Masonry contractor in Cameron Park, CA - walls and walks built for foothill slopes
P&J El Dorado Hills Concrete & Masonry is a masonry contractor working in Cameron Park, CA. We build retaining walls, walkways and outdoor kitchens on foothill lots, and we repair brick, chimneys and mortar on the homes there.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Masonry work for Cameron Park homes
Cameron Park sits in the foothills on the west slope of the Sierra Nevada, a short drive up Highway 50 from our base in El Dorado Hills. We're a masonry contractor out of El Dorado Hills, CA, and we come up here for homeowners who want brick fixed, a wall built or a walk redone.
Most yards here sit on some kind of grade, and that ground decides most of the job before we've laid a single block. A wall on a slope needs a deeper footing than one on flat ground, and a front walk often needs steps where a level lot wouldn't. Those same things move the price, mainly how much digging the footing takes, how tall the wall has to be and how far our crew has to carry block or stone from where the truck can park. The schedule mostly turns on whether the job needs a permit and on winter rain, because we hold off pouring footings in a downpour. It's the same kind of hillside work we do over in Granite Bay, and I put your own figure in a written estimate after I've looked the job over with you.
What we build and fix in Cameron Park
Retaining wall construction
Lots of Cameron Park yards sit on a slope that wants to move downhill. We build retaining walls on a real footing with drainage behind them.
Brick repair
Older brick here cracks and loses mortar after years of hot summers. We do brick repair with brick and mortar picked to match yours.
Driveway pavers
Sloped driveways here take runoff every winter, which washes out a weak base. We lay pavers on a packed base that holds them level.
Walkway construction
Walks on a hillside lot often need steps to be safe underfoot. We set each step on a solid base and slope it to shed water.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
Warm foothill evenings bring a lot of cooking outside. We build outdoor kitchen counters in block, brick or stone on a footing sized for the weight.
Chimney repair
Fireplaces get used here on cold nights, and a cracked cap on top of the chimney lets rain in. We rebuild the cap and refill loose mortar joints.
What foothill homes here need from masonry
Foothill weather is hard on mortar. Long, dry summers bake the joints and winter rain finds every crack, so on older brick we usually see joints gone sandy and soft, and sometimes the face of a brick flaking off where water sat in it. We fix the joints with a mortar mixed to suit your old brick, not the hardest bag on the shelf, because mortar that's harder than the brick around it pushes the damage into the brick. On new work in summer we start early and keep fresh mortar damp, since it needs moisture to set up strong and the afternoon heat here pulls it out fast.
Wildfire is the other thing people here think about. Burning embers can light a building up to a mile from the fire itself, and brick, block and stone don't burn, which is a good reason to build walls, planters and outdoor kitchens near the house from masonry instead of wood.
Get a free estimate for your Cameron Park project
Call (916) 260-2151 or send the form, and we'll reply within one business day. Then I come out to your place in Cameron Park, look the job over with you and follow up with a written estimate. It's free, with no pressure and no obligation.
Cameron Park masonry questions
Here's what homeowners in Cameron Park usually want to know about permits, licensing, cost and walls on a slope. If your question isn't here, ask us about your own job.
How do I get a building permit for masonry work in Cameron Park?
If your job needs a permit, you don't have to chase it, because we find out which office covers your address and handle the application and inspections as part of the job. For building projects in El Dorado County, the county takes plan review and permit applications, and a county permit is good for two years from the day it's issued, with one more year if it's renewed.
Which building code applies to my project in El Dorado County?
New plan review and permit applications to the county have to meet the 2025 California Building Standards Code, while projects started before 2026 stay under the 2022 codes for plan check and inspections. The county also says it's essential to keep a permit current and show steady progress, because an expired permit gets reviewed against the newer codes before it can be reactivated. That's one reason we keep a permitted job moving once it starts.
When does a masonry contractor need a California license?
Under the state licensing board's rules, a license applies when the project needs a building permit, uses employee labor or comes to $1,000 or more in labor and materials, and the contractor needs it before they bid. A small job may be exempt when it needs no permit, uses no employees and costs under $1,000 in all, but a bigger job can't be broken into pieces to fit under that line. We're fully licensed and insured, so feel free to ask about it at the estimate.
How much does masonry work cost in Cameron Park?
There's no single number, because the slope, the size and the material all move it, so I give you your own figure in a written estimate after I've seen the job. Natural stone usually costs more than block, and block faced with stone veneer can get you most of the look for less, while matching old brick on a repair takes extra time to track down. If a wall is mostly there to hold back dirt, I'd rather you spend on the footing and drainage than on a fancier face.
What does the Cameron Park Community Services District handle?
The district runs fire and emergency services, parks and facility reservations, recreation, lighting and landscaping, solid waste collection and weed abatement, and it also administers CC&Rs, the neighborhood rules that come with many properties. For masonry, the CC&Rs are the part to know, because rules about walls and front yards often live there, so read yours before we settle on a design.
What causes retaining walls to lean on sloped yards in Cameron Park?
Water building up behind the wall is usually what pushes it out, more than the dirt alone. Winter rain soaks into the slope, and if there's no gravel and drain pipe behind the wall to let it out, that wet soil leans on the wall all season until it tips or cracks. When we build or rebuild one, the drainage goes in with the footing, because those hidden parts decide whether the wall is still standing straight years from now.
Brick, block and stone examples
Other areas we work in
We work in many cities across El Dorado, Sacramento and Placer counties. Pick yours from the list, or call (916) 260-2151 to ask about your address.