Masonry contractor in Woodland, CA - old brick repaired and new walls built
Signature Woodland Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor based in Woodland, CA. We repair brick, stone, chimneys and foundations on older homes here and build new walls, walkways, paver driveways and outdoor kitchens across the city.
Older homes and newer yards across Woodland
Woodland is home for us, and it's where I started this business in 2017. From here our crew heads down to Davis and out to the other cities around it, but a lot of our calls come from right here in town. They tend to split two ways. Owners of the older houses around downtown call about brick porches, chimneys and foundations that have had a long life, and people in the newer neighborhoods call to build a block wall, a walkway or a place to cook outside.
Those two kinds of houses don't get the same treatment. Old brick and stone usually need a gentler hand than new block, so we work out what a wall is made of and how it was built before we decide how to fix it.
Permits, licenses and what moves the price in Woodland
Building permits in Woodland come from the city's Building Division, and every permitted job gets inspected, so on a job that needs a permit the schedule follows the permit and its inspections. The division suggests calling its staff at 530-661-5820 while you're still planning, and before we start we check with them for your address, pull the permit if the job needs one and set up the inspections. You can also check that whoever you hire holds a Woodland business license, which the city's Community Development Department issues and renews. We're licensed and insured.
What moves the price is the size of the job, the material, how much old brick or concrete has to come out, how easy the spot is to reach and whether a permit is part of it. The schedule turns on that permit, the winter rain and what we find once an old wall is opened up, and your written estimate lays out the work for your job. We work the same way in Winters and Dixon, checking each city's own building office for your address.
Services in Woodland, CA
Foundation repair
Older houses here often sit on brick or stone foundations that have shifted. We find the cause first, then do the foundation repair where it gave out.
Tuckpointing
Soft old mortar slowly wears out of the brick joints on older Woodland homes. We rake out the bad joints and refill them with a mix that suits the brick.
Chimney repair
Older brick chimneys here take winter rain on top and hard summer sun on the side. We rebuild cracked caps and loose brick before water gets in.
Concrete block walls
Block walls line many newer Woodland backyards for privacy. We build them on proper footings and fix the ones that have cracked or started to lean.
Driveway pavers
Plenty of older driveways here are cracked concrete. We tear it out, pack a base that drains and set pavers that can be lifted and reset later.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
Long summer evenings here are why so many people want to cook outside. We build outdoor kitchens in block, brick or stone that stand up to the sun.
What Woodland rain and heat do to masonry
Woodland gets close to nine-tenths of its rain between November and April, and then summers run in the mid to upper 90s with sun nearly every day. That means your brick and mortar spend half the year getting soaked and the other half baking, which is hard on joints and chimney caps. Once a joint opens up, winter rain works its way into the brick and the wall behind it, so we look for where the water's getting in and fix that, not just the crack you can see.
The ground is flat across most of the city, so water tends to sit where it lands instead of running off. Around foundations, retaining walls and new paving, we plan where the water goes before we build or repair anything.
Get a free written estimate for your Woodland job
Send the form with a few lines about your Woodland job, and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I come out, look it over and write up a free estimate on site, and you're under no obligation to go ahead.
How a Woodland job goes
Call or send us photos
Call (530) 207-3191 or send a few photos through the form, and we'll set a time for me to come out. It helps if you can be home so you can show me what you've noticed.
I look and write it up
I ask questions and work out what's really causing the problem, then write an estimate that spells out the work so you know what you're paying for. We settle the permit question with the city before any work starts.
Our crew does the work
The same crew lead and masons see the job through, working within the city's construction hours of 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays and holidays. I stop by to check on it, and I walk the finished job with you before we call it done.
Woodland masonry questions answered
Do I need a permit to build a retaining wall in Woodland, CA?
A retaining wall under three feet tall that sits at least three feet from your property line and other structures is on the city's list of work exempt from a building permit, and anything taller or closer falls outside that exemption. Zoning rules like setbacks and height limits can still apply when a permit isn't needed, so we check with the city before we dig.
Does a brick or block fence need a permit in Woodland?
Yes, the city lists any masonry fence as work that needs a building permit and inspections, along with any fence taller than 6 feet. When your wall needs one, we pull the permit and set up the inspections as part of the job.
Do I need a permit for a paver driveway or walkway in Woodland?
Driveway work is on Woodland's permit list, so plan on a permit for a new driveway. Flat concrete work other than driveways is exempt from a building permit, and a patio needs one once it's more than 30 inches above the ground around it. For paver walkways and patios we ask the city first, since a permit from another division, such as public works, can be needed too.
How much does masonry work cost in Woodland, CA?
There's no one price for masonry in Woodland, because a chimney cap, a foundation repair and a new block wall are different jobs. On older houses, matching old brick or mortar and fixing what we find behind a crack usually add the most, and on new work it's the size, the material you choose and whether a permit is involved. The written estimate spells out the work so you can see what's included.
How do I find out if my Woodland house is historic before brick work starts?
Ask the city's planning office before any brick or stone gets changed, and if your home may be historic, that's the first place we'll send you. Many houses in Woodland's old core went up in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and many downtown buildings sit in a National Register historic district, so it's worth asking first.
What is the best way to repoint old brick on a Woodland house?
Use a mortar that's softer than the brick, which on older houses usually means a lime-based mix rather than the hard mortar most new work uses. If the joint is harder than the brick, the brick takes the stress when the wall moves with heat and wet, and its face cracks or flakes off. We check the old brick and mortar first and find out why the joints failed, so the new ones don't go the same way.
Get your Woodland masonry looked at
Call (530) 207-3191 or use the form, because a loose joint or cracked cap is usually a smaller fix before the next rainy season gets into it.
