Masonry Contractor in Florin, CA - Brick, Block and Stone Work Fixed at the Cause
Signature Woodland Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor based in Woodland that works on Florin homes, repairing old brick, block and mortar and building new walls, walkways, paver driveways and outdoor kitchens.
Older homes and busy yards in Florin
Florin is a community in Sacramento County where older houses on roomy lots sit near newer neighborhoods, with shops and businesses along the main roads. We come out from Woodland for work here and in nearby Elk Grove. The calls we get in Florin run from cracked brick planters and leaning block fences to new paver driveways and outdoor kitchens.
On an older house, the brick, block and mortar have had decades to settle and wear, and some of it has already been patched once, not always well. So before we fix anything here, I want to know why it failed, because that decides whether the job is a few joints or a new footing.
Working in Florin: county rules and what moves the price
For homes in unincorporated Sacramento County, building permits come from the county's building permits and inspection division. Its list of typical permit jobs names re-roofs, decks, water heaters, siding and window replacement but not masonry, so the list alone doesn't settle it for a wall or a chimney. That's why we check with the county building office for your address before we start, and if the job needs a permit we pull it and set up the inspections. The county takes plans only electronically, and on a permitted job its review and inspections usually set the start date. If your home may be historic, I'll point you to the planning office first. Before you hire anyone, check that they hold a license from the Contractors State License Board, which takes passing a law and business exam and a trade exam. A contractor based in unincorporated Sacramento County also needs a county General Business License, and working without one is a misdemeanor that can bring a fine of up to $500.00 and six months in jail. We're licensed and insured.
We work here much as we do in Arden-Arcade, and the price mostly turns on how deep the problem goes once it's open and what you build back with. The schedule turns on whether the county needs a permit and how soon materials come in, and your written estimate spells out both before we start.
Services in Florin, CA
Brick repair
Older Florin houses often have brick planters and steps that have cracked or worked loose. We find why they moved, then reset the brick to match.
Chimney repair
Brick chimneys on older Florin houses can lean, lose mortar at the top or pull from the wall. We find what's moving first, then repoint or rebuild.
Concrete block walls
Many lots here are fenced with block walls that lean or crack where the footing was too shallow. We check the footing first, then repair or rebuild.
Foundation block wall installation
Additions on Florin homes often sit on a new block foundation. We build foundation block walls on a sound footing, reinforced the way the plans call for.
Driveway pavers
Cracked old concrete driveways are common here, and pavers make a good replacement. We pack a firm base first, because that's what keeps them flat.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
Larger Florin backyards have room for an outdoor kitchen. We build the counters and grill surround in block, brick or stone on a base sized for the weight.
What older Florin brick and block need
Older Florin homes need a lighter hand with their brick. Mortar is meant to be the soft part of the wall, the part that wears out and gets replaced so the brick doesn't have to, and on older houses we often find it's been patched with a hard cement mix that's now cracking the brick around it. We cut those patches out carefully and refill the joints with a mortar that suits the wall, since the wrong repair on old brick does more harm than leaving it alone.
Most of the yard walls we see here are block fences and brick planters, and when they fail, water is usually part of the story. A sprinkler soaking the base of a wall or a downspout emptying against a planter keeps the footing wet, so we show you where the water's coming from while we fix the wall.
Get a free masonry estimate for your Florin home
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to ask a few questions and set a time for me to come out to Florin. The estimate is free, done on site and written out so you can see what's included, and there's no obligation to go ahead.
Working with us in Florin
Call or send a few photos
Call (530) 207-3191 or send a few photos through the form, and we'll set a time for me to come out to your Florin home. It helps if you're there so you can show me what you've noticed.
I look and ask questions
I look the job over, ask questions and work out what's really causing the problem, not just where it shows. You get a written estimate that spells out the work, so you know what you're paying for before anything starts.
We settle permits, then build
We sort out the permit question with the county first, and a job that needs one waits on the county's review before we start. Then a crew lead and our masons do the work, the same crew start to finish, and I stop by to check on it.
We walk the job together
When the work is done, I walk it with you and we go over anything you want looked at before we call it finished. Satisfaction guaranteed.
Florin masonry questions answered
How much does a masonry contractor cost in Florin, CA?
Masonry in Florin is priced job by job after I've seen it, because two walls that look alike can fail for different reasons. A repair costs more when the cause turns out to be under the wall, like a failed footing, and new work costs more with natural stone than with block, with a longer or taller wall, or when everything has to go through a side gate by hand. If your job needs a county permit, its fees go into the estimate too.
How much can a contractor ask for up front on a home improvement job in California?
A contractor can't ask for or take a down payment of more than $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less. After that, each payment has to be listed in the contract and tied to work done or materials delivered. The state licensing board says this holds for all home improvement projects, so it's worth checking any contract you're handed against it.
How do I find out if my Florin home is in a flood zone?
Call the county's Flood Zone Hotline at (916) 874-7517, which answers that for owners of parcels in unincorporated Sacramento County. The county's map information service can also give you base flood elevations and copies of any elevation certificates on file. It's worth asking before we plan a foundation or a new wall.
How do I tell if a crack in the brick on my older Florin house is serious?
A crack is worth a look when it's wider than a hairline, keeps growing, or runs through the bricks instead of following the mortar. Fine cracks in old mortar are often just age, but a crack with one side sticking out, or a nearby door that starts to stick, usually means something underneath is moving. Send me a photo and I'll tell you whether it needs a visit.
How long does a masonry job in Florin take from first call to finish?
A repair can usually be scheduled soon after you approve the estimate, while a job that needs a permit also waits on the county's plan review and inspections. Bigger jobs also wait on materials, especially natural stone or a brick that has to match an older wall. Your estimate tells you what the schedule looks like for your job.
What is the best way to add an outdoor kitchen to a Florin backyard?
Start with where it sits and what it sits on, because a masonry kitchen is heavy and needs a solid base under the whole thing. Running a gas line to the grill is one of the jobs the county issues permits for, so we plan that part around the permit before the masonry starts. From there you pick block, brick or stone, and I'll walk you through how each one wears.
Tell us about your Florin wall or walkway
We answer until 10 PM on weekdays and 9 PM on weekends, so you can call (530) 207-3191 after work or send photos through the form whenever it suits you.
