Brick Masonry
Brick walls, steps, walkways, planters and full brick driveways - plus brick veneer over existing walls. Classic material, clean coursing.
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We build brick driveways in Los Angeles from paving-grade clay brick, laid to take cars every day. A new driveway goes down sand-set on a compacted aggregate base, and an edge restraint holds the outside rows. The other system mortars the brick onto a concrete slab. We also frame concrete driveways in brick and extend old brick driveways to match. Our own work includes a red clay brick driveway laid up to a custom wood gate. Driveways are one piece of the clay brick masonry we build.
Most calls start with plain concrete to dress up in brick, or an old brick driveway that has sunk. The first visit is free and on site, and the quote comes in writing. We look first at the soil and the trees near the driveway, then at where storm water runs. Next we check the fall to the street and the garage slab the brick will meet. If a poured slab or concrete pavers suit the house better, we build poured concrete and paver drives too.
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A brick driveway is only as strong as the base under it. The Brick Industry Association (BIA) says a sand-set field's load capacity depends on the whole pavement section. BIA's 4 inch base is for foot traffic, like a walk or a brick patio out back. Vehicular loading requires a thicker one, compacted in layers of 3 inches or less under a plate compactor.
City of LA plan check wants every foundation designed for expansive soil unless an approved soils report says otherwise. Over expansive soil, BIA's selection table accepts sand-set brick on an aggregate base with stabilized joint sand. Near tree roots, it recommends that system. The same table rates every brick system on a concrete base not acceptable in both cases. So on clay soil and rooty lots, we steer to sand-set brick on a deeper base.
BIA notes vehicle loads typically put the largest sideways load on paving. Sand-set brick is more prone to that movement, called paver creep. A herringbone pattern best spreads those forces and cuts the chance of creep. Running bond and other patterns with continuous joints spread them less well. Where those are used, BIA says the long joints should run across traffic. Basket weave lines its joints up in a grid, and BIA notes it takes care to keep its lines straight.
Joint width matters on a herringbone brick driveway too. BIA warns that sand-set paving under cars can lose strength when joints are too wide. We keep joints tight and even, inside an edge restraint that holds the field. The brick is paving grade, made to ASTM C902, which covers residential driveways. The heavier ASTM C1272 grade is meant for streets and commercial driveways.
A brick and concrete driveway pairs a poured field with brick. The brick can run as a brick driveway border, as bands across the slab or as an entry apron. BIA notes borders in a different color add interest, and larger areas can take bands or panels. A Google customer chose us over other bids for a front walkway with a brick inlay and driveway crack patching.
Brick can also cover a whole existing slab, mortared straight onto the concrete. BIA says mortar beds belong only on a concrete base, and an existing base gets checked first. If the slab flexes enough, BIA notes the field may crack along the mortar lines. So cracks get fixed first through crack patching and slab section work. Brick goes on only where the soil allows it.
BIA wants water drained off the paving as quickly as possible. It recommends a minimum slope of 1/4 inch per foot, a 2 percent grade. Where the grade allows, we run that fall toward the street, away from the garage. BIA says clay paving works on slopes up to a 10 percent grade. Steeper sites call for a design professional and local codes. City of LA zoning caps a driveway slope at 20 percent.
A brick driveway apron can finish the entry on your side of the property line. Past that line, the city's apron and curb cut sit in the public right of way. In the City of Los Angeles, a standard approach follows City Standard Plan S-440-4 under a Bureau of Engineering A-Permit. So our brick stops at the property line. The A-Permit is handled as part of the job, with the paperwork filed for you where the city allows it. Width and front yard rules are in permits for the slab, apron and curb cut.
Yes. We match the old brick's color and size, then lay the new field in the same pattern and joint. Clay paver color can shift between production runs, BIA notes, so pavers from different cubes get blended. The new section copies the old setting bed, sand to sand or mortar to mortar. Where the old field has crept or sunk at the edge, we reset it before tying in.
A brick driveway may pass between pilasters at a gate and end at a front walk. The columns and low walls are covered under brick pilasters and entry walls at the gate. Our finished work includes clay brick front steps beside an old river rock wall. Another job of ours is a clay brick walkway laid in herringbone between planting beds.
Free, no-obligation estimates across Glendale, Burbank and Greater Los Angeles.
(424) 653-0453From the first look at the site to the final walk-through, here is exactly how it goes.
We look at the project where it lives: the grade, the access, what is being held back or built on, and what you want the finished space to look like.
You get a written quote with a real timeline. It spells out materials, finishes, demolition and haul-off, and flags permit or engineering questions before anything is built.
Proper base and footings, clean courses, real drainage behind every wall. The details you cannot see are the reason the work lasts, and we treat them that way.
We walk the finished work together - joints, finishes, cleanup, the whole job. Done means you have looked at every part of it and said so.
Common questions about brick driveways across Glendale, Burbank and Greater Los Angeles. Don't see yours? Give us a call - we're happy to help.
Brick walls, steps, walkways, planters and full brick driveways - plus brick veneer over existing walls. Classic material, clean coursing.
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Natural stone walls, river rock work, flagstone patios and paths, and stone veneer on walls, columns and outdoor kitchens.
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Engineered block and concrete retaining walls with real drainage - stucco, stone or brick finished - plus failing walls rebuilt right.
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Property line walls, privacy walls, courtyard walls and gated front-yard enclosures - reinforced block, finished in stucco, stone or left clean.
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Driveways, patios, pool decks, steps, walkways and slabs - formed and poured on compacted base, finished the way you pick.
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Interlocking paver driveways, patios, walkways and pool decks - real base prep, tight patterns, edges that hold.
Learn MoreRecent 5-star reviews from Yelp and HomeAdvisor
This was a great company to work with. Francisco communicates in detail verbally and in writing. He also does excellent work and has a great staff. He also left my place clean daily before they left. They show up on time and get the job done as projected.
Francisco and his crew are great! They repaired a brick wall for me when other companies said it had to be demolished and couldn't be repaired. They were prompt and friendly and did a great job. I would highly recommend them!
We are extremely pleased with the outstanding work completed by Camberos Masonry. The best word to describe their work is immaculate! … The crew worked tirelessly, paid attention to every detail, and left the job site clean and organized each day.
Brick, block, stone and concrete are our whole trade - not a sideline. Footings, coursing, drainage and finish details done the traditional way, because that is why masonry lasts.
Hillside walls with real drainage, slabs built for expansive soil, finishes that suit Spanish, Craftsman and modern houses. This is Los Angeles work by people who know Los Angeles lots.
We look at the site, flag permits and engineering honestly, and put the price and timeline in writing. No phone guesses, no surprise change orders for things we should have seen.
Walls, flatwork, veneer, fire features and tile from one contractor - so materials match, schedules hold, and the finished yard reads as one design instead of four handoffs.
A wall that worries you, a driveway past its best, or a backyard ready to become the good part of the house? Call or send the form and we will look at the site with you and hand you a straight written quote.
Tell us about your project - we’ll get right back to you.
