Brick wall installation in Gardena CA - a garden wall built on a solid footing
Crumbling garden wall or a yard project you've put off? We build brick walls on a solid footing with brick made for outdoor weather.
What does it take to build a brick wall in Gardena?
Brick wall installation in Gardena means setting a footing in undisturbed ground and building the brick wall on top of it, so you get a garden wall that's built to stand up outside. Unlike a house wall, a garden wall takes sun and rain on every face its whole life, so the footing, the brick and the work all have to be right.
Most people who call us about this have an old garden wall that's falling apart, or a side yard or back lot line they've meant to close in for a while. The price moves with how long and how tall the wall is, how much footing it needs and which brick goes into it, and the schedule mostly turns on the permit question. Gardena requires a building permit for most residential work, and its list names fences but not brick walls, so I sort out with the City of Gardena whether yours needs one before we dig. Your written estimate spells out what I'd do on your wall and why.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Brick walls and other masonry work
How we handle brick wall installation
A garden wall lives out in the open, so I'm picky about the footing and the brick that goes into it. We lay out the line and protect the lawn and beds around it, then dig the footing down past loose fill to undisturbed ground, because fill settles and a wall sitting on it cracks. The brick industry's garden wall guide calls for reinforcing the footing where the soil moves, and I'll tell you at the estimate how yours will be built. We pick brick made to stand up outdoors, and if you want to reuse old brick, I'll look it over first and tell you straight whether it's up to the job. Then we lay the wall with full mortar joints, cap the top so rain runs off, and keep the mess down the whole time, because you're living there while we work.
A brick wall often ties into other masonry. If you'd like stone caps, stone piers or a stone base under the brick, our stone masonry work sits on the same footing and finishes the wall in one go. And if the wall you have is still solid and it's only the mortar giving out, brick pointing, grinding out the worn joints and packing in fresh mortar, can save it without a rebuild.
Why Gardena homeowners call us for a brick wall
I come out to every job
I look at every job myself, and my own small crew and I do the work. The person who planned your footing is the one standing there when it gets dug and poured.
Trained where work gets checked
I learned masonry laying block and brick on new construction, where every stage gets looked over, and I started this business in 2023. Your wall gets built to that same standard, once and right, so you're not paying to fix it later.
Licensed to pull Gardena permits
We're licensed and insured. In Gardena only properly licensed people, or people state contractor law exempts, can take out a permit, so when your wall needs one we take it out under our license and set up the inspections.
Tell us where the wall goes, roughly how long it runs and whether you have brick you'd like to reuse, by calling (424) 528-1318 or using our contact form.
Get a free on-site estimate for your brick wall
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I'll come out to look at the spot myself, and the estimate is free with no obligation.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
What happens after you call about a brick wall in Gardena
Call and I come measure
Call (424) 528-1318 or send the form, and I'll come out myself with a tape and a few questions about where the wall runs and what you need it to do.
Get a written estimate
The written estimate says what I'd build and why, from the footing to the brick, and if the city is going to want a permit or drawn plans from an architect or engineer, which it says many projects need, I'll tell you. When a permit is needed, the city usually turns simple over-the-counter ones, such as fence permits, around in three business days, and we plan the start date around that.
We build, clean up, walk it
My crew and I build the wall, and on a permitted job the city's inspectors check the work at stages to make sure it follows the approved plans. When it's done we clean up and I walk the finished wall with you.
Brick wall questions from Gardena homeowners
How much does it cost to build a brick wall in Gardena?
The cost comes from what your wall needs, and I put it in writing after I've seen the spot. Beyond its length, height and footing, the price goes up if an old wall has to come out first, if materials have to be carried into a backyard by hand or if you want caps or piers, and it comes down with simpler brick and a straight run that's easy to reach. Call (424) 528-1318 and I'll come measure it.
Can I reuse old brick for a garden wall?
Sometimes, but used brick often isn't tough enough for a wall that stands outside. The brick industry's garden wall guide says salvaged brick only belongs in a garden wall if it meets the hard-weather grade called SW, and that used brick generally falls short, partly because older brick was often fired unevenly. Set aside what you'd like to keep and ask about its grade before you plan around it.
What happens if I build a wall in Gardena without a permit?
If the wall needed a permit, the city treats the work as illegal, and it will cause trouble when you go to sell the house. The city also warns that fire and homeowner's insurance coverage for unpermitted work may be invalidated, which is why we settle the permit question before anything gets dug.
What should I look for in a contractor to build a brick wall?
Look for real skill with brick, because a garden wall is so exposed that the brick industry's guide warns any defect may lead to decay and perhaps failure of the wall. California's licensing board has a masonry classification, C-29, for this kind of work, and a good builder should be able to tell you how the footing will be built and what brick goes in.
How much upkeep does a brick garden wall need?
Very little, if the wall was designed and built well. The cap on top and any sealant joints are the parts to look over now and then, since they take the most weather and may need repair over the years.
What causes white powder on a new brick wall?
That white bloom is usually efflorescence, salts carried to the surface as a new wall dries out, and it often shows up soon after building. If it keeps coming back long after, water is likely getting into the wall and staying there, and that's worth having looked at.
Work that goes with a brick wall installation
Stone masonry
Pick stone if you want a rougher, natural face next to the house, or mix it with brick for steps, planters and borders that match.
Brick pointing
Once a brick wall has stood for years, worn joints let water in, and repointing them early keeps a sound wall from becoming a rebuild.