Masonry contractor in Davis, CA - repairs that fix the cause, not just the crack
Signature Woodland Concrete and Masonry is a Woodland-based masonry contractor working on Davis homes. We find out why brick, stone or a chimney is failing before we fix it, and we build walls, walkways and outdoor kitchens.
Davis homes, from older brick to newer yards
Davis is a college city with a busy downtown, and the houses we get called to run from older homes near the center, with brick chimneys, porches and garden walls, to newer neighborhoods with block walls, paver patios and roomy back yards. We come down from Woodland, where we're based, so Davis jobs are close to home for us.
A lot of Davis houses back onto the city's parks and greenbelts. That's nice to live beside, but it usually means we reach the back yard through a side gate, so getting materials in and keeping the path behind you clear is part of how we plan the job.
What to check before work starts in Davis
Davis has its own city government, so before we start any job here I check with the city about whether your work needs a permit. If it does, we pull it and set up the inspections, and the start date waits on that. If your house may be historic, I'll point you to the planning office first, because that question comes before anything else. On your side, it's worth making sure whoever you hire holds a state contractor license and a city business license, and the business license link on the city's Finance page is where those questions start. We're licensed and insured, and I'd rather you check than take my word for it.
Highway 113 makes Davis an easy run from Woodland, and we do the same work down in Dixon and out in Winters. What moves the price is the size of the job, the material, how easy it is to get to and how far back the cause goes once we trace it. The schedule turns on the permit question, finding material that matches and the weather, because we plan mortar work around rain and the worst of the afternoon heat. Your written estimate spells out the work so you can see what's included.
Services in Davis, CA
Chimney repair
Older Davis chimneys often have a cracked cap or loose top bricks, and rain finds its way in. Our chimney repair starts with tracking down the leak.
Tuckpointing
Mortar on older Davis brick wears out long before the brick does. We rake out the worn joints and refill them with a mortar that suits your brick.
Brick repair
Cracked or flaking bricks on Davis porches and garden walls usually come from water or a bad patch job. We fix the cause, then set in matching brick.
Concrete block walls
Davis back yards often need a sturdier boundary than an aging wood fence. We build block walls on a proper footing and finish them to suit the house.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
Davis summers keep people outside into the evening, so outdoor kitchens see plenty of use. We build them in block, brick or stone, set on a solid base.
Walkway construction
Front paths on older Davis lots often crack and go uneven until they catch a toe. We rebuild them in brick, pavers or stone over a packed base.
What Davis yards and older houses need
Older houses here have had decades of winter rain and summer sun on their brick, and it shows first in the mortar and at the top of the chimney. Before we fix a crack or a loose row of brick, I want to know what's feeding it, whether that's a cracked cap, a gutter dumping on one corner or a footing that's moved, because patching only the spot that shows just sets you up for the same call later.
Newer Davis yards bring a different problem. Sprinklers that hit a block wall or a brick planter every summer morning leave white crust and soft spots at the base, so we'll often suggest turning a head or two before we build or repair anything nearby.
Get a written estimate for your Davis job
Send us a few details or photos and we'll get back to you within one business day. I come out to your place in Davis, look the job over and write up a free estimate on site, and there's no obligation to go ahead.
How a Davis job goes with us
Call or send photos
Call (530) 207-3191 or send a few photos through the form so I can get a first idea of what's going on. Then we set a time for me to come out to your place in Davis.
I come out and look
I look the job over with you, ask a few questions and work out what's really causing the problem. You get a written estimate that spells out the work, and we settle the permit question before anything starts.
Our crew sees it through
A crew lead and our masons do the work, and the same crew stays on your job until it's finished. I stop by along the way to check on it.
We walk the finished job
When the work's done, I walk it with you so you can look it over up close and ask anything. We don't call it finished until that walk.
Davis masonry questions, answered
Does a masonry contractor working in Davis need a California license?
Yes, in most cases, because the state requires a license for work on a building or structure when the job needs a building permit, uses any additional workers, or costs $1,000 or more in total. That total counts labor and materials, even when they're split across more than one contract on the project. You can look up any contractor with the Contractors State License Board, and we're licensed and insured.
Can a handyman fix a small brick problem in Davis without a license?
Only if the job passes every part of the state's small-job test. It can't need a building permit, it can't use employee labor, and everything together has to come to less than $1,000. A bigger job can't be broken into smaller pieces to get under that line, so if someone offers to split it up, that tells you something.
Can I do my own masonry work on my Davis house without a license?
Often yes, because the state may exempt owners who build on or improve their own property, as long as they do the work themselves or use their own employees paid in wages. If it's more than a small patch, we can come look and tell you what's behind it before you decide.
What causes mortar to crack and crumble on Davis homes?
Mostly water and heat, and Davis gets plenty of both. Long-term averages for a weather station near Davis show about 19 inches of rain a year, with average highs around 57°F in the coolest month and about 94°F in the hottest. Fresh mortar also dries too fast in that heat if nobody keeps it damp, so on summer jobs we work early and keep new joints moist while they cure.
How much does masonry work cost in Davis?
Your price comes from a written estimate after we've seen the job, because a few things about the house itself set the cost. On older Davis homes, matching the brick and mortar takes more time than new work. Back yards reached only through a side gate add labor since everything goes in by wheelbarrow, and a chimney needs staging so we can work safely up top.
How do I repair old brick on a Davis house without damaging it?
Match the mortar to the brick, not to whatever's easy to buy. A lot of older brick was laid with softer mortar, and a hard modern mix used to patch it can make the brick itself crack and flake at the edges. We look at what's in the wall first, then pick the mortar and the method to suit it, which is why I'd rather see it before quoting.
Tell us about your Davis masonry job
Call (530) 207-3191 or send photos through the form, and ask about our license while you're at it, since a contractor worth hiring won't mind the question.
