Masonry contractor in Petaluma, CA - old brick fixed, new walls built right
Optimum Novato Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor based in Novato that works in Petaluma, repointing old brick and chimneys, fixing foundations and building retaining walls, block walls, walkways and paver driveways.
Masonry work across Petaluma
Petaluma gives us a bit of everything. Near downtown and on the west side, plenty of houses are old enough to still have their original brick chimneys, brick or early concrete foundations, and garden walls patched with three kinds of mortar over the years. East of the freeway the houses are newer, and the calls lean toward block walls, paver driveways and outdoor kitchens. We're based in Novato and work across Marin, from Corte Madera on up, and Petaluma sits on our way north to Cotati and Rohnert Park.
Price here mostly follows what's underneath and how easy it is to get to, and the schedule follows whether the city wants a permit, so you'll get your own number once I've seen the job. On the older houses that means decades of patches to sort through, and on the hillside and rural lots it means the footing and the drainage behind a wall, which is where most of the trouble starts.
What we do for Petaluma homes
Foundation repair
Older houses near downtown often sit on brick or early concrete foundations, and when one cracks or settles we find out why before we fix the wall.
Chimney repair
A lot of Petaluma's older homes still have their original brick chimneys. We rebuild cracked crowns and loose brick above the roofline before water gets inside.
Tuckpointing
On older brick fronts where looks count, we tuckpoint the joints in a mortar matched to the brick, then run a fine line that sharpens them again.
Brick repair
Brick that's flaking or cracked on porches, steps and garden walls gets cut out and replaced with a close match, so the patch doesn't shout from the street.
Driveway pavers
Longer driveways on bigger Petaluma lots take a lot of weight, so we dig out and pack a solid base first. That's what keeps pavers from sinking.
Retaining wall construction
Hillside lots on the west side need walls that hold back soil and let water out, so drainage goes in behind the wall before the backfill does.
Masonry restoration
For brick and stone patched over the decades, we strip the bad repairs, keep what's sound and rebuild the rest so the wall reads as one piece again.
Fireplace installation
Adding a masonry fireplace to a Petaluma house, or rebuilding a tired one in an older home, starts with checking that what's underneath can carry the weight.
Stone veneer installation
Thin stone veneer dresses up entries and foundations on Petaluma's newer houses, and we set it over a drainage layer so water runs out instead of soaking in.
Concrete block walls
Block walls along Petaluma property lines and side yards get steel and grout in the cores, because a block wall is only as strong as what's inside it.
Foundation block wall installation
When an older Petaluma house gets an addition or a new garage, we lay the block foundation walls square and level so the framing on top starts right.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
Petaluma backyards get used a lot once the weather warms up. We build outdoor kitchens in block, brick or stone on a real footing, so the counters stay level.
Walkway construction
Front walks on older Petaluma streets often heave and crack from tree roots, so we rebuild them in brick, stone or pavers over a packed base that drains.
Brick wall installation
A new brick garden wall next to an older Petaluma house should look like it was always there, so we match the brick, the pattern and the joints.
Stone masonry
On the bigger, rural lots at the edge of Petaluma, stone walls, steps and pillars suit the land, and we set each stone to sit on the one below.
Brick pointing
When the joints on an old brick wall have gone sandy, we grind out the loose mortar and repoint with a mix soft enough for the brick.
Talk to us about your masonry
Call (628) 209-1088 or ask for an estimate, and tell us what's going on with the brick, wall or chimney.
Why Petaluma homeowners call us
You get a straight answer about what's cracking, crumbling or leaning, what it'll take to fix it, and a business that's been doing this since 2017.
I come out myself
I look at every job myself, then do the work alongside my crew of masons.
Mortar soft enough for old brick
On older brick we mix mortar softer than the brick, so the joint wears out and the brick doesn't.
Base and drainage done first
We dig out, pack the base and give water a way out, because that's where walls and pavers fail years later.
Old material hauled off
We clean up as we go and haul away the old brick, broken block and spent mortar when the job's done.
Insured on every job
We're fully licensed and insured, and it's satisfaction guaranteed on every job, from one chimney crown to a whole driveway.
Petaluma masonry questions
Do I need a permit for masonry work in Petaluma?
The City of Petaluma decides, and its list of permit examples doesn't name masonry work outright. It names things like fences, decks, new homes, garages, second units, additions and renovations, and in most cases a permit also needs architectural or engineering plans reviewed by city staff. Whether your job needs one is the city's call, and I'll tell you what I know when I come out.
How long does a building permit take in Petaluma?
Most permits in Petaluma take a few weeks or even several months, though some are issued over the counter or within a few days. If your job needs one, that wait goes into the schedule before we set a start date.
How do I apply for a building permit in Petaluma?
You apply online through the city's Permits & Planning Hub, and building permit or code questions go to building@cityofpetaluma.org. If your masonry job needs a permit, you don't have to do it yourself, because we pull it and deal with the city for you.
Does a contractor based outside Petaluma need a Petaluma business license?
Yes, the city's business license instructions have a business located outside Petaluma complete the application and pay. A contractor also enters its contractor's license number and its expiration date on that application, so it's fair to ask anyone you hire, us included, for that number.
How much does masonry work cost in Petaluma?
There's no flat price, because the cost comes down to how big the job is, how much has to come out before anything new goes in, and the material you pick. A repoint follows how much bad mortar we grind out, a wall follows its height, footing and drainage, and a driveway follows the base and the pavers, with tight access and hard-to-match old brick adding to any of them. If the job needs a city permit, that fee is either flat or based on what the project costs to complete, and I'll give you your own number once I've seen it.
Do I need a permit to block the sidewalk during a driveway or walkway job in Petaluma?
Yes, the city requires a permit when a construction or landscaping project blocks off a sidewalk, because the sidewalk is public right-of-way, the part of the street that belongs to everyone. On a front walk or driveway job, we plan for that before the crew sets up.
Don't see your city? Call anyway
Pick another city below for its page, or call (628) 209-1088 if yours isn't listed, because we work in plenty of cities that don't have a page yet.
Get a masonry estimate in Petaluma
A crumbling joint or a leaning wall only gets bigger, so call (628) 209-1088 or send the form while it's still a small job.