Masonry Contractor in Mira Monte, CA - Solid Walls and Repairs for Rural Lots
A&B Ventura Concrete and Masonry builds and repairs brick, block and stone work in Mira Monte, from retaining walls and garden walls to chimneys, foundations and walkways. We're based in Ventura, a short drive away.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Mira Monte, between the Ventura River and Sulfur Mountain
Mira Monte is a rural community in Ventura County, with the Ventura River along its west side and the base of Sulfur Mountain along its east. It sits just southwest of Ojai, with Oak View close by. On our jobs here we mostly meet homes on bigger lots, with garden walls, long driveways and the odd outbuilding, rather than tight rows of houses.
That stretch of ground between the river and the mountain shapes the work. Yards toward the mountain tend to slope, so walls and steps have to hold ground back, and ground nearer the river can be soft, so we dig footings until we hit something firm.
Masonry services we do for Mira Monte homes
Foundation repair
When a wall cracks or a door starts sticking on a Mira Monte house, we find out why the foundation moved before we fix the masonry around it.
Chimney repair
Chimneys here crack across the concrete cap and lose mortar with years of sun and rain, so we repair both before water works its way inside.
Tuckpointing
Tuckpointing gives a weathered brick front crisp, even joints again, so it suits a house where the brick is sound but the face looks tired.
Brick repair
Cracked bricks or bricks with a flaking face usually come from water getting in, so we replace the damaged ones and fix how the water got there.
Driveway pavers
Pavers suit the longer driveways on rural lots here, since they take truck traffic well and we can lift and reset one spot if it settles.
Retaining wall construction
Sloped yards here need a retaining wall to hold the ground back, and we build them with gravel and a drain behind so water doesn't push them over.
Masonry restoration
For an older house or garden wall worth keeping, we repair the brick, stone and mortar to match what's there rather than covering it over.
Fireplace installation
Cool evenings out here make a fireplace worth having, and we build the firebox, hearth and surround in brick or stone to suit the room.
Stone veneer installation
Stone veneer, a thin layer of real or cast stone, gives a plain house front or a block wall a stone look without the weight of full stone.
Concrete block walls
Block walls make solid property lines and backyard enclosures on rural lots, and we set them on a proper footing so they stand straight and true.
Foundation block wall installation
For an addition or outbuilding on a bigger lot, we lay block foundation walls with steel and grout so the building sits on something solid.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
Yards with room to spread out suit an outdoor kitchen, and we build the counters and grill base in block faced with stone or brick.
Walkway construction
A brick, stone or paver walkway gives you a firm path across a rural yard, laid on a packed base so it stays level underfoot.
Brick wall installation
A brick front or garden wall suits an older house, and we set it on a real footing so it holds up through wet winters and hot summers.
Stone masonry
River rock and fieldstone fit the rural feel here, and we lay stone walls, steps and planters with each piece set tight so the work stays sound.
Brick pointing
When mortar joints on an older house have gone soft or sandy, we rake out the worn mortar and refill it so water stops getting into the wall.
Get a free masonry estimate for your Mira Monte property
We reply to every call and message within one business day. I'll come out to look at the job with you, then write up what I'd do and why, free and with no obligation.
(805) 507-9163- Based in
- Ventura, CA 93001
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–11 PM
Working in Mira Monte with county permits and state licenses
Mira Monte isn't inside a city, so your permit comes from Ventura County Building and Safety, which issues permits for the county's unincorporated areas and generally expects most construction work to be permitted so it can be reviewed and inspected. That's usually the biggest thing on the schedule, because a job that needs a permit can't start until the permit is issued. Before you hire anyone, check that they hold a California contractor's license. We're fully licensed and insured, and when your job needs a permit we check with the county, handle the application and set up the inspections, and if it isn't clear we ask the county before we start.
The price starts with the size of the job: how tall and long a wall runs, how much ground we dig out, whether old masonry has to come out first, and whether you pick block, brick or stone. State Routes 33 and 150 run right through Mira Monte, so getting material delivered is usually simple. What adds time and cost is a narrow gate or a steep yard where everything gets carried in by hand. As a masonry contractor based in Ventura, CA, we do the same kinds of jobs down in El Rio and across the county, and your written estimate spells out what we'd do and why, so you can see where the cost comes from.
What wears on masonry around Mira Monte homes
Most of the brick and block we see here has been through a lot of hot, dry summers and wet winters, and that's hard on mortar. Once the joints go soft, water gets into the wall, bricks start to crack, and a retaining wall with no drain behind it fills up with wet soil and starts to lean. I'd rather find where the water is coming from and fix that than patch the crack you can see and watch it open up again.
Wildfire is the other thing on people's minds out here. Embers can blow ahead of a fire and set buildings alight up to a mile away, and since brick, block and stone don't burn, a masonry wall or walkway near the house is one less thing that can catch, though it isn't a fire plan on its own.
How a masonry job runs when you call us in Mira Monte
Here's what happens from your first call or message to the day we walk the finished work together.
Call us or send the form
Reach us at (805) 507-9163 or through the form and tell us a little about the job. We'll set a time for me to come out to your place.
We walk the job together
I come out myself, look over the job with you and answer your questions before I write anything up. You get a written estimate that says what we'd do and why, so you know the price and the reason for each part before you agree to anything.
Line up permits and start
Once you're ready, we handle any county permit the job needs and set a start date around it. If the county has to review the work first, that review is usually what decides when we can begin.
Build, check and walk through
Our crew of experienced masons does the work while I run the job and check it as it goes. At the end I walk the finished job with you, so it helps to be home for that last visit.
Questions about masonry work in Mira Monte
How much does masonry work cost in Mira Monte, CA?
The price comes from the size of the job, the material you pick and how easy the site is to work, and you get it in writing after I've seen the job. A tall retaining wall on a slope, or a repair that turns up more damage once the old mortar comes out, costs more than a short garden wall on flat ground. I'd rather give you a real number after looking than guess over the phone.
Do I need a permit to build a retaining wall in Mira Monte?
Often you do, because the county lists retaining walls among the projects its single-trade building permit covers, the permit for work with no plumbing, electrical or mechanical systems. Some small work is on the county's exempt list, and exempt work still has to be built safely even though the county won't inspect it. We check your wall with the county before we start, so you're not guessing.
Can I pull a Ventura County building permit myself for my Mira Monte home?
Yes, the property owner can pull a county permit, and so can someone with the owner's letter of authorization or a California contractor with the right license. When we do the job, we handle the application and set up the inspections for you.
When does a masonry contractor need a California state license?
A contractor needs a license from the Contractors State License Board for any job that needs a building permit, uses employee labor, or totals $1,000 or more in labor and materials. A job is only exempt when it needs no permit, uses no employees and costs less than $1,000, and a bigger job can't be split into smaller contracts to get under that line. Most wall, foundation and chimney work goes past it, so ask anyone you're considering for their license.
How long does a Ventura County building permit stay valid?
A county permit expires if work doesn't start within 12 months after it's issued, or if work stops for 180 days or more once it has started. That's why we don't pull a permit until we're close to ready to begin.
How do I find out if past work on my Mira Monte house had permits?
Ask the county's Building and Safety office, which will search its archived records for an existing building's permit history free of charge when you request it. It will also inspect an existing building on request to work out what permits it needs, which is worth knowing before we repair or add onto an older wall or foundation.
Ventura, CA
Plan your Mira Monte masonry project today
Getting the job looked at early gives us time to sort out any county permit before the day you want the work started.