Masonry Contractor in Castroville, CA - Footings and Mortar Done Right
Blockworks Salinas Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor based in Salinas, CA. In Castroville we repair brick and chimneys, repoint worn mortar joints, and build block walls, walkways and patios on footings sized for the ground.
Castroville as we see it on the job
Castroville is a small farming community north of Salinas, with artichoke and vegetable fields running right up to the neighborhoods. After close to twenty years keeping farm equipment running, I feel at home out here. Most of what we're called to are single-family houses. The older ones in the middle of Castroville have brick steps, chimneys and planter walls, and the newer homes farther out tend to need a block wall, a walkway or a patio. It's a short drive from Marina and Prunedale, and we work in both.
Tembladero Slough runs along the southwest edge of Castroville, and low ground near water tends to stay damp and soft, so I dig and probe to see how firm the soil is before we size a footing or pack a base.
What we sort out on Castroville jobs before any digging starts
The first question on most Castroville jobs is whose call the permit is. If your property sits in an unincorporated part of Monterey County inside the Coastal Zone, the county's coastal permit rules apply, and most new development there needs a coastal permit unless the code exempts it. Upkeep, alterations and additions to an existing single-family house are on the exempt list, but that's the county's call, so the plans go to its Planning and Building Inspection Department, which looks them over and says whether the work is exempt, and that answer sets when we can start. When a job needs a permit, we handle the application and the inspections and keep you posted on where it stands. The other thing to check is the contractor, because California says a home improvement contractor has to hold a state license before giving you a bid at all, and we're fully licensed and insured.
What moves the price is mostly what's hidden under or behind the work and how much has to come out before we can build. The schedule turns on the county's review when your job needs one, then on the weather, since fresh mortar and concrete need a few dry days to set. Our crew does the same work down the valley in Gonzales, but Castroville sits closer to the bay, so we plan for damper ground and salt air. Your free estimate puts the work, the materials and the reason for each in writing, so you can see your own figure before anything starts.
What the ground and the bay air do to masonry in Castroville
Monterey County's findings list ground shaking and liquefaction among the earthquake risks in the county, and liquefaction is when water-soaked sand and silt lose the strength to hold up what sits on them. That's why I spend so much of an estimate on the parts you won't see later, the footing, the packed base and the steel in a block wall, and why a retaining wall holding back damp soil gets drainage behind it so water isn't pushing on it every winter.
The other thing we see often is worn mortar on older brick, from damp, salty air and years of patching. Old brick is softer than new, so we mix a repair mortar that's softer than the brick around it, because mortar that's too hard makes the brick crack instead of the joint.
Get a free written estimate for your Castroville masonry job
We'll reply within one business day, by phone or through the form, to set up a time for me to come out to your place in Castroville. The estimate is free, done on site, and you're under no obligation to go ahead with it.
(831) 243-7031How a masonry job goes when you call us in Castroville
Call or send the form
Call (831) 243-7031 or fill out the form with your address and a few words about the job. A photo of the cracked joint or leaning wall helps me know what to look for.
I visit, measure and photograph
I come out myself, look the work over, measure it and take photos. If something needs a closer look, like a footing I can't see yet, I'll tell you that instead of guessing.
Read your written estimate
The estimate lays out what we'll do, what we won't and why, with the materials listed. That way you can line it up fairly against other bids.
Settle the county review
If the county says your work needs a coastal permit, we handle the application and the inspections and keep you posted. We set the crew's start date once that's settled.
We build, I check stages
Our crew does the work with me on site, and I check each stage before the next one starts. That way the footing, the base and the mortar get looked at before anything covers them up.
Brick, block and stone work
Castroville masonry questions we hear
Does a masonry contractor in Castroville need a California license?
Yes, for almost any real job. The state requires a license from the Contractors State License Board when the work uses hired employees or when the contracts on a project add up to $1,000 or more in labor and materials. Ask any bidder for their license before you sign.
Does a new garage or deck in Castroville need a coastal permit?
It can be exempt if your property is in the unincorporated Coastal Zone, because Monterey County's coastal permit rules list garages, decks, workshops and storage buildings that aren't living space as exempt up to a size limit. That changes near a beach, a wetland or a coastal bluff edge, and on land between the sea and the first public road along it, where larger garages and taller fences need a permit. An exemption from the coastal permit doesn't cancel any other permit the work needs, so the plans still go to the county for its answer.
What makes a masonry job in Castroville cost more?
Soft ground and hidden damage usually add the most, because a footing on damp, silty soil may need to go deeper or wider, and more soil has to be dug out and hauled away. On older brick, the price climbs with the number of joints that need cutting out and with how hard your brick is to match. If a smaller repair will do the job, I'll tell you, and the free estimate breaks out each piece so you can see where the money goes.
What causes mortar to crumble on older brick homes in Castroville?
Mostly water, with help from age and the wrong repairs. Damp, salty air off the bay keeps joints wet, and old patches done with mortar harder than the brick push the stress into the brick, so both wear faster. We cut out the loose mortar to sound material and repoint with a softer mix matched to your brick.
What is the best time of year to build a wall or walkway in Castroville?
The drier months are easiest, because county records put most of the rain between October and April, with little to none in summer. We can still work in the wet season, but a soaking rain on fresh mortar or a newly packed base means covering the work and sometimes waiting a few days. If you're planning ahead, call in late winter so the estimate and any county review are done before the dry months.
How do I tell if my Castroville block wall needs repair or a rebuild?
If the wall stands straight and the cracks follow the mortar joints, it usually needs repair, not a rebuild. A wall that leans, bulges or has cracks running through the block itself often has a footing or drainage problem behind it, and patching the face won't fix that. I'll look at it, tell you plainly which one you've got, and say so if I need to dig at the base to be sure.
Call about your Castroville masonry job
Our hours run 7 AM to 10 PM every day, so you can call (831) 243-7031 after work or send the form tonight with a photo of what you're seeing.