Masonry Contractor in Santa Barbara, CA - Sound Brick, Stone and Block for Older Homes
A&B Ventura Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor based in Ventura, CA, and working in Santa Barbara. We repair brick, stone and mortar on older homes and build retaining walls, block walls, walkways and patios.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Santa Barbara homes as we see them on the job
Santa Barbara is up the coast from our base in Ventura, and the calls from here sound a lot like the ones I get closer to home: a chimney losing mortar, a garden wall with a crack running through it, a walkway someone has meant to redo for years. Most of what we're called for here is repair on houses that have been standing a long time, plus the walls, steps and paths around the yard.
The city runs from the streets near the beaches on its south side up into the hills. That mix of older houses and uneven ground is what shapes most jobs here.
Masonry services we offer in Santa Barbara
Foundation repair
Some older houses sit on brick or block foundations that have cracked or settled over the years. We find what's moving the wall before we patch anything.
Chimney repair
A chimney with loose bricks, open joints or a cracked cap on top lets water into the house. We rebuild what's failed and repoint the rest so it stays tight.
Tuckpointing
When the mortar between your bricks has gone sandy or recessed, tuckpointing replaces it before water works in. We cut out worn joints and refill them to match.
Brick repair
Cracked, flaking or loose bricks on a wall or step can usually be replaced one at a time. We find matching brick so the repair doesn't stand out.
Driveway pavers
Pavers make sense on a driveway that keeps cracking, because single pieces can be lifted and reset. We pack the base first, since that's what keeps them level.
Retaining wall construction
On a sloped yard, a retaining wall holds back soil and the water in it. We put drainage behind the wall and size its footing for the slope.
Masonry restoration
Older brick and stone homes often need more than one fix, from worn joints to cracked steps. We sort out what matters now and what can wait.
Fireplace installation
A new masonry fireplace has to fit the room, the chimney and the way your house is framed. We plan the fire opening and hearth around all three.
Stone veneer installation
Stone veneer gives a plain block wall, column or house front the look of stone without the full weight. We set it over a backing that lets water drain.
Concrete block walls
A block wall works well for privacy along a property line or to close off a side yard. We set it on a footing sized for the wall.
Foundation block wall installation
When a house addition or crawl space needs new foundation walls, block gives a strong, square base. We set the footing level so the framing above sits true.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
An outdoor kitchen built in block and faced with stone or brick holds up outside. We plan the layout and leave room for the grill and sink.
Walkway construction
A walkway in brick, stone or pavers can replace a cracked or uneven path to the front door. We grade it so water runs off instead of pooling.
Brick wall installation
A brick garden or entry wall suits the older homes we see here and ages well. We lay it on a footing with joints that match the house.
Stone masonry
Stone walls, steps and garden borders around an older property can be repaired with stone that matches or built new. We fit each stone so it sits tight.
Brick pointing
Brick pointing fills joints that have opened up in a wall that's otherwise sound, before small gaps let water in. We match the mortar color so they blend.
Get a free masonry estimate for your Santa Barbara home
We reply to every call and message within one business day. I come out to look at the job with you, and the estimate is free, done on site and comes with no obligation.
(805) 507-9163- Based in
- Ventura, CA 93001
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–11 PM
What working in Santa Barbara means for your job
In Santa Barbara, building permits are prepared and issued by the city's Building and Safety Division, and the city's Permit Center helps with permits and approvals. When your job needs one, the start date waits on it, so we check with the city before we start, handle the application and set up the inspections. We're fully licensed and insured, and if you want to look into a contractor's city business taxes, those are overseen by the city's finance staff.
What moves the price is the size of the wall or repair, how much old brick and mortar has to come out, whether we're matching old brick or stone, and how easy the spot is to reach, since a steep yard or a narrow side path can mean carrying everything in by hand. The schedule turns on the permit if there is one, on finding matching material, and on our crew's calendar across the cities we cover, from Ventura and Carpinteria up to here. After I've seen the job, the written estimate spells out what we'd do and why.
Why older brick and sloped yards here need attention
Older brick and stone is the first thing I notice on Santa Barbara jobs, on chimneys, front steps and the low walls around yards. When the joints open up, water gets in behind the face, so we fix the joints and any loose brick before the damage spreads into the wall itself.
The other is ground that isn't flat. On a hillside yard a wall is holding back soil and the water soaking through it, so we look at drainage and the footing before we talk about what to build or fix.
How a masonry job runs when you call us in Santa Barbara
Here's how a job goes from your first call to the final walk-through, so you know who you'll talk to and what you'll get at each step.
Call us or send the form
Tell us what you're seeing or what you've been planning, and we set a time for me to come out. It helps if you can be home for the visit.
We walk the job together
I look at the wall, chimney or yard with you and answer your questions before I write anything up, so you're not paying for a guess. You get a written estimate that says what we'd do and why.
Line up permits and start
Once you're ready, we line up any permits and set a start date. If the job needs a permit, the start waits on the city's review, so we get the application in early.
Our crew does the work
Our crew of experienced masons does the work while I run the job on site and check it as it goes. At the end I walk it with you so you can see what was done.
Questions about masonry work in Santa Barbara
How do I find out if my block wall needs a permit in Santa Barbara?
Ask the city's Permit Center, where counter staff answer questions, because the answer turns on the kind of wall, how tall it is and what it holds back. The city updated its rules on wall heights recently, so we don't go by an old list. When you hire us, we make that call to the city ourselves before we start.
Which building code applies to a masonry project in Santa Barbara?
A project you're planning now falls under the 2025 edition of the California Building Standards Codes, which state law has the city's building division enforce starting January 2, 2026. Only projects submitted on or before December 17, 2025, could still follow the older 2022 edition, and we plan the work to the current codes.
Is it cheaper to repair or rebuild an old brick wall in Santa Barbara?
Repair is usually cheaper when the wall still stands straight and the trouble is in the joints or a few bricks. A rebuild costs more, but it's the honest fix when the footing has failed or the wall leans, and I'll tell you if a repair would only hold for a while.
What causes mortar to crumble on older brick homes in Santa Barbara?
Mortar crumbles mostly because it's meant to be the softer part of the wall, so after years of water getting in and drying out, the joints wear away before the bricks do. A patch done with mortar harder than the old brick can also crack the brick edges around it, which is why we match the mix to the wall.
How do I know if my retaining wall needs to be rebuilt?
A retaining wall usually needs rebuilding when it leans, bulges or has cracks that keep getting wider, because that means the footing or the drainage behind it has given out. A hairline crack in a wall that's still straight can often be repaired instead, and I'll walk it with you and tell you which one I think yours is.
Can you match the old brick and mortar on my Santa Barbara house?
Usually we can get close, by finding new brick in the right size and color or using salvaged brick for older walls. We also mix the mortar to match the color and texture of your joints, because an off-color joint often shows more than a slightly different brick.
Ventura, CA
Ask about your Santa Barbara masonry project
A loose joint or a small crack is usually cheaper to fix now than after water has worked in behind it, so call (805) 507-9163 or send the form.