Masonry Contractor in Highland, CA - Block Walls and Old Brick Done Right
Keystone Riverside Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor based in Riverside that builds and repairs block walls, retaining walls, brick chimneys, pavers and stonework for homeowners in Highland, CA, from Craftsman bungalows to newer tract houses.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Masonry work around Highland homes
Highland gives us two kinds of calls. The older streets near the Highland Historic District have early 1900s houses, Craftsman bungalows among them, with brick chimneys, porch piers and garden walls whose mortar has put in its years. The newer tracts bring block walls along the lot lines, retaining walls where a yard changes grade, and driveways ready for pavers. It's the same mix we see next door in Redlands and over in San Bernardino.
Price follows the wall's size, what has to come out first and how easy the spot is to reach, and the schedule turns more on permits and inspections than on laying block. Your written estimate gives you your own number. After that, the house sets the approach. Old brick gets its joints refilled with a matching mortar instead of a teardown, and a new block wall starts with the footing and the steel.
What we build and fix in Highland
Concrete block walls
Block walls fence many tract lots here, and a leaning run usually hides a thin footing. We build concrete block walls on real footings with grouted steel.
Retaining wall construction
Where a Highland yard changes grade, the retaining wall carries the dirt and the water behind it. We give them a footing, steel and a drain.
Chimney repair
Brick chimneys on older Craftsman homes usually lose mortar up top, where the weather hits hardest. We rebuild the cap and reset the loose brick.
Tuckpointing
Old brick here often has crumbling joints and perfectly good bricks. We rake out the bad mortar and refill the joints with a mix that suits the brick.
Masonry restoration
Porch piers, garden walls and steps on early 1900s homes in the historic district are worth keeping. We repair them to match the original brick and mortar.
Driveway pavers
Older concrete driveways here crack and settle, and patches rarely match. We lay pavers on a packed base, so one can lift out for a repair.
What Highland homes need from their masonry
The San Andreas Fault runs along the east end of Highland, out where Base Line meets the trail, so a wall here should be built expecting the ground to shake now and then. That's why I look behind the face first. A block wall gets a footing sized for its height and steel grouted into the cells, and an old brick chimney gets checked at the top and along the roofline, where years of movement usually show up first.
The other thing is summer heat. Mortar laid on a hot afternoon dries out before it sets, which is how you get joints that wipe off on your thumb. That isn't mortar anymore. It's sand with good intentions, so we start early and keep fresh joints damp and covered.
Get a written masonry estimate for your Highland home
Call (951) 462-2880 or send the form, and we'll reply within one business day. I come out to your Highland home, look at the wall, chimney or driveway with you, and write up a free estimate on site with no obligation. If you go ahead, a lead mason runs the crew on your job.
Highland masonry questions
Here's what homeowners in Highland usually ask before a masonry job. If yours isn't here, call or send the form and ask about your own wall, chimney or driveway.
How do I find out if my block wall in Highland needs a permit?
Check the height first, because the city lets a masonry or concrete fence go without a permit only up to 3 feet high, and a taller one needs a permit. Zoning height limits and setback rules still apply to any wall, so where it sits on the lot matters too. When your wall needs a permit, we pull it and schedule the inspections, and if the answer isn't clear we check with the city before we start. You can also file through the city's online permit portal.
How tall can a retaining wall be in Highland without a permit?
Up to 4 feet, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, as long as it isn't carrying extra weight like a driveway or holding back a slope steeper than two feet across for every foot up. That 4 feet includes the buried footing, so a wall that looks 3 feet tall can already be over the line. Even a short one needs a footing and vertical steel under city policy, which is how we'd build it anyway.
Does a masonry contractor need a California license to work in Highland?
Yes, for most real masonry jobs. The state requires a license from the Contractors State License Board when the work needs a building permit, uses extra workers, or comes to $1,000 or more in labor and materials, even split across more than one contract. The city also wants a business license from anyone doing business in Highland, and contractors based outside the city use its Out of City license. We're licensed and fully insured, and it's fair to ask any contractor to show you both.
How much does a block wall or masonry repair cost in Highland?
A new block wall is priced mostly by its length, height and footing depth, and the block and cap you pick move it up or down from there. Repairs turn on how much has to come out first, since tearing out a failed wall is labor spent before anything goes back up. Access counts too, because block carried by hand through a narrow side yard takes longer than block set off a truck. Your written estimate spells out what your job covers.
How much can a contractor ask for up front on a home improvement job in California?
No more than $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less. State rules also say every other payment has to be listed in the contract and tied to work done or materials delivered. If someone wants half down before a single block shows up, keep looking.
What causes cracks in block walls and old brick chimneys in Highland?
Usually a footing too small for the wall, missing steel, water getting into the joints or mortar that's simply worn out, and the shaking from the fault we mentioned finds all of those sooner. A stair-step crack that follows the mortar lines usually points to settling underneath, so we look at the footing before the face. I'll tell you straight whether it needs work now or can wait.
Block, brick and stone work
Other cities we work in
Pick a city from the list to see what we do there. We work in Riverside and the cities around it, so call if yours isn't listed.