Masonry Contractor in San Anselmo - Old Brick and Hillside Walls Done Right
Optimum Novato Concrete and Masonry repairs chimneys, repoints old brick and builds retaining walls, walkways and paver driveways for homeowners in San Anselmo, CA. We're based in Novato, a short drive away.
Our masonry work around San Anselmo
The calls we get from San Anselmo are usually about older brick that's been patched one too many times: chimneys, front steps, garden walls and the retaining walls holding up hillside yards. Downtown sits along San Anselmo Creek, and Marin County runs a flood project aimed at the spots where it overflows its banks, so drainage gets more of our attention here than most people expect. We work the cities around it too, from San Rafael and Kentfield up to Cotati.
Price here moves with access and with what's hiding under the old work, and the schedule turns mostly on the permit and the season, so you get your own figures when I come out. On a sloped lot the ground does most of the deciding, and the wall just has to be built for it.
Masonry we do in San Anselmo
Foundation repair
Older houses on slopes tend to settle unevenly over the years. We find where the footing actually moved and fix that before anyone patches a crack.
Chimney repair
Plenty of chimneys here are old brick with tired mortar near the top. We rebuild the crown and the loose courses before water works its way down inside.
Tuckpointing
When the joints on an old brick front go sandy, we grind them out and repoint with mortar matched to the brick, not whatever happened to be in the truck.
Brick repair
Spalled or cracked bricks on front steps and garden walls get cut out one at a time and replaced with brick as close in size and color as we can find.
Driveway pavers
Steep, narrow driveways need pavers that stay put on a grade, so we set a firm edge along the low side to keep the whole field from creeping downhill.
Retaining wall construction
Hillside yards here lean on their walls. We build new ones and rebuild leaning ones on a footing sized for the height and the slope sitting behind them.
Masonry restoration
Older brick and stone that's been patched for decades gets cleaned, repaired and repointed so it looks like it belongs to the house again instead of the patch job.
Fireplace installation
Adding a masonry fireplace to an older house means working around the framing and floors already there. We build the firebox, hearth and surround to fit the room.
Stone veneer installation
Veneer on a foundation wall or entry gets proper backing and flashing first, so water running down the hill doesn't end up trapped behind the stone.
Concrete block walls
Along property lines and driveways where the grade drops off, block walls get rebar and grout where the load sits, because that's the side that gets pushed.
Foundation block wall installation
Where a crawlspace wall has failed or an addition needs a new one, we lay block foundation walls on a footing sized for the slope it sits on.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
Flat ground is scarce on a lot of these yards, so an outdoor kitchen often starts with a level terrace. We build that first, then the block and stone counters.
Walkway construction
Front walks here often climb to the door. We build them with steps where the grade calls for it and a base that sheds water instead of holding it.
Brick wall installation
New brick garden and front walls are laid to sit comfortably next to an older brick house, on a footing that suits the ground under them.
Stone masonry
Old stone walls turn up on a lot of hillside yards. We reset, rebuild or extend them with stone that matches what's already there, so the new part doesn't stand out.
Brick pointing
Short runs of loose joints on chimneys, steps and planters get raked out and refilled while they're small, before the bricks around them start to move.
Talk to us about your masonry
Call (628) 209-1088 or ask for a free in-person estimate, and I'll come look at the job myself.
Why San Anselmo homeowners call us
You get a straight answer about what's wrong and what it takes to fix it, and the work underneath is done the way it should be. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
The owner comes out
I look at every job myself, and my crew of masons does the work right alongside me.
Mortar matched to old brick
Hard mortar on soft old brick is how you end up paying twice, so we match the mix to the brick.
Base and drainage first
We spend the time on the base and the drain behind a wall, because that's where masonry fails years later.
Permits handled for you
If your job needs a permit, we pull it and deal with the city so you don't have to.
Fully licensed and insured
We've run this business from Novato since 2017, so call (628) 209-1088 when you're ready to start.
San Anselmo masonry questions
Do I need a permit for masonry work in San Anselmo?
Most projects do. The Town of San Anselmo's Building Department issues permits for any construction or demolition in the city and says most projects need one. Whether yours does is the city's call, so I'll tell you what I know when I come out, and if it needs one, we pull it and deal with the city for you.
What hours can contractors work in San Anselmo?
Weekdays from 7 AM to 7 PM, Saturdays from 9 AM to 5 PM and Sundays from noon to 5 PM, with no work on the city's holidays. The first hour on weekdays is for quiet work only unless Public Works approves otherwise, and in Bald Hill crews are limited to weekdays from 8 AM to 4:30 PM with no weekends or holidays. We plan saw cutting and loud demolition for later in the day.
Does my masonry contractor need a California license?
Yes, if the job needs a building permit, uses any hired workers or comes to $1,000 or more in labor and materials, on one contract or several. That's the state Contractors State License Board's rule, and splitting a bigger job into smaller contracts to stay under $1,000 doesn't get around it. We're fully licensed and insured.
How do I plan a retaining wall in San Anselmo during the rainy season?
Plan the digging around the city's rules, because grading, excavation or fill in the rainy season needs specific approval from the Public Works Director. Erosion and sediment controls have to be fully in place by October 15 and kept working until April 15, and grading of 25 cubic yards or more under a grading permit needs them too. If a wall can wait until after that window, I'd rather dig then, and if it can't, we get the controls in before the first bucket of dirt comes out.
What causes extra permit rules for houses in San Anselmo's flood zone?
In the AE flood zone, the trigger is work that adds up to 50% or more of the structure's value over five years. At that point you need an Elevation Certificate, the work has to meet FEMA's requirements, and you complete the city's checklist and apply for a separate permit through its eTrakit system. Bigger foundation work is where that can come up, so tell me if you're in the flood zone and we'll plan around it.
How much does masonry work cost in San Anselmo?
It comes down to the size of the job, the materials, access and what we find once the old work comes out, so I give you a figure after I've seen it. On hillside lots, hauling brick, block and stone up a steep or narrow drive and digging a proper footing usually add the most, and matching old brick and mortar takes longer than new work. Patching over a problem is cheaper today and more expensive later, and I'll tell you which one you're looking at.
Don't see your city? Call us
Choose your city from the list, or call (628) 209-1088 if it isn't there, since we work across Marin and the cities around it.
Ask for a San Anselmo masonry estimate
Call (628) 209-1088 seven days a week from 8 AM to 9 PM, or use the form, and tell us what's crumbling, cracking or leaning.