Masonry Contractor in Westmont, CA - Brick Repair and New Walls on Tight Lots
Liberty Gardena Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor based in Gardena that works in Westmont. We repair worn brick and mortar and build block walls, walkways and outdoor kitchens for homes across the community.
Westmont: close-set homes, little open ground
Westmont is an urban, residential community close to Gardena, where we're based, and there's almost no vacant land left in it. Most of what we're called out for here is already on the lot and wearing out, like a block wall along the property line that's started to lean, brick steps with cracked faces or mortar that's gone sandy on an older wall.
With houses this close together, there's rarely room in the yard for a pallet of block, and the neighbor's fence or wall is usually right there. So before we start, we plan where the material sits, cover what's beside the work and keep the dust and mortar off your yard and theirs, the way we do on similar lots in Hawthorne.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Masonry work we do in Westmont
Concrete block walls
On close-set lots, the block wall along the property line is your privacy. We rebuild leaning or cracked sections and build new walls straight and solid.
Brick repair
Brick steps, porches and planters take a beating until a face cracks or a corner breaks off. We cut out the bad brick and set a close match.
Tuckpointing
On the older walls we see here, sandy mortar lets water in and loosens the brick. We grind out the worn joints and pack in fresh mortar.
Fireplace installation
On a close-set lot, a new fireplace has to work around the chimney run and the house next door. Our fireplace installation starts with that layout.
Walkway construction
Front walks here are often short, cracked concrete runs between the lawn and the driveway. We dig out, pack a solid base and build a walk that drains.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
Backyards here are usually tight, so an outdoor kitchen has to fit the space you have. We build block and brick counters that still leave room to move.
What we know about masonry jobs in Westmont
Westmont is unincorporated, so masonry permits here come from LA County Public Works, which issues them for new structures, alterations, repairs and replacements on County property. Check your address first with the County's permit office lookup, because a lot outside the County's reach goes to a different office, and when it is the County, the lookup gives you the local Building and Safety contact. If your job needs a permit, we take it out under our license and set up the inspections, and that inspection calendar sets the pace more than the laying does. If it doesn't need one, we'll tell you that too. Before you hire anyone, ask for their state contractor license, and ask whether a County business license applies to them, since the County licenses certain kinds of business in its unincorporated areas. We're licensed and insured.
What moves the price is the size and height of the work, whether it's block, brick or stone, how much old masonry comes out first and how much we carry by hand. The schedule turns on the permit, the inspection dates and how long the mortar and any new footing need to set before we build on them, and you get your own number after I come out and look at it. Deliveries come in on residential streets lined with parked cars, so we time them and keep material off the sidewalk, the same as on our jobs in West Rancho Dominguez and Del Aire.
Get a free on-site masonry estimate in Westmont
Send the form or call (424) 528-1318, and we'll reply within one business day to set a time to come out. I look at your Westmont job myself and give you a price on site, free, with no pressure and no obligation.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Masonry ideas for Westmont homes
Westmont masonry questions
How much does masonry work cost in Westmont, CA?
Masonry here is priced by the job after I've seen it, because two walls the same length can need very different footings and prep. The things that usually add cost in Westmont are a new footing under a wall that's been sitting on too little, matching older brick so a repair doesn't stand out, and any permit and inspections the job needs. Call (424) 528-1318 or use the form to set up a visit.
When does a masonry contractor in California need a state license?
Under the Contractors State License Board's rules, a contractor needs a license when labor and materials on a job total $1,000 or more, when the job needs a building permit or when they bring on other workers, and they have to be licensed before they bid. Anyone who sells or signs home improvement contracts for a licensed contractor also has to be registered with the board. On our jobs, I come out and look at the work myself, and my own crew and I do it.
How long does a County building permit stay active in Westmont?
On a County permit, the first inspection has to be requested within 12 months of getting the permit, and a follow-up inspection every 6 months keeps it active after that. When we pull the permit, we book those inspections as the work reaches each stage, so you're not tracking the dates yourself.
Does an outdoor kitchen in Westmont need a permit?
The gas, water and power lines usually do, because the County issues permits for installing electrical, plumbing and mechanical systems. Work that's exempt from a building permit can still need its own plumbing, electrical or mechanical permit, and zoning rules still apply. I'll tell you at the estimate what your kitchen needs.
How do I check if my Westmont home is in an earthquake hazard zone?
Put your address into the state's EQ Zapp map. It shows whether a property sits in a mapped zone for fault rupture, liquefaction, where soil briefly turns to quicksand, or quake-caused landslides, or whether the area hasn't been evaluated yet. If you're planning a new wall or foundation work, it's a quick thing to look up, and I'm glad to go over the result with you on site.
What causes old block walls in Westmont to lean or crack?
Usually it's the footing, because once the base under a wall settles or shifts, the wall follows it. Water sitting at the base, tree roots and earthquakes all add to it. When I come out, I look at the base and the footing first, because that decides whether we repair the wall or take it down and rebuild it.