Masonry Contractor in Thousand Oaks, CA - Brick Repair and Walls for Sloped Yards
A&B Ventura Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor based in Ventura that works in Thousand Oaks, repairing brick and mortar on older homes and building retaining walls, block walls, walkways and patios around the yard.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Thousand Oaks homes and yards as we see them
Thousand Oaks is mostly neighborhoods of single-family homes spread across the hills of the Conejo Valley, and the city's open space runs right up behind a lot of back fences. We come over from Ventura, past Camarillo, and the calls here are about the yard as often as the house. Brick and stone usually show up as accents, on chimneys, fireplace faces, planters and the trim across the front of the house.
So many lots here are cut into a slope that most jobs start with the ground, not the masonry. Where the water goes, how much soil a wall is holding back and whether our crew can get a wheelbarrow up the side yard all shape how we build it.
Masonry services we handle in Thousand Oaks
Foundation repair
On hillside lots, a crack in the foundation or a door that starts sticking can mean the ground has moved, so we find the cause before we patch anything.
Chimney repair
Brick chimneys on older houses here often have loose bricks near the top or a cracked mortar cap, and we fix those before water works its way inside.
Tuckpointing
On brick fronts and fireplace faces with patchy joints, we refill with mortar matched to the brick and run a fine line so each joint looks crisp.
Brick repair
Cracked or flaking bricks on steps, planters and garden walls get cut out and replaced with brick matched in size and color as closely as we can find.
Driveway pavers
Pavers handle the sloped driveways on many hillside streets well, because we build the base to the grade and a cracked paver lifts out and gets replaced.
Retaining wall construction
Back yards here often climb into a hill, and a retaining wall with drainage behind it turns that slope into level ground you can actually use.
Masonry restoration
Brick and stone patched over the years, with mismatched mortar and stained faces, get cleaned, repaired and repointed so the wall reads as one piece again.
Fireplace installation
We build masonry fireplaces indoors and out, in brick or stone, sized to the room or patio and finished so the face matches the rest of the house.
Stone veneer installation
Stone veneer dresses up a plain stucco front, a column or a fireplace wall without the weight of full stone, set over the right backing for the surface.
Concrete block walls
Block walls along lot lines and up hillside yards are everywhere here, and we build new reinforced walls or repair sections that have cracked or started leaning.
Foundation block wall installation
For additions, garages and stepped foundations on sloped lots, we lay reinforced block walls on the footing so they carry the framing above them.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
We build the block and stone bases, counters and grill surrounds for outdoor kitchens, laid out to fit your patio and the way the yard slopes.
Walkway construction
Front paths and side yards here often climb, so we build brick, stone or paver walkways with steps wherever the grade needs them.
Brick wall installation
A brick garden wall, column or planter gives a front yard some structure, and we set each one on a proper footing so it stays straight.
Stone masonry
Natural stone walls, steps and borders suit yards that run up to the hillside, stacked dry or set in mortar depending on what the wall has to do.
Brick pointing
When the mortar between bricks has worn back from the face, we replace just the joints that need it so water stays out and the brick stays put.
Get a free on-site masonry estimate in Thousand Oaks
We reply to every request within one business day to set a time. I come out to your Thousand Oaks property, walk the job with you and 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
What working in Thousand Oaks means for your job
Building permits here come from the City of Thousand Oaks, which takes applications and plan checks online, so on a job that needs one, the city's review sets our start date. When a job needs a permit, we check with the city for your address, handle the application and set up the inspections, and if it isn't clear whether yours needs one, we ask the city before we start. We're fully licensed and insured, and I'm glad to show you that before you sign anything.
Thousand Oaks is over the Conejo Grade from our base in Ventura, so we plan deliveries and crew days around that drive, the same way we do for jobs up the coast in Santa Barbara. What moves the price here is mostly the lot: how far we carry block or stone from the street, how much digging a slope needs, how tall and long the wall runs, and whether we're matching old brick and mortar. The schedule turns on any permit review and on getting the right material in, and the written estimate after my visit spells out what we'd do and why.
Hillside yards and older brick need the most care
A lot of houses here back onto the city's protected open space or sit on lots cut into a hill, so the walls in those yards do real work holding soil in place. When water can't get out from behind a retaining wall or block wall, the pressure builds until the wall bows, cracks along its joints or tips at the top. We look at what's going on behind it before we suggest a fix, because rebuilding the face without drainage just puts you back where you started.
The brick on older homes is usually trim, chimneys and fireplace faces, and its mortar wears out long before the brick does. Once the joints go sandy, we repoint them before loose bricks turn a small repair into a rebuild.
How a masonry job runs when you call us in Thousand Oaks
From your first call to the last walk around the yard, you'll know what we plan to do and why before anything gets signed.
Call or send the form
Call (805) 507-9163 or send the form, and we'll set a time for me to come out. Tell us what you've noticed, a cracked wall or crumbling joints, so I know what to look at.
Walk the job together
I come out myself, look at the wall, chimney or yard 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 can weigh it without pressure.
Line up permits and start
Once you're ready, we line up any permits and set a start date. In Thousand Oaks the plan check runs through the city's online system, so we set your start once that review is through.
Build, check, walk it through
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 the finished work with you so nothing is left unanswered.
Questions about masonry work in Thousand Oaks
Where do I apply for a construction permit in Thousand Oaks?
You apply online through the city's TO/24 system, which is open 24 hours a day. Public Works applications for grading, paving and encroachment, which covers work reaching into the public street area, go through the same system. On our jobs we handle the application for you.
How do I schedule a building inspection in Thousand Oaks?
You schedule inspections through TO/24, where you can also check a permit's status and see inspection results. When we pull the permit, we set up the inspections ourselves and let you know when they're coming.
Which payment types does Thousand Oaks not accept for permit fees?
The city doesn't take wire transfers, peer-to-peer apps like Venmo, CashApp or Zelle, or cryptocurrency for permits. Payments go through TO/24, so plan on another payment type when a permit fee comes due.
How do I look up past permits and records for my house in Thousand Oaks?
TO/24 gives you access to the historical records for your parcel. It's worth a look before you plan a wall or an addition, since it's the place to see what's already on file for your lot.
Do I need a permit for a block wall or retaining wall in Thousand Oaks?
The City of Thousand Oaks decides that for each property, so we ask it about your address before we start rather than guess. If a permit is needed, filing it and setting up the inspections is part of our job.
How much does masonry work cost in Thousand Oaks?
Your cost comes from a written estimate after I've walked the job, because two walls the same length can price very differently here. A wall up a slope with no access from the driveway, a repair that has to match decades-old brick, or permit fees all add to it, while easy access and stock block or pavers keep it lower.
Ventura, CA
Book your Thousand Oaks masonry estimate
Call (805) 507-9163 or send the form, and I'll tell you plainly whether your wall or chimney needs work now or can wait a while.