Masonry Contractor in Morgan Hill, CA - Sound Walls, Tight Joints and Level Pavers
Quality Gilroy Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor based in Gilroy, working in Morgan Hill on brick repair and repointing, retaining walls, block and brick walls, pavers and walkways, fireplaces and foundation work.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Morgan Hill houses, from the valley floor to the slopes
Morgan Hill sits at the southern end of the Santa Clara Valley, about 10 miles up the road from us in Gilroy. The valley there is only about 4 miles wide, with the Santa Cruz range on the west and the Diablo range on the east. We pass through San Martin on the way, so it's an easy run for our crew and our material. You'll find older houses closer to the middle of town and newer neighborhoods spread across the valley floor, and the lots start climbing as you head toward either range.
That ground decides a lot of the work. On the flat lots it's mostly pavers, walkways, garden walls and repointing old brick, and once a yard starts to slope, the job turns into holding soil back and getting water out from behind the wall.
Masonry work we do for Morgan Hill homes
Foundation repair
When an older Morgan Hill house shows a foundation crack, I find where the water's coming from before we patch anything, so we fix the cause.
Chimney repair
Older brick chimneys in Morgan Hill usually loosen at the top first, so we rebuild the cap and loose rows of brick before water works down inside.
Tuckpointing
Sandy, recessed joints on a Morgan Hill brick house mean the mortar's worn out, and tuckpointing replaces it with a matched new joint so the wall sheds water.
Brick repair
Cracked, flaking or loose brick on steps, planters and older walls around town gets cut out and replaced with the closest match we can find.
Driveway pavers
Pavers suit Morgan Hill driveways because a sunken section can be lifted and relaid, and we build the base for the cars and trucks you park.
Retaining wall construction
On lots rising toward the hills, a retaining wall holds the slope back, and we drain behind it so water pressure doesn't push it over.
Masonry restoration
On Morgan Hill's older brick and stone, restoration means sorting out what's sound, what's failing and which old patches did harm, then repairing it to match.
Fireplace installation
We build new masonry fireplaces and rebuild worn fireboxes in Morgan Hill homes, often during an addition, when the room's already open for the work.
Stone veneer installation
Stone veneer gives a block wall or a house base the look of stone, and we set it over a drainage layer so water doesn't sit behind it.
Concrete block walls
Block walls make solid property-line and garden walls on Morgan Hill lots, and we fill the hollows with steel and grout, which keeps a tall wall from leaning.
Foundation block wall installation
For a crawlspace, garage or addition, a foundation block wall carries the house, so we set it on a proper footing and reinforce it to the plans.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
A block-framed outdoor kitchen faced in stone or brick holds up beside a grill better than wood, and suits a Morgan Hill yard that gets used.
Walkway construction
A brick, stone or paver walkway replaces a muddy path or a heaved concrete walk, and we pitch it slightly so water runs off instead of pooling.
Brick wall installation
A new brick garden or entry wall can match an older Morgan Hill house, and we lay it on a footing sized for the wall it carries.
Stone masonry
Stone walls, steps and columns suit lots near the hills, and we set each stone to bear on the ones below it instead of leaning on mortar.
Brick pointing
If only a few patches of mortar have washed out of your brick, pointing fills those joints before water gets behind the face and loosens bricks.
Get a free written estimate for your Morgan Hill job
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day. I'll come out, walk the job with you and put a free estimate in writing, with no obligation to hire us.
(669) 205-6449- Based in
- Gilroy, CA 95020
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
What we know about getting work done in Morgan Hill
Permits in Morgan Hill come from the city's Building Division, and its grading and building permits cover new building, additions, alterations, repairs and site improvements, which takes in a good share of masonry work. When your job needs one, the permit sets the start date, because we don't start digging until it's issued. In that case we check with the division, handle the application and line up the inspections, so you're not the one chasing them.
We're licensed and fully insured, and Morgan Hill is one of the cities we work around Gilroy, from San Martin up the valley and over to Hollister. What moves the price is the size of the job, the material you pick and how much digging and hauling the site needs. The schedule turns on the permit, if there is one, and on how much old work has to come out before we build. Your written estimate puts your own figure on it.
Sloped lots and older brick drive most calls here
On lots that climb toward the hills, the soil behind a wall wants to come downhill, and water trapped in that soil adds weight. Most of the leaning walls I get called out to look at were built without drainage or without a footing deep enough to hold them. So we dig out, set a proper footing and run gravel and a drain behind the new wall, because the water is usually what pushed the old one over.
On older brick houses, chimneys and garden walls, the mortar wears out before the brick does. I'd rather repoint a wall while the bricks are still sound than replace bricks later, so I'll show you which joints are going and which ones can wait.
How a masonry job runs when you call us from Morgan Hill
Here's how it goes from your first call to the final walk-through, and who you'll be talking to at each step.
Call or send the form
Call (669) 205-6449 or use the form, tell me a little about the job, and we'll set a time for me to come out. Photos help if you have them.
I walk the job with you
I come out myself, look at the wall or brick with you and explain what I see and what I'd do about it. You get the estimate in writing, so you know the cost before you decide anything.
Our lead mason's crew builds it
Our lead mason runs the crew that does the work, and I check in while it's going. You don't need to be home every day, as long as we can get to the work area.
We walk the finished job
When it's done, I walk it with you and point out what to keep an eye on, like the weep holes, the small drain gaps at the base of a wall, that need to stay clear. That way you know your wall well enough to catch trouble early.
Questions about masonry work in Morgan Hill
(669) 205-6449Morgan Hill's list of work that needs no building permit includes retaining walls up to 4 feet tall, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, as long as the wall isn't holding up an added load like a driveway or a slope above it. A taller wall, or one with that extra load behind it, isn't covered. That list carries no date, so we confirm with the city before we build.
Morgan Hill's list exempts fences up to 7 feet high from a building permit, but whether a brick or block wall counts as a fence is something we'd confirm with the city first. The exemption only covers the building permit, so the wall still has to follow the city's other rules.
Call Morgan Hill's Building Division at 408-778-6480, which the city names as the best contact when you're still not sure. Tell them what you're building and how big it is, because most of the exemptions turn on size. If you'd rather not make the call, I'll check it for you when I come out for the estimate.
Masonry permit applications in Morgan Hill go to the city by email at permits@morganhill.ca.gov, because its online system for contractors only takes reroofs, repipes, water heaters and approved solar jobs. When we're doing your job, sending that application is our part.
Permit applications in Morgan Hill have to meet California's current building standards codes, as the city adopts and amends them in its own municipal code. So a wall, foundation or fireplace that needs a permit gets built to the state's rules with Morgan Hill's local changes on top.
The cost of a masonry job in Morgan Hill comes down mostly to the slope of your lot, how easy it is to get to the work and what turns up behind the old masonry. A wall tall enough to fall outside the exemption above, or one holding up a driveway, usually means more digging, more steel and permit work, and matching the brick on an older house takes more hunting than buying new. I'll put your number in a written estimate after I've seen the job.
Gilroy, CA
Get your Morgan Hill masonry job looked at
A joint letting water in now is a smaller repair than the bricks it'll loosen later, so call (669) 205-6449 or send the form while it's still a small job.