Masonry Contractor in Chino Hills, CA - Walls and Stonework Built for Hillside Lots
Fieldstone Ontario Concrete and Masonry builds and repairs block walls, retaining walls, chimneys, pavers and stonework for homes in Chino Hills, CA. We're based nearby in Ontario, and I look at every job myself.
Masonry for Chino Hills hillside homes
We're a masonry contractor in Ontario, CA, and Chino Hills is the hilly corner southwest of us. It's mostly newer stucco homes on curving streets, with backyards that climb or drop toward open brush. Most calls here are about walls, whether it's a block fence running down a slope, a retaining wall holding up a terraced yard, or a planter someone wants redone in stone. That's different work from the flat lots we see in Eastvale and Chino.
Anyone who's hiked Chino Hills State Park knows it closes for at least two days after more than a quarter inch of rain, because the clay in the soil turns the trails slick. A lot of yards here sit on similar ground. Clay holds water and shifts, so on these lots the job starts below the surface with the footing and the drainage.
Masonry work we do in Chino Hills
Hillside homes here can settle when water works under a slab, so I find out where the water's coming from before we touch the crack.
Lots of the tract homes here have a brick or block chimney, and a cracked crown, the concrete slab on top, is usually where water gets in first.
There's less old brick in Chino Hills than in older cities, so this is mostly chimneys and fireplace walls where the mortar has gone sandy and soft.
A cracked brick planter or entry step is usually a small job, and we hunt down brick that matches in color and size so the patch blends in.
Steep driveways here shed water fast, so we pack a deep base and set the edges tight to keep the pavers from creeping downhill.
On a terraced backyard, the wall is only as good as the gravel and drain pipe behind it, and that's where we spend the time.
Older stone or brick work on some Chino Hills properties deserves fixing, not replacing, so we repair what's failing and leave the sound sections alone.
Planning a patio fireplace on a lot that backs up to brush? We build it in brick or stone and place it with the open hillside in mind.
Stone veneer, a thin facing of real or cast stone, dresses up the stucco fronts common here and plain block walls without the weight of full stone.
Block fences run along most property lines here, and on a slope we step the footing down the hill so each run of block sits level and solid.
For a room addition or a home built into the hillside, we lay reinforced block foundation walls that hold back the soil on the uphill side.
Backyards with a view get used for cooking and company, so we build counters and grill islands in block faced with stone or stucco.
When the path from the driveway to the door climbs, we add steps and a gentler slope so it's easier on knees and less slick when wet.
A low brick garden wall or entry pillar suits the more traditional homes here, and we pick a brick and mortar color that goes with the house.
Natural stone and boulder walls look at home against the open hills, and we lay them dry or mortared depending on how much soil they hold.
If only a few joints on your chimney or planter are crumbling, we point just those, refilling them with matching mortar instead of redoing the whole face.
What Chino Hills slopes ask of masonry
I come out to every Chino Hills job myself and stay on site with our crew, so the person who looked at your wall is the one watching it get built.
Drainage planned first
Heavy rain here can flood roads and cause landslides, so on hillside walls we plan the drainage before anything else.
Repairs before replacements
If only part of a wall needs fixing, I'll say so, because tearing out sound masonry just costs you money.
A tidy site while we work
Years of working around tenants taught me to keep the yard picked up, because people still live in your house.
Permits handled for you
When a wall needs city sign-off, we pull the permit and set up the inspections, and we check early on property-line walls.
Licensed, insured and guaranteed
We're licensed and insured, and every job is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Chino Hills masonry questions
Do I need a permit for a block wall or retaining wall in Chino Hills?
Usually yes, because the city only lets short walls skip a permit when every condition on its list holds. A masonry or concrete wall up to 4 feet tall, or a retaining wall holding less than 3 feet of soil, qualifies only if the soil behind it slopes flatter than 4 feet across for every foot up, no nearby structure bears down on that soil, and every part of the wall sits more than 5 feet from any property line. Most block fences here sit right on the line, so they don't fit, and work that touches the sidewalk, curb or gutter needs a separate encroachment permit. If you want to check your own project, the city's Building and Safety Division answers permit questions.
How do I know if my hillside retaining wall needs a grading permit in Chino Hills?
If the wall means cutting into or filling a slope, plan on one, because the city requires a permit from its building official before grading or excavation of any kind, apart from a short list of exemptions. The city issues it only after the project has its other zoning approvals, so on a hillside job the paperwork often sets the start date more than the digging does. I check this with the city at the first visit so you know what you're waiting on before we schedule anything.
Does a masonry contractor need a state license to work in Chino Hills?
Yes, California requires a license from the Contractors State License Board for anyone who builds or alters a structure when the job needs a building permit, uses employees, or totals $1,000 or more in labor and materials. The city also issues business licenses to contractors based outside Chino Hills, like us in Ontario, with a $17.83 fee for out-of-city businesses. We're licensed and insured.
What causes retaining walls to lean or crack in Chino Hills?
Usually it's water. Rain soaks into the soil behind the wall, and if there's no gravel, drain pipe or weep holes, small openings low in the wall that let water out, the wet soil pushes until the wall leans or cracks. On sloped lots with clay underneath, that pressure builds fast, so when I look at a leaning wall I check the drainage and the footing first, because sometimes the fix is behind the wall rather than a whole new one.
Is masonry a good choice for a home near the wildfire zones in Chino Hills?
It's a sensible one, because brick, block and stone don't burn. City maps put over 24,000 acres of Chino Hills in a wildfire threat zone, with just over 20,000 of those rated very high risk, so a lot of homes here back up to brush. A block wall in place of a wood fence, or stone around a fire pit or outdoor kitchen, gives a fire less to catch along the edge of the yard.
How much does a block wall or retaining wall cost in Chino Hills?
It comes down to height, length and how hard the spot is to reach, so I give you a written number after I see the yard. On a slope, the digging, the drainage behind the wall and getting block and gravel up a hillside all add cost, and so do permits and engineering when a wall is tall or close to a property line. A stucco or stone finish costs more than plain block, and a short wall on flat ground costs the least.
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Pick your city below to see what we do there, or call (909) 738-1042 if yours isn't listed, because we work in plenty of cities nearby.
Ask for your Chino Hills estimate
We're open seven days a week, so call (909) 738-1042 or send the form and tell me what's going on with your wall or chimney.