Masonry Contractor in San Bernardino, CA - Tight Joints and Straight Block Walls

P&J Rancho Cucamonga Concrete & Masonry is a masonry contractor based in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, working in San Bernardino. We repoint worn brick, fix chimneys, and build block walls, retaining walls, pavers and walkways across the city.

Get an estimate (909) 360-4010

An outdoor masonry kitchen has a tiled counter, stainless-steel appliances, and a large stone oven beside a stone wall.

A covered outdoor kitchen and dining patio features stone-clad columns and counters, a grill, and a built-in fire pit.

What we see on San Bernardino houses and yards

San Bernardino is a big city, and it wasn't built all at once. Closer to the center there are plenty of older houses with brick chimneys, brick planters and block walls that have stood a long time, and the mortar in a lot of them has worn thin. Toward the north end the streets climb toward the San Bernardino Mountains, so more yards sit on a slope with a wall holding them up. The calls we get here sound a lot like the ones from Highland and Rialto next door: worn brick, a tired chimney or a yard that needs a wall.

That mix shapes the job. On older brick I start with the joints and the chimney crown, because they tell me whether we're repointing or rebuilding. On a sloped lot, the height of the wall and what sits above it decide how deep and wide we set the footing.

Masonry work we do in San Bernardino

Foundation repair
When a foundation cracks or settles, we find out why before fixing it, because the cause decides whether it needs a patch or new footing work.
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Chimney repair
A chimney that's shedding mortar or leaning gets a look at the crown and every joint, and we rebuild only the courses that actually need it.
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Tuckpointing
We grind out worn joints and refill them in a color matched to your brick, then run a thin raised line so old joints look crisp again.
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Brick repair
Cracked or flaking bricks come out one at a time, and we set replacements matched in size and color so the repair doesn't stand out.
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Driveway pavers
You want a driveway that holds up to cars without shifting, so we dig out, compact a gravel base in layers and lock the pavers in with edging.
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Retaining wall construction
On a sloped yard, the wall's height and what sits above it set the footing size, the drainage behind it and whether it needs engineering.
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Masonry restoration
Older brick and stone walls get cleaned, repointed and repaired with materials that suit their age, because hard modern mortar can crack soft old brick.
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Fireplace installation
We build masonry fireplaces in brick or stone, sizing the firebox, hearth and surround to the room and lining the firebox with firebrick that takes the heat.
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Stone veneer installation
If you want the look of stone without a full stone wall, we set thin veneer over metal lath and a rough base coat so it stays put.
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Concrete block walls
Block walls are what we're known for, built on a footing sized to the wall with rebar grouted into the hollow cores and courses kept plumb and level.
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Foundation block wall installation
For the short foundation wall a house or addition sits on, we lay block on a poured footing and tie it together with rebar.
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Outdoor kitchen masonry
We build the block frame and stone or brick facing for a backyard kitchen, laying out grill openings and utility runs before the first course goes down.
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Walkway construction
A walkway should drain away from the house and feel even underfoot, so we set the slope and base first, then lay pavers, brick or stone.
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Brick wall installation
We lay new brick garden, screen and boundary walls on a proper footing, picking the brick and mortar color with you so the wall fits the house.
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Stone masonry
Natural stone needs each piece fitted by hand, so the stone you pick, its shape and how tight you want the joints set the pace of the work.
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Brick pointing
When mortar has worn back from the brick face, we cut joints out to an even depth and pack in fresh mortar before water works its way in.
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Working in San Bernardino: who issues the permit and what sets the price

Here, building permits come from the city's Building and Safety Division, which covers structural work, and that's where block walls, footings and foundation repair usually fall. Minor permits are often issued over the counter, but a more complex project needs its plans reviewed for code before the permit is issued, and some need plans from a California registered architect or engineer, so that review is usually what sets the start date. You can check a contractor the way the city does, since it only issues permits to contractors who show the right state license and a current city business license, plus proof of workers' comp if they have employees.

We're licensed and insured. Before we start, I check what the city asks for on your kind of job, and when a permit is needed we handle the application and line up the inspections, the same way we run jobs at home in Rancho Cucamonga and in cities farther out like Eastvale. The price turns on how big and how tall the wall is or how much brick needs work, how much old mortar or masonry has to come out, how hard the yard is to reach and whether the job needs drawings, and the estimate is where you get your own number.

The city's fence exemption covers non-masonry fences up to 7 feet, so a block or brick wall falls outside it, and every fence and wall plan needs zoning approval from the Planning Division.
If your house may be a designated historic property, I'll ask you to confirm that with the city's planning office before we plan the work.
On the north end, where lots climb toward the mountains, we plan drainage behind a retaining wall from the start, because water building up behind it is what usually pushes a wall out.
Plenty of backyards here are reached only through a side gate or a narrow side yard, so we work out how block, stone and mortar get to the back before we price the job.
When the work is permitted, it pauses at each inspection until the city signs off, so we time footings and pours around those visits.

Get a free on-site masonry estimate in San Bernardino

Tell us about the brick, chimney or wall you're looking at, and we'll reply within one business day. I come out to your San Bernardino house myself, look at the job and give you a free estimate, with no pressure and no obligation. I'll walk you through what I see and why, and I'm happy to stay for your questions.

(909) 360-4010

Masonry permit questions from San Bernardino homeowners

Do I need a permit for a retaining wall in San Bernardino?

A retaining wall 4 feet tall or less, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, doesn't need a building permit in San Bernardino unless it carries an added load like a slope or driveway above it or holds back certain liquids. Past that height, or with a load above it, the wall goes through the city for a permit. Because the height counts from the footing, a wall that shows about 3 feet above the dirt can already be past the line, so I measure that with you at the estimate.

Can I pull my own permit for work on my house in San Bernardino?

In most cases, yes, for a one- or two-family home or its accessory structure, if you live there or plan to, show proof of residence and do the work yourself. You also sign a statement that you won't employ anyone in a way covered by California workers' comp laws, and inspection requests go through the city's SB Direct line at 909-998-2000. When we do the job, the permit and inspections are on us.

Does a contractor from outside San Bernardino need a city business license to work there?

Yes, anyone doing business in San Bernardino, directly or indirectly, needs a city registration certificate unless a state or federal law exempts them, and that includes contractors based in other cities. Those outside businesses may be charged a flat rate set by the Mayor and City Council. It's a fair question to put to any contractor you're thinking of hiring, us included.

Do I need a permit to repoint brick or fix a chimney in San Bernardino?

The city's permit list doesn't name repointing either way, so I check with the city on your job before we start. Finish work like painting and tiling needs no building permit there, while structural work does, and rebuilding part of a chimney or wall is structural work. Either way, you'll know before any mortar comes out.

Service areas

We're based in Rancho Cucamonga and work across the cities around it, including the ones listed here. If your city isn't on the list, ask us.

If a wall is starting to lean or mortar is dropping out of a chimney, catching it early usually keeps the repair smaller, so call (909) 360-4010 or describe the job on our project form.