Masonry Contractor in Montecito - Stone and Brick Work for Hillside Lots
C&D Santa Barbara Concrete & Masonry is a masonry contractor based in Santa Barbara, CA. We repair and build stone, brick and block walls, chimneys, walkways and outdoor kitchens for homes in Montecito.
Masonry work for Montecito homes
Montecito sits right next to us, but it isn't part of the City of Santa Barbara. It's an unincorporated community, so the County of Santa Barbara is the local government here and the one that issues permits. We work this whole stretch of coast, east to Carpinteria and west past Goleta to University of California-Santa Barbara.
A lot of what we see on Montecito jobs is older work: stone garden walls, brick chimneys and terraces cut into sloped lots, some of them up the hillside roads toward the canyon trails. People here remember the mudslides that the Garden Conservancy records hitting Montecito in early January after the late-2017 wildfires, and many of the calls we get are about a wall that holds back soil. On a slope, the footing and the drainage behind a wall matter as much as the face you see, and getting stone and mortar up a steep drive takes time. Those things, along with how much wall there is, are what move the price, and a county permit, when the job needs one, is what moves the schedule. Your estimate puts a number on all of it.
What happens when you call us about a Montecito job
Call or send a note
Call (805) 456-2871 or use the form and tell us what you're seeing with the wall, chimney or walkway. We pick up seven days a week and set a time to come out.
I look it over with you
I come out myself and walk the job with you, so it helps if you're home. I'll tell you what needs doing now and what can wait, and you get an estimate before anything starts, so the cost is never a guess.
We sort out the permit
Before work starts we find out which office covers your address, and if the job needs a permit, we handle the application and meet the inspector. I'll tell you up front how the county's review time fits the schedule.
We build and walk it
I work on the job with our crew from start to finish. Before we pack up, we walk the finished work with you so you can see what was done.
What we do for Montecito homes
Most calls we get from Montecito are about older garden walls, chimneys and stone terraces that have started to show their age, so brick repair and repointing worn mortar come up most. New retaining walls on sloped lots, walkways and outdoor kitchens follow close behind.
- 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
What signs mean your Montecito wall needs a look?
Many walls here are older and sit on sloped lots, so small changes in the mortar or the lean are worth catching before a repair turns into a rebuild.
- Mortar crumbling out of joints
- Cracks running through brick or stone
- A wall starting to lean
- White powder on the brick face
- Loose bricks near the chimney top
- Soil washing out under a wall
Should you repair or rebuild a Montecito wall?
Most of the time an older stone or brick wall can be repaired. If the stones are sound and the wall is standing straight, new mortar in the worn joints and a few reset pieces will usually carry it a long way, and it keeps the look the rest of the property has. I'll also tell you when a repair can wait, because not every crack needs fixing this year.
Rebuilding makes sense when the wall is leaning, the footing has moved or the soil behind it is pushing the face out. Patching a wall like that only buys time, because the cause is still there. I'd rather say that up front than sell you a repair that won't stay fixed.
Why a nearby mason makes sense in Montecito
The person who looks at your wall is the same one who works on it with our crew, so nothing gets lost between the estimate and the job. I started this business in Santa Barbara in 2017 after learning the trade beside older masons, and the habit I picked up there, and on the farm before that, is fixing a wall so it stays fixed.
Being close matters on masonry work, because questions come up once the old mortar is out and you can see what's behind it. We're licensed and fully insured, and we're near enough that a question about your job is a phone call, not a long wait.
How we treat your Montecito property
We keep your yard the way we found it. Tarps go down where we mix mortar, plants near the wall get covered, and we clean up the site as we go. Before we start, I explain what we're doing and why, and I'll say plainly when something can wait. Your satisfaction, guaranteed.
You'll hear what your wall needs, what can wait and why, from the same person who comes out and works on it.
Call about your Montecito masonry job
Call (805) 456-2871, describe the project, and ask whether it's likely to need a county permit before you plan around it.
Get a free on-site estimate in Montecito
Tell us your address and what you're seeing with the wall, chimney or walkway. You'll hear back within one business day, then I come out for a free estimate with no obligation.
Montecito masonry questions
How do I find out who issues building permits in Montecito?
Permits in Montecito come from the County of Santa Barbara, because Montecito is an unincorporated community with no city government of its own. Building permits are issued by the county's Building & Safety Division, not by the City of Santa Barbara. If your job needs one, that's the office we apply to and the inspector we meet.
Does a retaining wall in Montecito need a building permit?
A retaining wall 4 feet tall or less is on the county's list of work exempt from a building permit, as long as it isn't holding up added load like a driveway or slope above it, or holding back certain stored liquids. The county measures from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, so a wall that shows 3 feet above ground can be over the limit once you count what's buried. If yours is close, we'll measure it together at the estimate.
Do I need a permit for a block or stone fence wall in Montecito?
A masonry fence wall up to 6 feet high is on the county's exempt list, measured from the lowest ground next to it on whichever side makes it tallest. That exemption ends if the wall carries added load or a structural piece. The same list tells owners to ask county Planning staff about a zoning permit and the Public Works Road Division about an encroachment permit, so it's worth asking them too for a wall along the street.
How do I know if a masonry contractor needs a California license?
California's Contractors State License Board requires a license whenever the job needs a building permit, uses any additional workers, or costs $1,000 or more in labor and materials combined. A bigger job can't be split into smaller contracts to get under that figure. We're licensed and fully insured, and you're welcome to ask about it when I come out.
How much does a masonry job cost in Montecito?
The price mostly comes down to the material, how much old work has to come out first and how much wall you need. Natural stone takes longer to lay than block, a taller wall needs a deeper footing, and tearing out a failed wall adds labor before the new one goes up. I'll give you the figure for your own job when I come out to look at it.
Which building code does Santa Barbara County use for Montecito?
The county has adopted the California Building Code with its own local amendments, set by the Board of Supervisors in the county code. That's the standard the county inspector checks a permitted job against, and it's what we build to.
Other cities we serve, and nearby ones too
Pick another city below, or call (805) 456-2871 if yours isn't listed, since we work in other nearby cities too.