Masonry contractor in Santee, CA - repairs and walls that fit your lot
Artisan San Diego Concrete & Masonry is a masonry contractor based in San Diego that works in Santee, fixing worn mortar, brick and chimneys and building block walls, retaining walls, pavers and outdoor kitchens for Santee homes.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Masonry work on Santee homes
Most of our calls in Santee come from single-family neighborhoods where a block wall runs along nearly every property line. We see many of the same jobs here that we do in Lemon Grove and El Cajon: tired garden walls, worn mortar on a fireplace, and yards that homeowners finally want to finish with a patio, walkway or outdoor kitchen.
Plenty of lots here sit on a slope or back onto a hillside, so the ground decides a lot of the job. Before I price a wall or a paver driveway, I look at where the water goes and how much soil the wall has to hold, because that's what makes masonry last or fail.
Masonry services for Santee homes
Foundation repair
On Santee's sloped lots, a crack in the slab or foundation wall gets checked for movement before we repair anything.
Learn more about Foundation repairChimney repair
Older Santee houses with brick fireplaces often have loose bricks and a cracked cap on top. We rebuild what's failing and leave sound brick alone.
Learn more about Chimney repairTuckpointing
On brick fireplaces and planters around Santee, crumbling joints let water in, so we grind them out and refill to match.
Learn more about TuckpointingBrick repair
In Santee we usually cut out and replace a cracked or flaking brick on its own, rather than redoing a sound wall around it.
Learn more about Brick repairDriveway pavers
Many Santee driveways slope toward the street, so we build the base and edging to hold pavers in place and carry water off.
Learn more about Driveway paversRetaining wall construction
Hillside yards are common here. We size each retaining wall to the soil it holds and give the water behind it a way out.
Learn more about Retaining wall constructionMasonry restoration
For brick or stone that's weathered for decades, we clean, repair and repoint it so it still looks like part of your Santee house.
Learn more about Masonry restorationFireplace installation
An outdoor fireplace gives a Santee patio a place to gather, and we build it in brick, block or stone to match the house.
Learn more about Fireplace installationStone veneer installation
Stone veneer, thin stone set over a wall, dresses up the plain stucco fronts and columns on a lot of Santee tract homes.
Learn more about Stone veneer installationConcrete block walls
Block walls between Santee yards often lean when the footing was skimped, so we build new ones on a footing sized for the wall.
Learn more about Concrete block wallsFoundation block wall installation
A block foundation wall gives an addition or raised patio a level base on a sloped Santee lot.
Learn more about Foundation block wall installationOutdoor kitchen masonry
We build the block base, counters and stone or brick finish for outdoor kitchens, a common request from Santee homeowners finishing a backyard.
Learn more about Outdoor kitchen masonryWalkway construction
Side yards here are often narrow and sloped. We lay walkways in pavers, brick or stone, with steps where the ground drops.
Learn more about Walkway constructionBrick wall installation
A brick garden wall or planter softens a block-heavy Santee yard. We cap it so water runs off instead of soaking in.
Learn more about Brick wall installationStone masonry
For walls, columns and steps in natural stone, we fit and set each piece by hand so the work suits your Santee lot.
Learn more about Stone masonryBrick pointing
When joints are mostly sound, pointing the few open gaps is often all an older Santee wall needs.
Learn more about Brick pointing
What Santee lots ask of masonry
Most masonry trouble we see in Santee starts with a slope or with water. A block wall holding back a hillside, a paver driveway running down to the street and a planter catching runoff from the yard above all fail the same way, by leaning, sinking or washing out at the joints, so we start every job with the ground under it and where the water goes. The ground drives the price too. How much soil a wall holds, how far we dig and haul, how easy the site is to reach and whether old work has to come out first move the number most. The schedule turns on the material you pick and on whether the job needs a permit and inspections, and you'll get your own figure when I come out for the estimate.
The state has mapped fire hazard severity zones in Santee, and you can look up your address with the city's fire hazard severity zone search. Brick, block and stone don't burn, so if your lot backs onto brush, a masonry wall or planter makes more sense than wood.
Get a free estimate for your Santee masonry job
Tell us what you're seeing and where in Santee the house is, and we'll reply within one business day. I come out myself to look at the job and give you a free estimate, with no obligation.
Santee masonry questions
Do I need a permit to build a block wall in Santee?
Santee's list of work that needs no building permit includes fences up to 6 feet high, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the fence. That measurement starts underground, so a wall that looks 6 feet tall above the dirt can go over once you count a deep footing. The city asks owners to check location and height with the Planning Department and Padre Dam first, and we check what your wall needs before we start.
Does a retaining wall need a permit in Santee?
A retaining wall 3 feet tall or less needs no building permit in Santee, unless it carries extra weight above it, like a slope or driveway, or holds back certain flammable liquids. New retaining walls may still need a grading permit from the city's Engineering Department, and the city asks owners to call 619-258-4100 Ext. 167 before beginning any wall. We make that check before work starts and take care of the paperwork and inspections when a permit is required.
How much does a masonry job cost in Santee?
There's no single price, because a Santee masonry job is priced on its size, the material and the ground it sits on, and I give you your own number at the estimate. Sloped lots usually cost more than flat ones, since digging, hauling soil, drainage and steps add work before a wall goes up. A permit adds fees and time when the job needs one, and pointing a few failed joints costs far less than rebuilding a wall that's mostly sound.
How do I apply for a building permit in Santee?
Building permits in Santee are submitted online through the city's Permitting and Licensing Portal, because the Building Division no longer accepts paper plans. The division reviews the plans and inspects the work, and the city isn't offering expedited review right now, so a permitted job should plan for the review time. When your job needs a permit, we handle the paperwork and the inspections.
Does an out-of-town contractor need a Santee business license?
Yes, Santee requires a city business license for anyone doing business in the city, including companies based in other cities that come in to sell goods or services. That covers masonry contractors from San Diego or anywhere else, so it's fair to ask anyone you hire whether they have one.
How do I know if my masonry contractor needs a California state license?
In California, a contractor needs a license from the Contractors State License Board when the job needs a building permit, uses employees, or totals $1,000 or more in labor and materials across one or more contracts on the project. That takes in nearly any wall, chimney or paver job, so ask before you sign. We're licensed and fully insured.
Planning a masonry project in Santee?
Call or send the form, and I'll come out to look at the job and give you a free estimate.
Other cities we work in
We work across San Diego and the cities around it, not only the ones on this site. If you don't see yours, call (619) 220-2261 and ask.