Masonry Contractor in Del Aire, CA - Careful Brick Repair and Solid Block Walls
Custom Hawthorne Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor working in Del Aire, CA. We fix crumbling brick joints, leaky chimneys and leaning walls, and we build block walls, brick walls, walkways and pavers for homes there.
I spent years on restaurant lines and on other people's masonry crews before I started this business in Hawthorne. Now we repair brick, repoint crumbling joints, fix leaky chimneys and build block walls for homes in Hawthorne, Del Aire and the cities around them. The job runs like a good kitchen, with the prep done first and the station kept clean.
- Prep first, mortar second
- Straight answers at every step
- Clean work site, start to finish
The Del Aire homes we work on
A county community profile counts more owner households than renters in Del Aire. If you own the place, you're the one living with a repair years from now, so I'd rather do the slow prep than hand you a wall that looks great for a year and fails after that. That's a bad meal with nice plating.
Where mortar joints have gone sandy, we rake them out and repoint before the brick itself starts to go. Where a block wall leans or a chimney lets water in, we figure out what's pushing on it or soaking it first, because fresh mortar over the old cause just puts off the same repair.
What we do for Del Aire homes
Pick the job that matches what you're seeing at your Del Aire house, and its page walks through what the work involves and how we handle it.
Foundation repair
Where a foundation wall has cracked or a corner has dropped, we find the cause and repair the masonry.
Chimney repair
A chimney that leaks or sheds brick gets new mortar, a sound crown and rebuilt brick where it's loosened.
Tuckpointing
Tired mortar joints get ground out and packed with fresh mortar colored to blend with what's left.
Brick repair
Cracked, flaking or loose bricks come out and get replaced with the closest match we can find.
Driveway pavers
We dig out the old driveway, pack a solid base and lay pavers that can be lifted and reset later.
Retaining wall construction
Where a yard changes level, we build retaining walls with drainage behind them so the soil stays put.
Masonry restoration
Older brick and stone that's stained, cracked or patched badly gets cleaned, repaired and repointed to look like itself again.
Fireplace installation
Masonry fireplaces and surrounds get built from the firebox out, with mortar made for the heat.
Stone veneer installation
Stone veneer, a thin layer of real or cast stone, goes on over a backing that lets water drain out.
Concrete block walls
We build block walls for property lines and privacy on a real footing, with steel and grout inside.
Foundation block wall installation
When an addition or crawlspace needs a foundation wall, we lay block on a solid footing and grout it.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
Grill islands, counters and bar walls go up in block, brick or stone, ready for a crowded Saturday.
Walkway construction
A walkway in brick, pavers or stone starts with a dug-out, compacted base, so it sits flat underfoot.
Brick wall installation
New garden walls and low brick fences go up on a proper footing, with joints shaped to shed rain.
Stone masonry
Natural stone for walls, planters and steps gets cut and set by hand so it looks settled, not stacked.
Brick pointing
When only a few joints have cracked or dropped out, spot pointing fixes them before water gets behind the brick.
Working Del Aire from our Hawthorne base
We're based in Hawthorne and work in Hawthorne and the cities around it, and Del Aire is one of them, same as Lennox and Lawndale. Del Aire is unincorporated, so Los Angeles County acts as its local government, and that's who we deal with on anything official.
To set up a visit, call (424) 307-8119 or fill out the form below, and I'll come out myself to look at the job. The phone's open seven days, from 8 AM on weekdays and 7 AM on weekends, until 11 PM.
Before your Del Aire job starts
The price mostly comes down to how much has to come out before new work goes in, how hard the materials are to match, and how easy it is to get them to the spot. The schedule turns on weather, curing time for mortar and whether a permit is needed. You get your own price in writing at the estimate.
If your job needs a county permit, I'll tell you at the estimate, and we take care of it with the county office that handles your address. We start once it's in hand. California's Contractors State License Board licenses contractors here, and we're licensed and insured, with the work backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
- Exactly which walls, joints or chimney parts are in the job.
- Brick, block or stone, and how closely new work should match old.
- Where the crew can stage materials and park without blocking neighbors.
How a Del Aire job runs
I come out and look
You call, and I come out to see the job and what's around it, like gutters, downspouts and how the yard drains, because water is usually behind the damage.
Your price in writing
I write up what I found, what we'd do about it and what it costs, so you're looking at the same plan we'll work from.
Prep, build, walk-through
We prep the site, cover what needs it and clean as we go, with me or our lead mason running our crew. When it's done, I walk it with you.
Del Aire masonry questions
Who issues building permits for masonry work in Del Aire, CA?
LA County Public Works issues them, because Del Aire is unincorporated county land. Its permits cover new construction, additions and alterations, and repairs or replacements, so don't assume a fix is too small to count. To ask what your project needs, contact the local office listed in the county's Service Locator.
How do I know if my Del Aire address is unincorporated?
The county's Z-Net tool shows whether an address is in an unincorporated area or inside a city, along with its zoning. Zip codes in LA County sometimes cross county and city lines, so the zip alone can't always tell you. If your property turns out to be inside a city, a different office may handle the permit.
How much can a contractor ask for as a down payment in California?
Under the state licensing board's guidance, a down payment can't be more than $1,000 or 10 percent of the total contract price, whichever is less. Any other payments have to be listed in the contract and tied to work completed or materials delivered. The board says this applies to all home improvement projects.
Why is the block wall in my Del Aire yard starting to lean?
Usually it's water or soil pushing on a wall that wasn't built to take it, often with a weak footing or no drainage behind it. We look at the footing and what's behind the wall before deciding whether it can be repaired or has to come down and go back up right. Fresh paint won't hold it up, though I've seen people try.
Do I need to replace my bricks or just the mortar?
Most of the time it's the mortar that's failing and the bricks are fine. Mortar is meant to wear out before the brick, so raking out bad joints and repointing them usually saves the wall. We replace only the bricks that are cracked, flaking or loose, and match them as closely as we can.
Tell us what's going on at your place
Describe the job and where it is, or call (424) 307-8119. We reply within 1 business day to set up a free quote on site, no obligation.
Call (424) 307-8119