Masonry contractor in Garden Acres, CA - brick and block built for flat ground
J&M Lodi Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor based in Lodi that repairs brick, chimneys and mortar joints and builds block walls, walkways and pavers for homeowners in Garden Acres, in San Joaquin County.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
Masonry work in Garden Acres, from a Lodi crew
The short answer: Yes, we do masonry work in Garden Acres. J&M Lodi Concrete and Masonry is based in Lodi, and Garden Acres is one of the cities around Lodi we work in. I come out myself to look at your brick, block or stone and tell you what it really needs.
Most of what we see in Garden Acres is single-family homes with yards big enough for a garden, a block wall along the back and a walkway or two that's taken a lot of sun. The calls here sound a lot like the ones we get in Stockton and back home in Lodi: mortar going sandy, a brick planter coming apart, a sunken walkway, or a patio project that's been on the list for a few summers.
Plenty of the houses here have some years on them, so a lot of our work is matching old brick rather than laying new. Older brick usually wants a softer mortar than new block does, because the mortar is supposed to wear out before the brick does, so I check what's in your wall before we mix anything.
Water and heat are what wear masonry here
San Joaquin County sits low and flat with an exceptionally high water table, so the ground under your yard can stay wet a lot longer than you'd think. That water works on everything near the ground. It softens the base under pavers and walkways, soaks into the bottom rows of brick and pushes on the back of retaining walls, which is why we dig out, pack the base and give water a way out before we set a single block.
Summers here are long and hot, and fresh mortar that dries too fast in the sun turns weak and crumbly before it ever sets up hard. We do mortar work in the cooler part of the day when we can and keep new joints damp so they set slowly, which is the kind of step nobody sees but every wall depends on.
Masonry services for Garden Acres homes and yards
Foundation repair
When a foundation crack keeps growing or a corner has dropped, we find out why first, usually water, then repair the crack and deal with what caused it.
Chimney repair
If the bricks up top are loose, the concrete cap is cracked or mortar is washing out of your chimney, we rebuild what's failing before rain gets in.
Tuckpointing
Tuckpointing is for mortar joints that have gone sandy or sunk back, so we grind out the worn mortar and pack in fresh, colored to blend in.
Brick repair
Cracked, chipped or crumbling bricks let water into the wall behind them, so we cut out the bad ones and set the closest match we can find.
Driveway pavers
Paver driveways on flat ground sink and rock when water sits under them, so most of the job is digging out, packing the base and edging it well.
Retaining wall construction
Even a low wall holding back a raised bed or a bit of slope needs drainage behind it, so we build in gravel and a way out for water.
Masonry restoration
For an older brick house or wall that's worn in several places, we look at the whole thing and start with whatever is letting water in.
Fireplace installation
If you're adding a fireplace, in the living room or out on the patio, we build the firebox and the brick or stone around it.
Stone veneer installation
Stone veneer, a thin layer of stone, can dress up a plain foundation or block wall, and we take care with the backing so it doesn't trap water.
Concrete block walls
A block wall along a property line or around a yard is only as straight as its footing, so that's where we spend our time first.
Foundation block wall installation
For an addition or a detached garage, we lay the block foundation walls level and square, because everything framed on top inherits any mistake.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
If you're building a grill station or outdoor kitchen, we build the block or brick base on a footing meant to stay put when the yard gets soggy.
Walkway construction
We build walkways to the front door or back gate in brick, pavers or stone, with a slight slope so rain runs off instead of puddling.
Brick wall installation
A new brick garden wall or planter can match the house when we take time picking the brick and the mortar color before the first row goes down.
Stone masonry
For stone steps, garden walls or entry columns, we fit natural stone by hand and set it in mortar that suits the stone.
Brick pointing
When only a few joints have cracked or fallen out, pointing fixes just those spots, which is often all a wall needs and costs less than redoing it.
Get a free on-site masonry estimate in Garden Acres
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set up a visit. I'll come out to your Garden Acres home myself, look at the job with you and leave a free estimate, with no obligation and no pressure to book.
Working in Garden Acres: permits, licenses and price
Garden Acres is a census-designated place in San Joaquin County, not an incorporated city. Where the county is the building authority, its Community Development Department issues permits for all new construction, additions and remodels, so a permit job runs on the county's review and inspection timing as well as ours. Before you hire anyone, check two things: a California contractor's license from the Contractors State License Board, and a business license, which a contractor gets from the county if it's based in the unincorporated area and from its own city if it's based in one, such as Stockton. We're fully licensed and insured, and we take the permit paperwork off your plate, which I'll walk through in the steps below.
What moves the price here is mostly what's under and behind the work: the base, the drainage and how much old material has to come out. The schedule turns on the permit if there is one, on finding brick that matches and on the weather, and the estimate I leave you after looking at the job is your real number. We do this same kind of work over in Country Club and across the county, so Garden Acres ground and houses are nothing new to us.
What to expect when you call us about a Garden Acres job
Here's how a Garden Acres job goes with us, from your first call to the walk-through at the end. I do the first look myself, and I'm on the job with our crew.
- Step 01
Call us or send the form
Call (209) 269-8703 or use the form and tell us a little about the job. We'll set a time for me to come out to Garden Acres.
- Step 02
I look at it with you
I check the mortar, the base and where the water goes, then tell you in plain words what I see and leave you an estimate. It helps if you're home so we can walk it together, and if a small repair will do, that's what I'll recommend.
- Step 03
Permit first, then the work
If the job needs a permit, we apply for it and line up the inspections with whichever city or county office covers your address, and work starts once it's issued. I work right alongside our crew, so the person who looked at your job is there while it gets done.
- Step 04
Clean up and final walk-through
We clean up and haul off the old material, then walk the finished job with you so you can look over every joint and ask anything. Satisfaction guaranteed.
Garden Acres masonry questions we hear
How do I know if my masonry project needs a permit in Garden Acres?
Where San Joaquin County is the building authority, new construction, additions and remodels need a county building permit, and so do accessory structures like a detached garage, patio cover or storage building, so a block foundation for an addition or garage will need one. The county code exempts fences no more than 7 feet high from a building permit, though planning, zoning and setback rules still apply. For repairs like pointing or chimney work, you can ask the county's building office at (209) 468-2098, and we'll check it with you before we start.
Who can pull a building permit in San Joaquin County?
Only the current property owner or a California licensed contractor on file with the county can get a county permit, and either one can authorize someone else in writing using the county's forms. A county permit goes invalid if work doesn't start within 12 months of being issued, or if work stops for 12 months after it starts.
When does a contractor need a California license for masonry work?
The state board requires a license when a project needs a building permit, uses additional workers, or totals $1,000 or more in labor and materials. Contractors, home improvement businesses included, have to be licensed before they bid, so ask to see the license before you take anyone's estimate seriously.
How do I find out if my Garden Acres property is in a flood zone?
Call the county's Department of Public Works at (209) 468-3089, because it keeps the flood insurance rate maps for properties in the county's special flood hazard areas and its staff help with that map information on request. It matters for new building, since structures in a flood hazard zone have to be designed to county ordinances, so it's worth checking before we plan a new foundation or wall.
How much does masonry repair cost in Garden Acres?
I can only give you a real number once I've seen the job, because the price moves with how big it is, how much old brick or mortar has to come out and how much base and drainage work goes under it. Matching old brick, tight access for the crew and whether the county needs a permit can all add to it, while catching a problem early, like pointing a few joints instead of rebuilding a section, usually keeps it down.
What causes pavers and walkways to sink on flat ground like Garden Acres?
Usually it's water sitting in a base that was too thin or never packed well, because on ground this flat and this wet, rain has nowhere to go but down. We fix it by pulling the pavers, digging out the soft base, rebuilding it in packed layers and setting them back with a slight slope so water runs off.
Get your Garden Acres masonry job looked at
We're open early and late seven days a week, so call (209) 269-8703 or send the form whenever you get a minute and we'll find a time to come out.