Masonry Contractor in Barstow, CA - Block Walls and Repairs Built for Sandy Ground
Bedrock Victorville Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor based in Victorville, CA. We repair cracked walls, worn joints and chimneys in Barstow, and we build block walls, retaining walls and walkways for homes across the city.
Barstow homes and yards as we see them
Barstow is a longer drive north for our crew than most of our work around Victorville, but the jobs there feel familiar. We see a lot of single-story houses with block walls around the yard, brick fireplaces and chimneys on some of the older homes, and planters, walkways and patios that have sat through years of sun and wind. It's lower, flatter and more open than Piñon Hills up toward the mountains, and the calls we get lean toward cracked yard walls, worn joints and walls that have started to lean.
The price here mostly follows how big the job is and how deep the footing has to go, and the schedule mostly turns on whether the city has to issue a permit first. Your own number comes from the estimate I write after I've seen the job. On this ground the footing is where the real work is, so that's where we spend our prep time, the same way a kitchen does its prep before the first ticket comes in.
What Barstow's ground and weather do to masonry
Masonry in Barstow usually wears from two directions, the ground under it and the weather on it. Here's what we look for on houses and yard walls here.
The city says Barstow's sandy soil and caliche, a hard crusted layer, support a wall less well than ground in wetter parts of California.
Block walls around the yard take steady wind and blowing sand, which wears down the mortar joints on the side facing the weather.
Hot days and cool desert nights make block and brick swell and shrink, and over the years that opens hairline cracks at weak spots.
Long dry spells followed by hard rain loosen the mortar at chimney tops and wall caps, where water sits before it runs off.
Every one of those starts with the ground or the weather, so I come out to look at your wall or chimney myself before anyone talks about a fix.
Our High Desert service area, Barstow included
We're based in Victorville and work in the cities around it across the High Desert, Barstow included, along with places like Hesperia and Apple Valley. If you're farther out, give us a call and ask.
Masonry services we bring to Barstow
Foundation repair
When a crack steps up your foundation wall or a door starts sticking, we find out what the ground did underneath before we fix anything.
Chimney repair
Sun and wind loosen mortar at the top of a chimney first, so we repair the crown, the concrete cap up there, before bricks start working loose.
Tuckpointing
When the mortar between your bricks has sanded out and you can push a key into it, we grind out the old joints and pack in fresh mortar.
Brick repair
Cracked, flaking or loose bricks on a wall or planter don't mean starting over, because we cut those out and set the closest match we can find.
Driveway pavers
Pavers handle Barstow's heat and loose ground well when the base under them is dug out and packed right, which is where most of our time goes.
Retaining wall construction
For a yard that steps down or a slope that keeps sliding, we build retaining walls on a proper footing with a way for water to drain out.
Masonry restoration
When an older brick or stone house has years of worn joints, cracks and patches, we sort out what's sound from what isn't and bring it back together.
Fireplace installation
If you want a new masonry fireplace for cold desert nights, we build the firebox, hearth and surround and plan it around your room and chimney.
Stone veneer installation
Stone veneer, a thin stone face set over what's already there, dresses up a plain block wall or a house front without the weight of full stone.
Concrete block walls
Block walls around the yard are one of the things we're best known for, and we set them on footings sized for loose, sandy ground.
Foundation block wall installation
For an addition or garage, we lay the block foundation on a footing formed for the ground we find, then fill and reinforce the block.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
An outdoor kitchen here has to stand up to hard sun and blowing sand, so we build the counters and grill island in block, brick or stone.
Walkway construction
A walkway in brick, pavers or stone keeps you out of the sand between the driveway and the door, and we lay it on a packed base.
Brick wall installation
A brick wall by the front yard or patio looks warmer than block, and we build it on a real footing with joints pressed tight against blowing sand.
Stone masonry
Natural stone suits desert yards for planters, wall faces and steps, and we lay it in mortar on a footing that can carry all that weight.
Brick pointing
When only a few joints have cracked or dropped out, brick pointing fills just those with fresh mortar, a smaller job than redoing the whole wall.
Get a free on-site estimate for your Barstow masonry job
Call or send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I'll come out to Barstow, look at the job myself and write your estimate on site, free and with no pressure to book. If you'd rather think it over afterward, that's fine with me.
- Call
- (760) 493-2913
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–9 PM
Why Barstow homeowners call our crew
I started this business in Victorville in 2017 after years in restaurant kitchens, and I still come out and write the estimates myself. Here's what that means for a job in Barstow.
The fix matches the cause
Patching a crack without knowing why it's there just means another call later. I look at the footing, the ground and where the water runs first, then tell you straight what it means and what I can't know yet.
Licensed and insured, from Victorville
We're fully licensed and insured. We're based in Victorville, so in Barstow we're an out-of-town business, and the city has its own business license application for that.
Our own crew, checked as it goes
Our own crew does the work with me checking it as it goes, and we clean as we go, like on a kitchen line. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job. Call (760) 493-2913 and ask me anything first.
Questions about masonry work in Barstow
Does a retaining wall need a permit in Barstow, CA?
Yes, the city's Building and Safety Division issues building permits for retaining walls of any height. The process usually runs through permit processing, plan review and inspections, and when your wall needs a permit, we handle the application with the city and build to the approved plans. For a short garden wall or anything else where it isn't clear, we check with the building office before we start.
What building code do permit plans have to follow in Barstow?
The city says plans submitted for review are to be designed under the 2022 California Building Codes. The building office enforces those state codes along with the City of Barstow's own standards, including its Municipal Code, for homes and commercial buildings alike. We build to the approved plans, so the code questions get settled on paper before we dig.
How do I submit plans for a building permit in Barstow?
You submit them on paper, because the city asks for all application forms and plans in hard copy with original ink signatures, and you'll find what you need on the city's building forms page. The city also wants a waste management plan with each applicable permit application, and City Hall is open Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and closed Fridays. When your job needs a permit, we put the package together and handle the submittal for you.
What causes flash flooding in Barstow, and can it hurt a block wall?
Flash floods in Barstow come from the soil, which can't soak up even a moderate rain quickly, so the water runs off instead, and the city says flooding happens a few times each year. Running water can undercut a footing or build up behind a retaining wall, so we plan where the water goes before we build, with drainage behind the wall and grading that moves it away.
How much does masonry work cost in Barstow, CA?
The cost turns on the wall's length and height, the material you choose and how much digging the footing takes in loose ground. Brick and natural stone cost more than block, tearing out an old wall adds labor and hauling, and a permit adds plan review and inspections to the job. I'll give you your number after I've looked at it on site.
What causes cracks in block walls in Barstow?
Most cracks in Barstow block walls start under the wall, with a footing too small or too shallow for the loose ground, rather than in the block itself. A crack that steps along the mortar joints usually means the ground moved, while one straight through the block can point to a load the wall wasn't built for. We look at the footing before we pick a fix, so the repair matches what actually moved.
Call about your Barstow wall or chimney
We take calls at (760) 493-2913 until 11 PM on weekdays and 9 PM on weekends, or you can send the form, so you can ask about that crack after work.
Mon–Fri: 6 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–9 PM