Masonry contractor in Victorville, CA - block walls and brick built for desert weather
D&L Hesperia Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor based in Hesperia that builds and repairs block walls, brick, stone and chimneys across Victorville, CA, from new yard walls to old joints that need repointing.
Brick homes and block-walled yards in Victorville
Victorville is one of the High Desert cities right around our base in Hesperia, and it's a city we know well from working here. The houses run from older single-story homes near the center of the city, many with brick fronts, brick planters and a chimney, to newer tract neighborhoods where nearly every backyard is closed in by block wall. Shops and small commercial lots sit along the busier roads in between.
The work here is a lot like what we do next door in Apple Valley, but the age of the house usually sets the job. Older homes mostly need joints and chimneys brought back, and newer ones mostly need walls added, extended or faced in stone.
What to know before masonry work in Victorville
Whether your job needs a permit is the city's call, made by its Building Division, and when one is needed the start date waits on the city's approval. Before we start, I check with them, and when a permit is needed we apply for it as your licensed contractor. Two things are worth checking on anyone you hire here. The state requires a CSLB license for permit work and most paid jobs, which the questions below cover, and the city requires every business working inside city limits to hold a Victorville business license, including an out-of-city license for contractors based elsewhere, like us in Hesperia.
Victorville covers a lot of ground, and we work across it, from older streets near the center of the city to newer neighborhoods out toward Adelanto and Spring Valley Lake. Anywhere here, the price moves with the size of the wall or repair, the material, how much old work has to come out first and how easy it is to get block and mortar into your yard. The schedule turns on any permit and the weather, and your written estimate spells out the scope so you can see what the price covers.
Services in Victorville, CA
Concrete block walls
Most Victorville backyards are fenced in block, and owners call us to extend, raise or replace old runs. We build on a footing sized for the wall.
Brick pointing
Mortar joints on older brick homes here wear thin and crumble long before the brick does. We rake out the loose mortar and pack in new.
Chimney repair
Brick chimneys on older homes here lose mortar up top first, where wind hits hardest. Our chimney repair resets loose brick and rebuilds the concrete cap.
Retaining wall construction
Lots that step down a slope leave soil pushing against yard walls that were never built to hold it. We build retaining walls with drainage behind them.
Stone veneer installation
Many tract homes here have plain stucco fronts and columns that owners want faced in stone. We set it over a solid mortar bed so it holds.
Brick repair
Brick planters and fronts on older homes here chip and flake where sprinklers keep them wet. We cut out damaged bricks and set replacements to match.
What Victorville heat and cold do to masonry
Victorville is hard on mortar. Over decades of weather records, the city averages about 23 days a year at 100 degrees or hotter and about 40 days below 33 degrees, mostly in December and January, so joints swell in summer and shrink on cold nights until hairline cracks open and let water in to freeze. We plan around that by mixing mortar to suit the brick or block, laying it outside the hottest part of the day and keeping fresh work covered until it sets.
The other thing we see here is walls and steps that failed from underneath. Sandy ground settles under a footing that was too shallow or too narrow, and the wall leans no matter how good the face looks. I'd rather dig the footing right and tell you it costs a bit more up front than come back later to patch the same crack.
Get a free on-site masonry estimate in Victorville
Tell us about your Victorville job and we'll reply within one business day to set up a visit. I come out myself to see it, and the estimate is free with no obligation.
How a Victorville job goes
Call or send a request
Call (760) 983-7937 or use the form and tell us what's going on with the wall, brick or chimney. We'll set a time for me to come see it.
I look, measure and estimate
I measure, take photos and tell you plainly what I'd do and what I wouldn't, and it helps if you're home to walk it with me. You get a written estimate with the scope spelled out, so you know what the price covers before you decide anything.
We sort permits, then build
We take care of any permit with the right office before we start, and I'm on the job with our crew while the work gets done. The city allows construction from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., and we work inside those hours.
Walk the finished job together
When the work is done we walk it with you and look over the joints, the caps and the cleanup. That's the time to point out anything you want a second look at.
Victorville masonry questions answered
How do I find out if my masonry project needs a permit in Victorville?
Ask the city's Building Division at (760) 955-5100, because its list of jobs that need a permit covers work like garage conversions, guest houses and new HVAC units and says it isn't complete. The same list says residential flat concrete on your own lot, like a sidewalk or driveway, needs no permit, and it sends curb cuts and driveway approaches to the city's Engineering Division. Before we start, I check with the city and we apply for any permit your job needs.
How long is a building permit good for in Victorville?
A Victorville building permit is valid for 365 days from the day it's issued. The Building Official can grant one extension of up to 180 days, and if a permit expires you may have to start the process over and pay the fees again, so we plan the work so the permit doesn't sit.
When does a masonry contractor need a CSLB license in California?
A contractor needs a current CSLB license for any job that needs a building permit, uses employee labor or comes to $1,000 or more in labor and materials combined. The state contractor board allows an exemption only when none of those apply, and a larger job can't be split into smaller contracts to stay under $1,000. We're licensed and insured.
How much does masonry work cost in Victorville?
The price is set by your job, so the number to go by is the one in the written estimate I give you after seeing it. Here it usually goes up when a wall needs a deeper footing, when old brick has to be matched or when material has to be carried into a backyard with no side gate, and a straight run of plain block keeps it down.
What causes mortar to crumble on brick homes in Victorville?
Mostly the heat and cold covered above, which open hairline cracks in the joints and let water in. An old repair done with mortar harder than the brick can make it worse, so we rake out the bad joints and repoint with a mix that suits the brick, which is the work we're best known for.
Do I need to be home for a building inspection in Victorville?
For minor outdoor work, the city can inspect without you or the contractor there, as long as the inspector doesn't need to go into the occupied part of the house or the garage. When the inspector has to come inside, an adult 18 or older needs to be home, so we'll let you know ahead of time which kind your job is.
Tell us about your Victorville masonry project
We answer (760) 983-7937 every day from 8 AM to 9 PM, or you can describe the job on our request form any time.
