Masonry contractor in Highland, CA - square walls and sound mortar joints
Classic Beaumont Masonry and Concrete is a masonry contractor based in Beaumont that works in Highland. We build block, brick and retaining walls, and we repair the mortar joints on older brick homes and chimneys.
Old Craftsman streets and newer tract neighborhoods
Highland has some of the oldest houses we see in the area, in and around the Highland Historic District with its early 1900s Craftsman bungalows. Out from there the city fills in with newer tract homes, a lot like the neighborhoods next door in Redlands.
On the older houses, the masonry is usually a brick chimney, a porch with brick or stone piers, or a low wall along the front, and most calls are about worn joints and loose brick. When a pier's face is past saving but the core underneath is still sound, stone veneer installation can give it a new face without tearing it down. On the newer lots, the calls run to block walls between yards and retaining walls where the ground steps down, and on those jobs the work that matters most happens below the ground, at the footing.
What we know from jobs in Highland
Masonry work in Highland that needs a permit goes through the city's Building Department, and Building and Safety reviews the plans before the permit is issued, so a permitted wall can't start until that review is done. Before you hire anyone, check two things: a state license from the Contractors State License Board, and a Highland business license, which a contractor based outside the city gets as an Out of City license. We're fully licensed and insured, and I'd tell you to ask any contractor you're weighing for both.
On repair work, the price turns on how much old mortar has to come out and how far the damage runs, and I often can't tell that until we open up a few joints. On a new wall, it's the length, the footing and how easy your yard is to reach, since a narrow side gate means more carrying by hand. The schedule depends on the city's plan review when there's a permit, and on the weather. You get your own number at the estimate, once I've looked at the job and explained what I'd do. We do the same kinds of jobs down in Hemet, the same way.
Masonry work we do in Highland
- Foundation repair
- Chimney repair
- Tuckpointing
- Brick repair
- Driveway pavers
- Retaining wall construction
- Masonry restoration
- Fireplace installation
- Stone veneer installation
- Concrete block walls
- Foundation block wall installation
- Outdoor kitchen masonry
- Walkway construction
- Brick wall installation
- Stone masonry
- Brick pointing
Fault-line ground and hot days test masonry here
The San Andreas Fault runs through Highland, and the city's own trail guide points out that walkers on the Natural Parkland Trail, out at the east end of Base Line, are standing on the fault line. Ground that can shake is hard on a wall with no steel in it and no real footing, so on block and retaining walls we set the footing and the reinforcing bar first and build up from there. If a bid skips those parts, I'd ask why.
Heat works against fresh masonry too. On a hot afternoon, new mortar can dry out before it sets and leave weak, crumbly joints, so we lay block and brick in the cooler hours and keep the new work damp while it cures.
Get a free on-site estimate for your Highland project
We reply within one business day, by phone or by message. I'll come out to your place in Highland, look at the job with you and give you a free estimate on site. There's no obligation to go ahead.
What happens when you call us about a Highland job
Call or send us a message
Call (951) 524-1277 or fill out the form, and tell us what you're seeing, like cracked joints, a leaning wall or a wall you want built. A photo or two helps me know what to look for when I come out.
I come out and look
I walk the job with you, check the footing, the joints and the drainage, and tell you what I'd do and why. If a repair can wait, I'll say so.
We file the permit if needed
When the job needs a permit, we prepare the application and file it with the city, where Building and Safety reviews the plans, and anything the city counts as a new structure goes through its Planning Division first. That review sets the start date, so we schedule the crew once it clears.
Our masons do the work
Our crew of trained masons does the work, starting at the footing on a new wall or with the old joints on a repair. It helps if you clear a path to the work area and move cars and anything stacked against the wall.
I check it before it's done
I check the work myself before we call it done. If the permit calls for inspections, we work through them with the city.
A look at masonry work
Highland masonry questions we hear
Do I need a permit to build a block wall in Highland, CA?
Under the city's permit exceptions, a masonry or concrete fence no higher than 3 feet doesn't need a permit, so a taller block wall usually does. The city's zoning height limits and setback rules still apply at any height. You can apply any time through the city's online permit portal.
When does a retaining wall need a permit in Highland?
A retaining wall over 4 feet, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, needs a permit in Highland. A shorter wall can still need one if something heavy sits above it, like a driveway, or if the slope behind it is steeper than 2 to 1. The city also requires a footing and vertical steel in residential retaining walls unless a wall is specifically exempted, so we build ours that way.
Does a masonry contractor in Highland need a California state license?
Yes, when the job needs a building permit, uses hired workers, or costs $1,000 or more in labor and materials across one or more contracts. That covers nearly any wall, chimney or foundation job. Ask any contractor for their state license before you sign.
How much can a contractor ask for a down payment in California?
State rules cap the down payment on a home improvement job at $1,000 or 10 percent of the total contract price, whichever is less. Every other payment has to be written into the contract and tied to work done or materials delivered. If a bid asks for more than that up front, look at it more closely.
What drives the cost of a block or retaining wall in Highland?
Height is the biggest factor, because once a wall goes past the permit heights above, it needs plan review and usually a deeper footing with more steel. A slope behind the wall or a driveway above it adds to the footing too. At the estimate, I'll show you how each of these applies to your wall.
What causes mortar joints to crack on older brick homes in Highland?
Mostly age and movement, because the mortar on an early 1900s house has been through about a century of sun, water and ground shaking, and it's meant to wear out before the brick does. Hard modern mortar packed into those joints can make things worse, since the brick then takes the stress and cracks. When we repoint, I match the old mortar so the wall moves the way it was built to.
Call us about your Highland wall or brick repair
Call (951) 524-1277 or send the form, and if a cracked joint can safely wait, I'll tell you that instead of selling you work early.