Masonry contractor in UC Santa Barbara, CA - walls made for coastal mesas
C&D Santa Barbara Concrete & Masonry is a masonry contractor working at and around UC Santa Barbara. We repair brick, block and stone and build walls, walkways and outdoor kitchens suited to the coastal ground here.
Masonry work at UC Santa Barbara
A job around UC Santa Barbara starts a little differently from one in town, because on University property the campus is its own code authority, with its own Building Official. The calls we get here are mostly the same ones we get everywhere, an older wall or chimney that's started to show its age, and we do the same work next door in Isla Vista and Goleta and down the coast in Carpinteria. Your price turns mostly on how much of the wall needs work, what it's built from and how easy it is to get our crew and materials to it. The schedule turns on whether the job needs a permit and which office reviews it. I'll give you a figure for your job when I come out to look.
The campus sits on low coastal mesas, Lagoon Island and Campus Point among them, between the campus lagoon and the Santa Barbara Channel. Low ground at the lagoon flooded twice in the 2000s when extreme high tides met big storm waves, so before we talk about mortar or block, I look at how water reaches the wall and what it's sitting on.
What happens when you call us about a job at UC Santa Barbara
Call or send a note
Call (805) 456-2871 or use the form, and tell us where the job is and what you're seeing. We get back to you and set a time that suits you.
I look it over with you
I come out myself, walk the wall or chimney with you and tell you what needs doing now and what can wait. You get a price for the job before any work starts, and you don't have to decide on the spot.
We sort out the permit
Before work starts we find out whether the campus or the county covers your address, and when a permit is needed we handle the application and meet the inspector. We tell you up front how the review time fits the schedule.
We build it and walk it
I work on the job with our crew, so the person who looked at your wall is the one fixing it. When we're done, we walk the finished job with you before we pack up.
Masonry services around UC Santa Barbara
Most of what we do around campus is repair of older brick, block and stone that's started to show its age. We also build new walls, walkways and outdoor kitchens, and driveway pavers suit low ground, because a section that settles can be lifted and reset instead of broken out.
- 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 masonry near UCSB needs a look?
Walls on the low ground near the lagoon can take more water than most, so these signs are worth a look before a small repair turns into a rebuild.
- Mortar crumbling out of joints
- White powder on brick or block
- Cracks stepping through the mortar
- A wall leaning out of line
- Pavers sinking or rocking underfoot
- Brick or stone faces flaking off
Repair or rebuild a wall near UC Santa Barbara?
Most of the time, repair. If the wall still stands straight and the brick or stone is sound, repointing the worn joints and replacing the few broken pieces keeps it going. I'd rather do that than tear out a wall with years left in it, and if a repair can wait, I'll tell you so.
Rebuilding makes sense when the wall is leaning, the footing under it has moved or water has been getting in so long that the units are breaking apart. On ground that has flooded before, I want to see how the base is holding up before I decide, because fresh mortar on a failing footing only puts off the same call. Once I've had a look, I'll tell you which way I'd go and why.
Why a local mason makes sense for campus-area work
A contractor who works here knows the first question isn't the mortar. It's who covers the address, because University projects answer to the campus and other property may fall under the county. We find that out before work starts, so the permit side doesn't stall the job halfway through.
We're licensed and fully insured, and because I'm based in Santa Barbara and work on the job with our crew, you deal with the same person from the first look to the final walk-through. We work up and down this coast, from Goleta to Ventura, so the brick, block and stone here is what we see every day.
C&D's commitment to your property
I grew up on a farm where you fixed a wall so it stayed fixed, learned this trade beside older masons and started this business in Santa Barbara in 2017. We protect your yard and plantings, keep the site picked up and clean up before we leave. I explain what I found, what I'd fix and what can wait, so you know what you're paying for.
You can count on an honest look at your wall, work done right instead of fast, and your satisfaction, guaranteed.
Call about your UC Santa Barbara masonry job
We're open seven days a week, early mornings and evenings included, so call (805) 456-2871 whenever it suits you.
Get a free on-site estimate for your UC Santa Barbara job
Tell us where the job is and what you're seeing, and expect a reply within one business day. I'll set a time to come out and look, with no obligation.
Questions about masonry at UCSB
Who issues building permits for masonry work at UC Santa Barbara?
On University projects, UC Santa Barbara is the code authority, and its Code Compliance Program handles permitting for all campus work that falls under building codes. That stays true even when the University leases the property to someone else. We confirm which office covers your address before any work starts.
How do I know if my masonry project near UCSB needs a county permit?
Ask the county, which issues two kinds of permits where county rules govern, planning permits for carrying out a project on your parcel and building permits so it can track construction. The county's permitting office asks owners to contact it about which one a project needs. We check this for you before we start, and when a permit is needed, we handle the application and meet the inspector.
Does a masonry contractor need a California license for work at UCSB?
Yes, anyone who bids on or contracts for a job worth $500 or more, counting labor and materials together, needs a license from the Contractors State License Board. A contractor with employees also has to carry workers' compensation insurance. We're licensed and fully insured.
What building code applies to masonry work at UC Santa Barbara?
The California Building Code applies on campus and off it. UCSB follows the state's building standards and their amendments, with plan review, permitting, inspection and final acceptance, and the county uses the current state code with its own local changes where county code governs. That's why the office that covers your address matters more than the code book.
What causes mortar to crumble on older walls near UCSB?
Water working into the joints is the usual cause, because mortar softens and washes out as it wets and dries over the years, and walls on the low ground by the lagoon can get more of it. Once the joints open, water gets behind the brick or stone and the damage speeds up. Catching it while repointing will still do the job is the cheaper fix.
How much does masonry repair cost near UC Santa Barbara?
It comes down to how much of the wall needs work, what it's built from and how hard it is to reach, and I give you a figure for your job when I come out. Matching old brick, stone and mortar color takes more time than plain block, and a footing problem costs more than a joint repair. A permit adds more to the schedule than to the bill.
Don't see your city? Give us a call
Pick another area below, or call (805) 456-2871 if your city isn't listed, since we work in other nearby cities too.