Masonry contractor in Soledad, CA - footings and mortar built for loose ground
Blockworks Salinas Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor based in Salinas that builds and repairs brick, block and stone work in Soledad, from garden walls and walkways to worn mortar joints, chimneys and retaining walls.
Soledad as we see it from the job site
Soledad sits down 101 from us, between Gonzales and Greenfield, with farm fields running right up to the neighborhoods. Older houses closer to the center of the city tend to have brick steps, porches and chimneys that have been patched a few times over the years. The newer streets lean toward stucco homes with block walls between the yards. So the calls we get here run from careful mortar repair on old brick to new walls, walks and patios on fresh lots.
Most lots here are flat, so water sits where it lands unless we give it somewhere to go, and that shapes the base under every walk and patio we build.
Working in Soledad, from permits to price
In Soledad, building permits come from the Building Official at the City of Soledad, and whether your job needs one is the official's call, so a permitted job starts when the city signs off, not when our calendar opens up. When a job needs a permit, we handle the application and the inspections and keep you posted on where it stands. The one thing that can hold a permit up is an old violation tied to the project, which I cover in the questions below. We're fully licensed and insured.
As a masonry contractor in Salinas, CA, we make the drive down 101 often, and we do the same kind of work up the coast in Castroville. What moves the price is mostly how much old work has to come out, how deep the footing or base has to go, the material you pick and how easy it is to get a mixer and pallets to the spot. A driveway pavers job turns on the old slab and the base under it, while a mortar repair turns on how many joints are worn. The schedule turns on the permit, if there is one, and on keeping digging and pours out of rainy weeks. My written estimate lists the work, the materials and the reason for each, so you can hold it up against other bids.
What the ground and weather here do to brick and block
The city's own findings say the soil under Soledad is loosely packed and likely to shake hard in a strong earthquake, with possible ground failure. Loose ground also settles under a wall sitting on too little footing, and that's where most of the stair-step cracks we see in block and brick come from. So we dig the footing down to firm soil, usually tie block walls together with steel and grout, and I check the trench before any concrete goes in, because that's the part nobody sees once the wall is up.
Long, dry summers with afternoon wind pull water out of fresh mortar faster than it should go, which leaves chalky joints if nobody's watching. On hot days we mix smaller batches, keep new work damp while it cures and pour in the cooler part of the morning.
Get a free on-site masonry estimate in Soledad
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day, by phone or email, to set a time for me to come out to your Soledad property. The estimate is free, done on site and comes with no obligation to go ahead.
(831) 243-7031What happens when you call us about a Soledad job
Call us or send the form
Call (831) 243-7031 or use the form and tell us what you're seeing, like a leaning wall, crumbling joints or a walk you want built. We'll set a time for me to come out.
I come out and look
I walk the job with you, measure, take photos and check how water moves around the spot. It helps if you can point out cracks you've watched grow or places where water sits after rain.
You get a written estimate
The free estimate says what we'll do, what we won't and why, along with the materials. If a smaller repair will do the job, that's what I'll write up.
We handle any permit needed
If your project needs a building permit, we file the application with the city and line up the inspections. We'll keep you posted on where it stands, since the work waits until the permit is issued.
Our crew builds, I check
Our crew does the work, and I'm on site checking each stage, from the trench and footing to the base and the mortar, before the next one starts. That way nothing gets covered up that shouldn't be.
Brick, block and stone work
Soledad masonry questions we hear
How do I get a building permit in Soledad if there's an old violation tied to my project?
You correct the violation first, because the city's code ordinance says the Building Official won't issue a permit to someone with an uncorrected prior violation tied to the project once they've been given notice. The official can still issue it if the correction is underway and will be finished by a time the official sets. If you know of an open violation, tell me at the estimate so we can plan the permit around it.
When does a remodel in Soledad require bringing the whole building up to current code?
Under Soledad's local change to the Fire Code, the entire building has to meet current provisions when major alterations or repairs within a five-year period reach fifty percent or more of the external walls or the internal framework, alone or combined. The fire code official alone decides whether a project crosses that line, and permit plans show linear wall calculations on the cover page. Most masonry repairs come nowhere near that, but if you're redoing a lot of exterior wall, I'll ask about other recent work on the house before we plan.
Is flooding a concern in parts of Soledad?
Yes, the city's own findings say parts of Soledad are subject to flooding from the Salinas River and from heavy storm water off the northeast hillside, and the city had flood damage twice in the 1990s after heavy rain. For masonry, that means water has to get out from behind a retaining wall and away from the base of a walk or patio, so we plan drainage and weep holes before we stack anything. I'll look at where water runs and sits on your lot when I come out.
How close is Soledad to the San Andreas Fault, and does it matter for a block wall?
The city's findings put the San Andreas Fault 13.4 miles northeast of Soledad, with no active faults inside the city's planning area. It still matters, because strong shaking reaches this far and the loose soil here makes it worse. That's why the footing and the steel get most of my attention on any wall, as I explained above.
What affects the cost of a masonry project in Soledad?
Whether the job is a repair or a rebuild sets most of the price, and you'll get your own figure from a free written estimate after I've seen the site. Matching older brick and mortar color, adding drainage behind a wall and drawing plans for a permit can each add to it. I'd rather tell you a smaller repair will do than sell you a new wall you don't need.
What causes mortar joints to crumble on older brick homes in Soledad?
Water and age wear mortar out first, and an old patch done with mortar harder than the brick speeds things up by pushing the damage into the brick itself. We match the new mortar to the old brick and grind out only the joints that need it, so the wall wears the way it was built to.
Plan your Soledad masonry project with us
Call (831) 243-7031 any day from 7 AM to 10 PM or send the form, and I'll tell you straight whether a smaller repair will do before we talk about anything bigger.