Masonry Contractor in Kensington, CA - Careful Repair and New Walls on Sloped Lots
Ironstone Berkeley Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor based in Berkeley that works in Kensington, CA. We repair old brick and stone, repoint worn chimneys and build retaining walls, steps and paths on the hillside lots here.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
Kensington's hillside streets and older houses
Kensington sits in the hills just above Berkeley and Albany, and it's almost all houses, with a short run of shops and not much commercial space. The streets are narrow and wind up the slope, and a lot of the houses are older, with brick chimneys, stone garden walls and a flight of steps between the street and the front door.
Most jobs here start with the slope. Getting material and a crew to a wall two flights above the street takes planning, and a wall that holds up a yard has to be built for the ground behind it, not just the look.
Masonry services we do in Kensington
Older Kensington houses often sit on brick or early concrete foundations on sloped ground. We repair cracked and crumbling sections so the house has something solid under it.
Brick chimneys here take years of wind and rain on exposed hillside roofs. We rebuild loose tops and repair cracked brick before pieces start landing on your roof.
On older brick walls and chimneys here, we replace worn joints and finish them with a thin, neat line so the brickwork looks sharp and sheds water.
Bricks with flaked faces show up on garden walls and steps that stay damp under the trees. We cut out the bad ones and set matching brick.
Steep, short driveways here need a firm base and edges that hold. We lay pavers on packed base so they stay put when you brake on the slope.
Sloped Kensington yards often need a wall to hold the ground. We build retaining walls in block, brick or stone, sized for the slope they're holding back.
On older Kensington houses where brick or stone is part of the look, we repair and clean it with matching materials so the work blends in.
For living rooms that never had one or patios with a view, we build brick and stone fireplaces laid to the plans and clearances the job calls for.
We face bare concrete foundations that show on the downhill side of many houses here with thin stone veneer, for the look of stone without a full wall.
Concrete block makes a strong, plain wall for property lines and sloped yards here, with steel and grout in the hollow cores where the wall needs strength.
When an old foundation wall under a Kensington house is past repair, we replace it with a new block wall, filled and reinforced, set on a proper footing.
Flat patio space is scarce on these lots, so we build compact brick, block and stone counters and grill surrounds that fit what you have.
Many houses here sit above or below the street, so we build brick and stone paths and stairs with even steps you can climb in the dark.
For garden walls, low walls along the street and planters, we lay new brick that suits the older houses around it, on a footing sized for the wall.
Old stone walls and steps turn up in a lot of Kensington yards. We rebuild loose sections and lay new stone that sits right beside the old.
When mortar between bricks has gone sandy on a Kensington wall or chimney, we rake out the worn joints and refill them before water gets behind the brick.
Get an on-site estimate for masonry in Kensington
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a visit. I come out myself and give you a free estimate on site, with no obligation to go ahead.
(510) 345-1156- Based in
- Berkeley, CA 94703
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–9 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–9 PM
Working in Kensington, where the County issues permits
Kensington isn't an incorporated city, so Contra Costa County issues its building permits and handles its zoning and code enforcement. When a job needs a permit, the County's review comes before we lay a brick, so the permit, more than the work, usually decides when we can start. Before you hire anyone here, check for a current California contractor license and a County business license, which the County requires for work in its unincorporated areas even when the contractor holds a license from another city. We're licensed and fully insured.
We talk through the permit side with you before work starts, and when your job needs one, we handle the paperwork with the County's permit office. Price here mostly turns on how much old mortar, brick or stone has to come out, how tall the wall is and what material you pick, and your estimate spells those out for your job. The same steep lots and tired walls come up next door in El Cerrito, where we do the same work.
Sloped lots and older brickwork in Kensington
Most lots here slope, some of them hard, so a lot of the ground around a house is held in place by walls, steps and footings built decades ago. Winter rain runs down through that ground, and when it can't get out from behind a wall, the wall starts to lean or crack. When we build or rebuild one, we give the water a way out, because a wall that drains usually outlasts one that's just thicker.
Then there's age. Plenty of chimneys and garden walls here have been patched over the years with hard cement mortar, which is tougher than the old brick and wins every argument by breaking it. We match the mortar to the brick so the joint wears first, since joints are cheap to redo and bricks aren't.
What happens when you call us about a Kensington job
Here's how a Kensington job runs from your first call to the final walk-through, including when you'll want to be home.
Call us or send the form
Call (510) 345-1156 or send the form and tell us what you're seeing. We get back to you to set a time for me to come out.
I look at the job
I come out and look at the job myself, so it helps if you're home to show me what's bothering you. You get an estimate that says what we'll do and why, and if the wall is fine, I'll tell you that instead.
We settle the permit question
If your job needs a permit or planning approval, we sort that out before anything starts. Your start date waits on that review, so we book the work once it's through.
We build it and walk it
I work alongside our crew on the job, and you don't need to be home while we work. When we're done, we clean up and walk the finished job with you.
Questions about masonry work in Kensington
Does my masonry project in Kensington need a permit?
Probably, since the County's permit guidance says almost all projects need one, and its examples include repairs and foundation repairs. Even a job that turns out not to need a permit still has to meet every County code and ordinance. It's one of the first things I'll go over with you at the estimate.
How do I know if my retaining wall in Kensington needs a permit?
Under the County's rules, a retaining wall 3 feet or more needs a building permit, so the height of the wall you need is the first thing to settle. Larger yard projects on steep ground can also call for a drainage plan, so I look at the whole project, not just the wall, before we plan it.
How do I find out if my Kensington project needs design review?
If you're adding a new structure or changing the outside of your house, it likely does, because the County requires planning approval for that kind of change and lists Kensington among its design review areas, a check of how a project looks and fits. Kensington also has two County planning rules of its own on top of the countywide plan. I'll raise the question at the estimate for anything that changes how your house looks from outside.
Does a masonry contractor need a California license to work in Kensington?
Yes, for most masonry jobs, because California requires a license from the Contractors State License Board whenever the work needs a building permit, uses any workers besides the contractor, or costs $1,000 or more in labor and materials. That $1,000 cutoff used to be $500, so older advice online may quote the lower figure. Someone working under the cutoff still can't take a job that needs a permit or brings in helpers.
Is Kensington in a fire hazard zone?
Yes. The Kensington Fire Protection District says the community is in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, as CalFire has mapped it. Brick, stone and concrete don't burn, which is one reason masonry walls, paths and outdoor kitchens make sense close to the house here.
How much does masonry work cost in Kensington?
Your number comes from the estimate, because masonry here is priced on what I see at your house, not off a chart. Matching old brick or stone usually costs more than new material, a job that needs a permit or a drainage plan adds design and paperwork, and repairing a wall is usually cheaper than rebuilding it.
Berkeley, CA
Tell us about your Kensington masonry job
Call or send the form with what you're seeing and any permit questions, because worn joints and leaning walls get expensive slowly, and a look now usually beats a rebuild later.