Masonry Contractor in Manteca, CA - Brick, Block and Stone Set on Solid Footings
J&M Lodi Concrete and Masonry is a Lodi masonry contractor working in Manteca, CA, where we repair older brick, chimneys and mortar joints and build block walls, retaining walls, paver driveways and outdoor kitchens.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
Masonry in Manteca, from older brick to backyard walls
The short answer: J&M Lodi Concrete and Masonry takes masonry jobs all over Manteca, from redoing the mortar on a tired brick front to building a new block wall between backyards. We're based in Lodi, Manteca sits toward the south end of the area we cover, and I come out myself to look before anyone quotes a thing.
Manteca has two kinds of houses that keep us busy. The older neighborhoods near the middle of the city have brick fronts, brick planters and chimneys whose mortar has taken decades of valley sun, and that work is mostly careful repair. The newer neighborhoods around them are stucco and stone veneer with block walls between yards, paver driveways and backyards still waiting on a patio or a grill island.
It's the same flat, low ground we work on next door in Lathrop, and it's slow to drain after a winter storm, so on almost every Manteca job the real work starts below grade with the footing and the base.
Manteca ground and weather, and what they do to masonry
Water is the big one. Manteca is flat, and the city keeps a 200-year floodplain map for its planning area with depth bands that run past three feet, so plenty of lots here sit low. Water that sits against a wall or under a driveway softens the soil, and that's when footings settle, walls lean and pavers dip, so we dig footings down to firm ground, put drain rock behind retaining walls and slope every flat surface away from the house.
Then there's the heat. Long summers bake old mortar until it goes sandy, and fresh mortar dries too fast if you lay it at two in the afternoon in July, so we start early and keep new joints damp while they set. On older brick we match the mortar to the brick, because mortar that's harder than the brick around it makes the brick crack first.
Masonry services for Manteca homes and yards
Foundation repair
When a foundation crack keeps growing or a door starts sticking, we find out whether the ground or drainage is moving it before we patch anything.
Chimney repair
If chimney bricks are loose or the crown, the concrete cap up top, has cracked, we rebuild what's failing so rain stays out of the chimney.
Tuckpointing
When the mortar between your bricks has gone sandy or sunk back, we grind out the worn joints and pack in fresh mortar matched to the old brick.
Brick repair
On an older house with cracked or crumbling bricks, we cut out the bad ones one at a time and set in brick that matches size and color.
Driveway pavers
Pavers suit a driveway on flat ground that holds water, because we pack a solid base under them and slope it so rain runs off instead of pooling.
Retaining wall construction
When soil needs holding back, we build the retaining wall on a real footing with drain rock behind it so water drains away instead of pushing on it.
Masonry restoration
For an older brick house or wall that's stained, patched and worn, we clean it gently, fix the joints and bricks, and bring back how it looked.
Fireplace installation
If you want a brick or stone fireplace indoors or on the patio, we build the firebox and surround to fit your room and how you'll use it.
Stone veneer installation
Stone veneer, a thin layer of real or cast stone, dresses up a plain stucco front, a column or a fireplace without the weight of full stone.
Concrete block walls
Block walls are the go-to between backyards in Manteca's newer neighborhoods, and we set ours on a poured footing with steel and grout where the wall needs it.
Foundation block wall installation
When an addition, a garage or a crawlspace needs block foundation walls, we lay them true and level on the footing so everything built above sits right.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
For a backyard grill island or outdoor kitchen, we build a block frame sized to your grill and finish it in brick, stone or stucco.
Walkway construction
We build brick, paver and stone walkways to the front door or side yard on a packed base, pitched so winter rain runs off instead of puddling.
Brick wall installation
A new brick garden or entry wall can match an older house, and we build it on a proper footing with a cap that sheds water.
Stone masonry
Natural stone works for planter walls, steps and borders, and we fit each piece by hand and bed it in mortar so it sits tight through hot summers.
Brick pointing
If only a few mortar joints have cracked or fallen out, we fill just those, a smaller job than redoing the whole wall and often all you need.
Your free masonry estimate in Manteca, done on site
Send us a few lines about your Manteca project and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I'll come out myself, walk the job with you and leave you a free estimate, with no obligation and no pressure to book.
Working in Manteca: permits, licenses and price
Building permits in Manteca come from the city's Building Division, which covers work that makes structural changes, so a foundation wall, a chimney rebuild or a taller block wall can go through it, and the city's review and inspections set when we can start and finish. If your job needs one, we apply for it and line up the inspections ourselves. Before you hire anyone, ask to see two things, their California contractor license and their City of Manteca business license, and we're fully licensed and insured and glad to show you ours. What moves the price here is mostly below ground, like how deep a footing goes, how much base a driveway needs on soft soil and whether old brick has to be matched, while the schedule turns on permit review and winter rain. Your own number comes from the estimate, after I've seen the job.
Newer Manteca neighborhoods look a lot like the ones we work in down in Tracy, with shared block walls between yards and narrow side yards. So before day one we sort out where the block, the mixer and the wheelbarrows go, and we keep your neighbor in the loop when the wall is half theirs.
What to expect when you call us about a Manteca job
Here's how a job goes from your first call to the final walk-through, and I'm the one you'll see at the estimate and working with the crew.
- Step 01
Call or send a message
Call (209) 269-8703 or use the form with a short note, plus a photo or two if you have them. We get back to you and set a time for me to come out.
- Step 02
I check the job with you
I look at the footing, the drainage and the mortar with you and tell you plainly what I see, and if a smaller repair will do, I'll say so. You get your estimate before anything starts, so the cost isn't a guess.
- Step 03
We handle permits and build
If the job needs a permit, we apply with the city and schedule the inspections, and the city's review is what sets our start date. I work alongside our crew, and you don't need to be home once we've agreed on the plan.
- Step 04
Clean up and walk through
We clean up and walk the finished job with you so you can look over the joints, the edges and how the water runs off. Satisfaction guaranteed.
Manteca masonry questions we hear most
Do I need a permit for a block wall or retaining wall in Manteca?
A short one may not need a building permit, because the city's list of work that needs no building permit covers masonry and concrete fences up to 3 feet tall and retaining walls up to 4 feet, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall. That holds only if the wall isn't carrying extra weight above it, like a driveway or a slope, or holding back flammable liquids, which won't come up in most backyards. Walls on that list still have to meet the code and the city's setbacks, which the Planning Division can tell you at 209-456-8500, and we check your wall against the list before we price it.
Does a contractor need a city business license to work in Manteca?
Yes, every contractor and subcontractor working inside Manteca city limits needs a valid City of Manteca Business License, even for a one-time job. The city treats it as an annual tax, so it's an easy thing to ask any contractor to show you before work starts.
Does a masonry contractor in Manteca need a California state license?
Yes, whenever the job needs a building permit, uses paid employees, or comes to $1,000 or more in labor and materials together, which covers most masonry work. The state licensing board requires that license before a contractor even gives you a bid. Anyone who sells home improvement contracts for a licensed contractor also has to register with the board, so ask the person writing your bid too.
How much does masonry work cost in Manteca?
Masonry here is priced by the job, and the biggest swings come from what's under it, because a wall or driveway on low, soft ground needs more digging and base than one on firm soil. Brick and natural stone cost more than block, matching old brick takes extra time, and pointing a few joints instead of redoing a whole wall can cut the bill a lot. I'll give you your number on site, after I've had a look.
What causes cracks in brick and block walls in Manteca?
Most cracks come from water and settling, because soil that stays wet under a footing softens and lets one end of the wall sink. Worn mortar, and mortar that's harder than the brick, cause their share too, and Manteca's own planning found ground in its planning area that can liquefy, where wet, loose soil loses strength in an earthquake, though no detailed map of it exists for the region. A crack that's wider at one end or keeps growing is worth having me look at before anyone patches it.
How do I know if work near my sidewalk needs a permit in Manteca?
If the work reaches into the city right-of-way, the strip from the sidewalk to your front property line, generally two feet or more behind the sidewalk, it may need an Encroachment Permit from Public Works at 209-456-8580. Sidewalk and driveway work in that strip needs the proper permits, so a driveway apron or a walkway that ties into the sidewalk is worth checking first. On your own lot, walks and driveways no more than 30 inches above the ground and not over a basement are on the city's no-building-permit list.
Tell us about your Manteca masonry project
Call (209) 269-8703 or use the form any day of the week, since we answer from 6 AM on weekdays and 7 AM on weekends.