Masonry contractor in Paramount, CA - brick and block work that isn't rushed
Caliber Lakewood Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor based in Lakewood that works in Paramount, CA, repairing cracked brick and block walls, tired chimneys and old mortar, and building walls, walkways and paver driveways.
- I see every job I come out and look at your job in person.
- Small crew does the work The small crew I work alongside lays every brick and block.
- Work that isn't rushed Brick and block laid carefully, at the pace the job needs.
- Mortar matched to yours Repairs mixed to sit close to the color already there.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Masonry contractor for Paramount homes
Caliber Lakewood Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor working in Paramount, close to our base in Lakewood. Most calls here are for a cracked block wall between yards, a worn chimney or a long-delayed yard project, and in earthquake country we look hard at what's under a cracked wall.
What we know from working in Paramount
Permit questions for a Paramount address go to the City of Paramount, and I find out what your job needs. If it needs a permit, we get it before any work starts, so the permit, not our crew, usually decides the first day. Anyone who contracts for work that needs a building permit, uses workers or comes to $1,000 or more in labor and materials has to hold a license from the Contractors State License Board. We're licensed and fully insured.
Most of the houses we work on here are single-story homes on flat lots, fenced in block along the back and sides, much like what we see in Downey and Bellflower. Those walls bring in the most calls, usually a stair-step crack, a section leaning where roots got under it, or mortar gone soft and sandy. Before I price a repair, I check whether the footing moved or just the face, because patching over a moving footing is money spent twice.
What moves the price most is how much has to come out before new work goes in. Repointing a sound wall costs less than rebuilding from the footing, matching older brick takes longer than laying new block, and a narrow side yard means carrying everything in by hand. You'll get your own number at the estimate.
Jobs we take on in Paramount
- Cracked or leaning block walls between yards
- Soft, sandy mortar ready for repointing
- Chimneys with loose brick or a cracked cap
- Walkways and paver driveways on flat lots
- Any permit your address needs, before we start
What we build and fix in Paramount
Most Paramount homes we see are single-story houses on flat lots with block walls, brick planters and a chimney, and the services below are what those houses usually ask for.
Foundation repair
If a crack in your Paramount house steps up from the slab, our foundation repair starts with finding what moved.
Chimney repair
Older brick chimneys here often lose mortar at the top first, and chimney repair catches it before bricks come loose.
Tuckpointing
Soft, sandy joints on an older wall are the usual reason for tuckpointing, which replaces worn mortar without touching sound brick.
Brick repair
A handful of cracked bricks on a planter or front wall rarely means a rebuild, so brick repair swaps just those.
Driveway pavers
Flat lots make driveway pavers a good fit here, as long as the base underneath is dug and packed right.
Retaining wall construction
Where one yard sits higher than the one next door, retaining wall construction holds the soil back with drainage behind it.
Masonry restoration
Brick fronts patched over the years get masonry restoration so the old work and the repairs read as one wall.
Fireplace installation
A new hearth for a Paramount living room or patio is fireplace installation work, built on a proper footing.
Stone veneer installation
Stucco fronts and plain block walls get a new face with stone veneer installation, which goes on over a prepared surface.
Concrete block walls
Most yards here are fenced in block, and when a wall's past saving we build concrete block walls on the same line.
Foundation block wall installation
For a room addition or a raised floor, foundation block wall installation gives the framing a square, level base.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
Backyards here have room for a grill counter, and outdoor kitchen masonry builds it in block with a brick or stone face.
Walkway construction
A cracked path to the front door is a common call, and walkway construction replaces it in brick, pavers or stone.
Brick wall installation
A low front yard wall that suits the house is brick wall installation work, with brick picked to match what's there.
Stone masonry
Natural stone gives a flat Paramount yard some shape, and stone masonry sets it by hand in walls and steps.
Brick pointing
Worn joints on a brick garden wall get brick pointing, where we rake out old mortar and pack in fresh.
What happens after you call us about a Paramount job
From your first call to the last swept joint, here's how a masonry job in Paramount runs with us.
Call and set a visit
Call (562) 249-2437 or send the form, and I come out to look at the job and hear what you want.
Get your estimate
You get an estimate for the work the job actually needs and nothing extra. If your wall just needs repointing, that's all I'll quote.
Permit first, then the work
If you go ahead, we sort out any permit your address needs first, then the small crew I work alongside does the job.
Walk it with you
When we're done, we clean up and walk the finished work with you, so you can see it up close before we pack up.
Why Paramount homeowners call our crew
Honest calls on sound walls
If a wall is sound, I'll say so, since work it doesn't need is just money out of your pocket.
Steel and grout in new walls
New block walls get steel and grout in the cells, because in earthquake country a hollow, unreinforced wall is the weak one.
Learned from older masons
I learned under older masons before starting in 2017, and we still lay brick their way, slow enough to do it right.
Based next door in Lakewood
We're based in Lakewood, right next to Paramount, so getting out to look at your job is a short drive.
Get a free estimate for your Paramount masonry job
Tell us your address and what's going on with the wall, chimney or yard, and we'll reply within one business day. Then I come out, look at it myself and give you a free estimate with no obligation.
Brick, block and stone examples
Look through these examples of brick, block and stone work to get a feel for what's possible in your own yard.
Paramount masonry questions
Here's what people in Paramount usually want to know before hiring a masonry contractor. If your question isn't here, give us a call and ask about your own job.
How much does masonry work cost in Paramount?
There's no flat price, because a Paramount masonry job is priced on the material, the size and the prep, and I set the number once I've seen it. Natural stone and brick cost more to lay than block, a taller or longer wall means more material and steel, and hauling off an old wall adds labor and dump fees. If your job needs a permit, that's part of the cost too.
Does a masonry contractor in Paramount need a license before giving me a bid?
Yes, California requires contractors, subcontractors, specialty contractors and home improvement contractors to be licensed before they submit a bid, not only before they start work. So ask about the license when the bid arrives, and if the job crosses the permit, worker or dollar lines covered above, the answer should be a current state license.
How do I know if a handyman can do a small masonry job in Paramount without a license?
A handyman can do it without a license only if the whole job is under $1,000, needs no building permit and uses no hired help. That figure covers labor, materials and every other cost, counted across one contract or several, and a bigger job can't be split into smaller pieces to slip under it.
Can I do masonry work on my own Paramount house without a contractor license?
You may be exempt from the contractor license if you do the work on your own property yourself or with your own employees paid in wages. The state lists that as a possible exemption for people building or improving existing structures they own, and it covers the license only, so a permit is still a separate question for the city.
How do I check whether my Paramount house is in an earthquake hazard zone?
Type your address into the state's EQ Zapp tool, and it shows whether your property falls inside any of the state's mapped earthquake hazard zones. If it does, the state's extra rules for building in those zones exempt a single-family frame house of up to two stories that isn't part of a development of four or more units. The city can be stricter than the state, though, so a local rule may still apply.
Does Paramount have its own building code rules for masonry?
Paramount has a local building code ordinance on file with the state, so the code for your address may not match the state's word for word. What it changes isn't something I'll guess at, so the City of Paramount is the place to confirm what's in force, and we build to what they tell us.
Other cities we work in
Looking for another city we work in? Pick it from the list if it's there, or just call, since we work in more places than have their own page.
Talk to a masonry contractor about your Paramount job
We pick up seven days a week until 9 PM, so you can call (562) 249-2437 after work or on a weekend.