Stone masonry in Ventura CA - the right stone and mortar for your outdoor wall
Crumbling joints or loose stones in your wall? We repoint and build stone walls with stone and mortar that suit the outdoors.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We respond within 1 business day.
What's involved in building or repairing a stone wall in Ventura?
Stone masonry in Ventura, CA covers building new stone walls and repointing old ones, where we dig the worn mortar out of the joints and pack in fresh mortar so the wall stays tight and sound.
Most people call us because the joints on a garden or yard wall have started to crumble, a few stones have worked loose, or they've had a stone wall in mind for a while and want to know what it takes. The price mostly turns on how much of the wall needs work, how deep the worn mortar goes and how easy it is to get stone and a crew to the spot, and it goes up when the wall holds back soil, which is where retaining wall construction comes in. The schedule turns on whether the city needs a permit for your wall, how big the job is and the weather while fresh mortar sets. Once I've seen it, you get a written estimate that says what we'd do to your wall and why.
How can you tell a stone wall needs work?
Mortar crumbling from joints
If you can rub sand out of the joints with a finger, the mortar has worn down and water is getting into the wall. The longer it goes, the more the stones around those joints start to loosen.
Stones loose or shifting
A stone that rocks when you push it, or one that has dropped out of line, usually means the mortar holding it has let go. Wait too long and its neighbors follow, and a quick repair turns into resetting a whole section.
Stains or damp patches
A white crust or dark patches that stay wet long after rain usually mean water is sitting in the wall instead of drying out. Left alone, that trapped water starts to wear on the faces of the stones.
What our stone masonry work includes
On a new wall, I start by helping you choose a stone that suits an outdoor wall and a mortar that lets the wall dry out, and if you'd rather have a dry stacked wall with no mortar at all, we'll talk that through too. Then our crew digs out and sets the base, lays the stone a row at a time, finishes the joints and cleans up as we go. On an old wall, we rake out the worn mortar until we reach sound material, usually by hand so the stone edges don't chip, then pack the joints in layers and brush them back so they match the rest of the wall.
Plenty of houses here have brick near the stone, and when those brick joints are wearing the same way, the fix is brick pointing. If a crack in a wall runs down toward the base of the house, we look at foundation repair first, because new mortar over a base that's still moving will just crack again.
A new stone wall
We build mortared walls on a solid base for a finished look or a wall that has more to hold, and dry stacked walls with no mortar for low garden walls where water can drain straight through. Which one suits you depends on the height, the job the wall does and the look you're after.
Repointing the wall you have
This suits a wall whose stones are still sound but whose joints have worn, since we replace the mortar and leave the stone in place. It's usually a smaller job than taking a wall down and rebuilding it, which is why it's worth catching early.
Get a free written estimate for your stone wall
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out. The estimate is free, done at your property, 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 happens when you call us about a stone wall in Ventura?
Here's how a stone job runs from your first call to the final walk-through, so you know what you'll get at each step.
Call and set a visit
Call (805) 507-9163 or send the form, and we'll set a time to come out. Have the wall's purpose, its rough height and a few photos ready, because that tells me what to look for.
Look at the wall together
We look at the wall with you, and I answer your questions before I write anything up. You get a written estimate that says what we'd do and why, so you can see where your money goes before you agree to anything.
Build, check and walk it
Once you're ready, we line up any permits and set a start, then build or repoint the wall. When it's done, we walk the finished work with you so you can see it's right.
Why Ventura homeowners call A&B Ventura Concrete and Masonry for stone work
Fully licensed and insured
We're fully licensed and insured. In California, contractors are licensed and regulated by the state's Contractors State License Board, so a license is the first thing worth asking any mason about.
I look at every job myself
I come out to look at every job myself, and I'm on site running the work and checking it as our crew of experienced masons builds. Satisfaction guaranteed, because the person who walked your wall with you is the one making sure it's built that way.
Five years, trained under a mason
We've been in business since 2021, and before that I learned the trade under an older mason after years of stone and block work in landscaping. I'd rather explain your wall twice than have you sign off on work you don't understand.
On a stone wall, the joints and the water matter more than the face you see, so call or send us a few photos and I'll come out and take a look.
Stone masonry, retaining walls and permits in Ventura
The City of Ventura issues permits for retaining walls 4 feet and higher, measured from the bottom of the footing, and for lower walls holding up extra load above them, like a slope, a driveway or a building. The city also notes that a retaining wall might need a grading permit, with questions going to its Land Development Department, and it asks owners in the Pierpont or Ventura Keys community to check with Planning. When a wall needs a permit, we check with the city or county office that covers your address, handle the application and set up the inspections, and if it isn't clear whether yours needs one, we ask that office before we start. If you'd like to ask yourself, the city takes permit questions at permits@cityofventura.ca.gov or 805-654-7869.
Around Ventura we mostly meet older stone garden walls and low yard walls with worn joints, and water off a downspout or a sloped yard running straight at the stone is often what wore them down. So we sort out where that water goes before we repoint, and we do the same on jobs in Ojai and Santa Barbara.
Questions about stone masonry in Ventura
Do I need a permit for a stone retaining wall in Ventura?
In Ventura, a retaining wall needs a city permit when it's 4 feet or taller measured from the bottom of the footing, or when a lower wall holds up extra load like a slope or a driveway. A grading permit might apply too, and we sort out the permit side with the city before work starts, as covered in the Ventura section above.
How much does a stone wall cost in Ventura?
There isn't one price for a stone wall, because it comes down to how long and tall the wall is, the stone you pick and whether it's mortared or dry stacked. A retaining wall that needs a footing and a permit costs more than a low garden wall, and repointing a sound wall usually costs less than rebuilding one. I'll write up what your wall needs and why once I've seen it.
How much of a deposit can a contractor ask for in California?
In California, a contractor can't take a down payment of more than $1,000 or 10 percent of the total contract price, whichever is less. It's a state rule that protects you, so question anyone who asks for more up front. Payments after that should be listed in the contract and tied to work done or materials delivered, and it's fair to see that schedule in writing before you sign.
How do I choose stone for an outdoor wall?
Ask which stone is planned and whether it's suited to outdoor use, because there are many types of natural stone and not all of them are suggested for exterior walls. Before you approve a plan, it's fair to see the stone itself and hear why it fits your wall.
Why does the mortar matter when you repoint a stone wall?
The mortar has to let moisture move out of the wall and evaporate, or the water stays in and damages the stones themselves. If you're repointing an older wall, ask how the new mortar will let it dry out before you approve the work.
What is the best way to install natural stone veneer?
Guidance for adhered natural stone veneer calls complete mortar bedding on the back of each stone essential, because even small voids can collect water over time and lead to early failure. If you're thinking about stone on a wall of your house, our stone veneer installation page covers that work.
Other masonry work that goes with stone walls
Brick pointing
If the brick on your house or chimney has joints that crumble when you touch them, fresh pointing seals them up before water gets behind the brick.
Foundation repair
When cracks keep reopening in your home's foundation or a wall tied into it, the base needs fixing before new mortar will stay closed.
Service areas for stone masonry around Ventura
A&B Ventura Concrete and Masonry is based in Ventura, California, and does stone masonry in the cities around it. The 12 cities below each have their own page, from Oxnard to Ojai, and if yours isn't listed, call and ask.
Ventura, CA
Call or send photos of your stone wall
Repointing worn joints is a smaller job than resetting stones that have come loose, so it's worth a look before more of the wall gives way.