with mechanical, electrical and plumbing work, new homes and accessory dwelling units. Masonry isn't named on that list, so the city's answer for your specific job is the one that counts, and we get it before setting a date.

Which building codes apply to a home project in Palo Alto?

Projects submitted to Palo Alto after January 1, 2026 have to follow the 2025 California Building Codes plus the city's own amendments, so that covers any permit applied for now. The city's Building Division page is where those amendments are listed if you want to read them.

How do I send permit plans to the City of Palo Alto?

Palo Alto only accepts permit submittals in digital format, so plans go in as digital files, not paper. When we're the ones applying, we send them in, and the city's plan review checks the drawings against the codes.

Is an emailed PDF invoice from the City of Palo Alto real?

Not if it asks you to reply to get a separate payment link. The city says its staff don't send invoices like that, so an email of that kind is coming from outside the city. If you're unsure about a fee on one of our jobs, call me at (669) 234-3391 before you pay anything.

How much does masonry work cost in Palo Alto?

It comes down to what the work is and whether we're repairing or rebuilding, so I only give a figure once I've seen the job. Repointing a few courses of brick costs far less than taking a chimney top down and relaying it. For a new wall, brick, block and natural stone each cost something different, and matching old brick with reclaimed brick adds to the price.

What causes mortar joints to crumble on an older brick house?

Usually it's age and water. The softer mortar in older walls is meant to wear before the brick does. The fix is to rake out the worn mortar and pack in fresh, which masons call repointing. What does real harm is a mortar harder than the brick, because then the brick cracks instead of the joint, so we match the mix to the wall.

Where we work

Tell us about your Palo Alto masonry project

The sooner I see a loose chimney top or a leaning wall, the more likely it's a repair and not a rebuild.

Request an estimate(669) 234-3391
(669) 234-3391Request an estimate