Masonry Contractor in Oak Hills - Block Walls and Brick for Open Desert Lots
D&L Hesperia Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor based in Hesperia, CA, working in Oak Hills next door. We build block walls, retaining walls and fireplaces, and we repair and repoint brick on Oak Hills homes.
Homes on open lots across Oak Hills
Oak Hills sits right next to Hesperia, close enough that we work there often, but it feels a lot more open. Houses sit back on bigger parcels with long drives, room for animals and a shop out back, and most of the calls we get are from homeowners who want a wall around all of it or the brick on the house put right.
Out toward Phelan the lots look much the same, open ground with some slope to it. On land like this the job usually starts in the dirt, with what the wall will stand on, before anyone picks a block color.
What working in Oak Hills means for your job
Oak Hills is unincorporated, so San Bernardino County handles building permits and inspections here rather than a city. Before work starts I check which building office covers your address, and when a permit is needed we apply for it through the county's Building and Safety office as your licensed contractor, so the permit has to be in hand before we start and it can set the start date more than anything else. There's no county business license to look up for a contractor out here, so the one to ask about is the state contractor's license, and we're licensed and insured.
The price on an Oak Hills job mostly comes down to how long and tall the wall is, how deep the footing has to go in your ground, how far we carry block and concrete across the lot from a dirt road, and the block, brick or stone you pick. The schedule turns on the permit, if there is one, and on the weather. We make the same drive out to Spring Valley Lake and the other cities around Hesperia, and the estimate is where you get your own number.
Services in Oak Hills, CA
Concrete block walls
Oak Hills lots are big, so property-line walls run long. We set block walls on a proper footing because a wall's only as straight as what's under it.
Brick repair
Years of sun and cold nights loosen bricks and crack faces on chimneys, planters and garden walls. Our brick repair swaps out damaged brick and matches what's left.
Brick pointing
On older Oak Hills homes, crumbling joints let water in and loosen the brick. We grind out the old mortar to a proper depth and repoint the joints.
Retaining wall construction
Sloped Oak Hills lots need walls that hold back loose desert soil. We build retaining walls with drainage behind them, because trapped water is what pushes walls over.
Fireplace installation
Oak Hills winter nights get cold, and a real fireplace earns its keep. We build masonry fireplaces with the firebox and chimney sized so they draw well.
Driveway pavers
Gravel drives are common on Oak Hills lots, and they rut and blow dust. We lay pavers on a packed base so the drive holds up under trucks.
What Oak Hills weather asks of masonry
Oak Hills sits in the rain shadow of the San Bernardino Mountains, so it's dry most of the year, with hot summers and winters that can freeze and now and then bring snow. Summer heat pulls the water out of fresh mortar before it can harden properly, so in the hot months we start early, keep the block damp and shade new joints. In winter, water that gets into a cracked joint freezes and pushes the brick apart, which is why I'd rather repoint a wall the right way than smear new mortar over the old.
The ground matters as much as the weather. A lot of parcels here have loose, sandy soil and open stretches where the wind hits a wall broadside, so we dig footings down to firm ground and set steel in the hollow cores of the block before we fill them solid. That part ends up buried, and it's the part I care about most.
Get a free on-site estimate in Oak Hills
We reply within one business day to set up a visit, and I come out to your Oak Hills property myself. The estimate is free, done on site, and there's no obligation to go ahead.
How an Oak Hills job runs
Call or send a request
Call (760) 983-7937 or use the form, and we'll set a time for me to come out to Oak Hills. It helps if you're home for the visit so we can walk the lot together.
I look, measure and explain
I measure, take photos and tell you plainly what I'd do and what I wouldn't, including anything under the wall that needs fixing first. Then you get a written estimate with the scope spelled out, so you know what you're paying for before anything starts.
We handle permits and build
We sort out any permit with the right office before we start, so the county's review comes first on the calendar. I'm on the job with our crew while the work gets done.
Walk the finished job together
When the work's done we clean up and walk it with you, joint by joint. Satisfaction guaranteed, so if something doesn't look right to you, that's the time to say so.
Oak Hills masonry questions answered
How do I find out if my masonry project in Oak Hills needs a permit?
Ask the county before work starts, and you can reach the Building and Safety Division for the desert area at (760) 995-8140. Its permit list names re-roofing, patio covers, pools and spas, additions and alterations, and demolition, but it says other work may still need a permit, and anything you build has to keep the required distance from your property lines either way.
Who can pull a building permit for a house in Oak Hills?
The property owner, a California-licensed contractor, or an agent for either one can pull it. Permits come from the county office or its EZ Online Permitting website, and they have to be issued before work starts. If we're doing the work, pulling it is our job.
Does a masonry contractor in Oak Hills need a California state license?
Yes, a Contractors State License Board license is required when the job needs a building permit, brings in other workers, or totals $1,000 or more in labor and materials. The contractor has to hold that license before bidding, not after you've signed. Ask me for ours when I come out and check it before you sign anything.
How much does a block wall cost in Oak Hills?
A block wall's cost in Oak Hills comes down mostly to its length and height and to the footing your ground needs under it. Split-face block, caps, stucco, gates and a long carry across the lot add to it, while a plain wall on easy ground keeps it down. I'll give you your own figure in writing after I've seen the lot.
What causes cracks in block walls and brick around Oak Hills?
Most cracks we see here start below the wall, with a footing too shallow or narrow for loose desert soil that settles under one end. The rest usually come from water in worn joints freezing on those cold winter nights, which loosens the brick a little more each year. I look at both before I suggest patching anything, because a patch over a moving wall just cracks again.
What building code applies to masonry work in Oak Hills?
San Bernardino County enforces the current California Building Standards Code, because state law requires it to adopt and enforce the latest edition. When a job is permitted, that's the standard the county inspects it against, and it's the standard we build to from the footing up.
Get your Oak Hills masonry job looked at
Call (760) 983-7937 any day from 8 AM to 9 PM or send a request, and we can catch a cracked wall or loose brick before another winter freeze opens it up further.
