Stone masonry in Gardena CA - a stone wall that's built right the first time
Crumbling mortar in an old stone wall, or a yard that needs one? We fix what's there or build new stone that fits your house.
Should I repair my stone wall or build a new one?
Stone masonry in Gardena is building walls, fences and paving with natural or manufactured stone, set in mortar or stacked dry, and repairing older stone walls where the mortar has worn out.
Most people who call about stone have one of two things going on: an old wall with mortar sanding out of the joints, or a plain yard where they want a stone wall, a planter or a stone face on something bland. The price moves with the kind of stone, how tall and long the wall is, and on a repair, how much old mortar has to come out and how deep. The schedule mostly turns on whether the wall needs a permit and city inspections, and on getting the stone delivered. I'll put what your wall needs in a written estimate once I've seen it.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Stone, brick and foundation masonry
How we handle stone masonry
First we sort out whether you want real stone, manufactured stone or a fix on the wall you already have, because each one is a different job. A new wall in real stone gets set in mortar or dry-stacked, and a dry-stacked wall has no mortar or steel in it at all, so the weight, size and shape of every rock is what keeps it standing and we pick and fit each one by hand. Manufactured stone goes on as a face over a solid wall. On an old stone wall, we take the worn mortar out by hand so the stones don't get chewed up, refill the joints and clean up before we leave.
Stone work often sits next to other jobs. If the house or a garden wall is brick and the joints are going soft, that's brick pointing, the same repair done with brick in mind. If a stone wall keeps cracking because what's under it has moved, we look at foundation repair before we lay a single stone, because new work on a bad base cracks the same way the old work did.
Why Gardena homeowners call us for stone work
I come out to every job
I look at every stone job myself, and my own small crew and I do the work. The person who measured your wall is the one setting the stones.
Trained on inspected new construction
I learned masonry laying block and brick on new construction sites, where every wall gets checked before anyone moves on. I build a yard wall the same way, so it only gets done once.
Licensed and insured for masonry
We're licensed and insured, and I'm glad to show you both at the estimate. Anyone working on your property should be able to.
Based in Gardena since 2023
I started this business in Gardena in 2023, and most of our calls come from homeowners around here with an old wall that's crumbling or a yard project they've put off. We keep the mess contained and the yard protected while we work, because you're living there the whole time.
A stone wall is only as good as its joints and what it sits on, so that's where we spend our time. Call (424) 528-1318 or send us the wall's height, the stone you like and a few photos, and I'll take it from there.
Get a free estimate for your stone wall
Send the wall's height, the stone you have in mind and a few photos. We'll reply within one business day to set up a free on-site estimate, with no obligation to go ahead.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
What happens after you call about stone work in Gardena?
Call or send the form
Reach us by phone or through the form, and we'll set a time for me to come see the wall. We pick up seven days a week, early mornings into the evening.
I measure and write it up
I come out myself with a tape and a few questions, and you get a written estimate that says what I'd do and why. If anything changes once the wall is open, California law says the change goes in writing, in plain words, with your right to cancel spelled out.
We handle permits and inspections
If your wall needs a permit, we take it out under our license and set up the inspections with the city. The city's inspectors check the work at stages along the way, so we plan the job around their visits.
We build, clean up, walk it
My crew and I do the work, protect the yard and clean up when we're done. Then I walk the finished wall with you.
Stone masonry questions from Gardena
Do I need a permit for a stone wall in Gardena?
Yes, if the wall stands more than 3 feet above the ground next to it, and a wall over 6 feet also needs engineered details and calculations under the city's wall standard. The city takes the application and plans as PDFs, so check with the Building Department before anything gets built. If yours needs a permit, we handle it as the steps above lay out, and if it's shorter, we'll check with the city and tell you where it stands.
How much does stone masonry cost in Gardena?
Your cost comes down to the stone, the size of the wall and how much the old wall needs, and you'll get it in writing after I see the job. Manufactured stone over a wall that's already standing usually costs less than a new freestanding wall of real stone, and a wall tall enough to need engineering adds that work. On a repair, raking joints out by hand takes more labor than a grinder, but on old stone it's the right call.
What's the difference between natural stone and manufactured stone?
Manufactured stone is a lightweight veneer cast from cement and aggregate to look like natural stone, and it isn't built to carry a load. The maker makes it to face a surface, so it suits a stone look on a wall that's already standing. When the wall itself has to do the holding, we build it in natural stone.
How do I know if my stone wall needs repointing?
If the mortar between the stones is crumbling, sandy or sitting back from the face while the stones themselves are still sound, the joints need repointing. Stone lasts, but mortar wears, and repointing means taking out the worn mortar and putting new mortar in its place. On walls with wide joints the old mortar can need to come out several inches deep, so ask any crew how deep they plan to go on yours.
What is the best way to repair the mortar in an old stone wall?
Use a mortar that lets moisture and vapor move out of the wall and dry off, because mortar that traps water ends up damaging the stones around it. The stone is the part you can't easily replace, so the mortar should give way before it does. We look at the old mortar and the stone before we choose the mix.
What license should a stone mason have in California?
A stone mason in California should hold the state's masonry contractor license, which covers installing natural and manufactured stone, including walls, fences and paving. The state license board's definition also takes in the cleaning, clear waterproofing and caulking that go with masonry work. That's the license to ask about before anyone starts on your wall.
Work that goes with stone masonry
Brick pointing
Brick chimneys, garden walls and house walls wear at the joints much like stone does, and we can rake and refill them while we're already set up.
Foundation repair
When a stone wall or the house beside it shows cracks that keep growing, the footing underneath may need fixing first so new stonework stays put.