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La Mirada Masonry serves homeowners throughout Cerritos, CA with concrete block walls, driveway repair, and brick and masonry services - and our crew has worked on enough of these 1960s and 1970s homes to know the soil, the slabs, and what it takes to do the job right.
Cerritos homeowners frequently need new or repaired block walls along property lines and around backyard patios - structures that were often built at the same time as the house and are now 50-plus years old. Our concrete block wall service covers new construction, cap replacement, and mortar joint repair on existing walls, using materials matched to what is already standing on your property.
Most driveways in Cerritos were poured in concrete when the homes were built in the 1960s and 1970s, and after 50 to 60 years of clay soil movement and tree root pressure, they show it. Replacing a cracked, sunken slab with brick or concrete pavers gives Cerritos homeowners a surface that tolerates ground movement far better than a single poured section.
Cerritos sits on expansive clay soils that swell each rainy season and pull back during the dry summer months. That constant movement puts lateral pressure on retaining walls, and walls that were not built with proper drainage often lean or crack within a decade. We build and repair retaining walls in Cerritos with the drainage design this soil type requires.
Ranch homes throughout Cerritos commonly have decorative brick features - planters, entry columns, and chimney exteriors - that have developed cracks, spalled faces, or crumbling mortar joints after decades of sun and occasional rain. We match replacement brick to the original as closely as possible so repairs do not stand out from the surrounding work.
Original concrete walkways on Cerritos properties are often lifted and cracked by the same tree roots that have had 50 years to grow under them. Replacing a damaged walkway with properly installed pavers or new concrete - with root barriers where appropriate - gives homeowners a surface that will hold up for the next several decades.
Brick and block walls in Cerritos that were built in the 1960s and 1970s now have mortar joints that have dried, shrunk, and opened under Southern California's UV exposure and dry heat. Tuckpointing removes the deteriorated mortar and packs fresh mortar into the joint - a targeted repair that stops water infiltration before it damages the surrounding masonry.
Cerritos was converted from farmland to a planned residential city almost entirely during the 1960s and 1970s. That concentrated development window means most homes in the city are 50 to 60 years old and were built with materials and techniques common to that era. The concrete driveways, patios, block walls, and brick work laid during those decades were designed to last 30 to 40 years. Most have now exceeded that window. Cerritos has a high rate of owner-occupied homes, and long-term residents who have lived on the same block for 20 or 30 years are often dealing with the accumulated deferred maintenance of that original construction.
The clay soils that underlie Cerritos - identified as expansive by the U.S. Geological Survey as part of a broader Los Angeles Basin pattern - swell when the winter rains arrive and shrink back during the long dry summers. That seasonal movement has been working on the concrete and masonry in Cerritos since the day it was poured. The mature trees planted when these neighborhoods were first developed have added their own force to the problem, with large root systems pushing up driveways, sidewalks, and patio slabs on nearly every residential block in the city. Santa Ana wind events each fall dry out mortar and caulk faster than normal, accelerating the deterioration of exterior masonry finishes.
Our crew works throughout Cerritos regularly, and we understand the local conditions that affect masonry contractor work here. The city is organized around a grid of residential streets that branch off major corridors like Studebaker Road, 183rd Street, and Bloomfield Avenue - and most of the homes we work on sit on modest 5,000 to 8,000 square foot lots with mature trees planted 50-plus years ago. Those trees are beautiful, but their roots are a primary driver of the concrete and block wall repairs we handle throughout the city. The streets near the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts in the city center, the neighborhoods closer to the 91 freeway, and the quieter blocks near the Artesia border all share the same soil type and housing age.
The City of Cerritos has its own Community Development Department that handles building permits for structural masonry work. We pull permits directly through that office when required, which keeps your project properly documented and avoids any complications if you sell your home in the future.
We also serve homeowners in nearby Bellflower, CA, which borders Cerritos to the west and has similar postwar housing and soil conditions. If you are near the boundary between the two cities, we cover both sides.
Reach us by phone or through our online form and we will follow up within one business day to arrange a site visit. You do not need to have a defined scope ready - describe what you are seeing and we will assess the rest.
We inspect the masonry at your Cerritos property and provide a written estimate before any work begins. You will see the full scope and cost in writing, so there are no unexpected additions after we start.
Our crew arrives at the agreed time and works efficiently to keep disruption to a minimum. Most Cerritos homeowners do not need to be present during the work, though we ask that someone be available at the start to confirm the scope.
After work is complete, we clean the area and walk you through what was done. We explain any curing time needed before the repaired surface can be used, and we answer any follow-up questions.
We serve homeowners across Cerritos, CA. Call us or fill out the form and we will follow up within one business day.
(562) 689-9880Cerritos covers about 8.8 square miles in the southeast corner of Los Angeles County, bordered by Norwalk to the north, Artesia to the south, and Bellflower to the west. The city has a population of roughly 49,000 and is one of the more affluent suburbs in the county, with median home values well above the regional average. Its housing stock is almost entirely single-family ranch and traditional tract homes built during the rapid development years of the 1960s and 1970s, when the city was converted from Dairy Valley farmland into a planned residential community. The Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts and the nationally recognized Cerritos Public Library are the city's most prominent landmarks, and the Cerritos Auto Square along Studebaker Road is one of the largest dealership complexes in the country. Residents also know the city for its proximity to the 91, 605, and 5 freeways, which give easy access to Long Beach, Anaheim, and downtown Los Angeles.
Owner-occupancy rates in Cerritos are high, and many families have lived on the same street for decades. That long-term stability means the homes here are maintained by people who care about them - and it also means the original concrete flatwork, block walls, and brick features have had 50 to 60 years of use without replacement. Homeowners in Cerritos often discover they need masonry work when they put a home up for sale or when a concrete driveway that has gradually worsened finally becomes a safety concern. We serve homeowners throughout the city, including those near the border with neighboring Norwalk, CA, where the housing stock and soil conditions are nearly identical.
Restore your foundation's strength and protect your home from structural damage.
Learn MoreReplace cracked or spalled bricks to restore appearance and structural integrity.
Learn MoreEnhance curb appeal with durable, custom-laid driveway paver installations.
Learn MoreBuild lasting retaining walls that control erosion and define outdoor spaces.
Learn MoreRevive aging masonry to its original character with expert restoration work.
Learn MoreInstall a beautiful, code-compliant masonry fireplace built to last decades.
Learn MoreConstruct solid, low-maintenance concrete block walls for any application.
Learn MoreLay sturdy foundation block walls engineered for long-term structural support.
Learn MoreCreate a custom outdoor kitchen built from premium masonry materials.
Learn MoreDesign and build attractive, durable walkways using brick, stone, or pavers.
Learn MoreInstall classic brick walls that add beauty and permanence to any property.
Learn MoreCraft timeless stone masonry features that elevate your property's character.
Learn MoreRepair and refresh mortar joints to keep brick surfaces watertight and sound.
Learn MoreWe serve homeowners throughout Cerritos, CA. The sooner we can take a look, the more options you have before a small problem becomes a bigger one.