Brick wall installation in South Whittier CA - a garden wall set on a solid footing
Want a brick wall around the yard but worried it'll lean or stain? We build it on a real footing with a cap that sheds water.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Replies within 1 business day.
What brick wall installation involves
Brick wall installation in South Whittier usually means a freestanding garden or yard wall, built on a footing and finished with a cap. A wall like that is only as good as what's under it and what's on top, so we treat the footing and the cap as seriously as the brick. If it has to hold back soil, you want retaining wall construction instead.
What moves the price is the wall's length and height, the footing under it, the brick you choose and the cap on top. The schedule mostly turns on whether your address needs a permit and how long that takes. I work out your own figure on site when I come look at the yard.
Footing first
We dig and pour the base before any brick goes down, because everything sits on it.
Brick made for outdoors
We use brick that's made to stand outside in the weather year after year.
Built to stand alone
A freestanding wall gets the thickness or bracing its height and length call for.
A cap that sheds water
The coping, the cap on top, overhangs both faces so rain drips clear of the brick.
Which masonry job fits your yard?
Some of our work builds something new, some fixes what you have, and some only renews the mortar, so start from what you see.
- Foundation repairThis pageWorth a look when cracks or sinking point to trouble under the house.
- Chimney repairThis pageFor a chimney that leaks, loses brick or shows cracks near the top.
- TuckpointingThis pageA good fit when the mortar joints are worn but the brick itself is sound.
- Brick repairThis pageWhen some bricks are cracked, loose or crumbling but the wall still stands fine.
- Driveway paversThis pageChoose this when you want a driveway laid in pavers instead of plain poured concrete.
- Retaining wall constructionThis pageThe right call when the wall has to hold back a slope or raised soil.
- Masonry restorationThis pageFor older brick or stone that needs cleaning, repair and new mortar to look right again.
- Fireplace installationThis pageWhen you want a new fireplace built in masonry, indoors or out.
- Stone veneer installationThis pageA fit when you want a stone face on an existing wall or column.
- Concrete block wallsThis pagePick block when you want a sturdy, plain wall that can be stuccoed or painted later.
- Foundation block wall installationThis pageFor block walls that form part of a home's foundation or a raised floor.
- Outdoor kitchen masonryThis pageWhen you want a grill island, counter or bar built in brick, block or stone.
- Walkway constructionThis pageFor a new path to the front door, along the side yard or through the garden.
- Brick wall installationThis pageThe one you're on, for a new freestanding brick wall around a yard or patio.
- Stone masonryThis pageA good choice when you want walls, steps or features built in natural stone.
- Brick pointingThis pageFor refilling worn joints so the mortar matches and keeps water out of the brick.
Brick garden wall ideas
Press any photo to see it larger, and ask us about a style you like.
Why South Whittier homeowners call K&L
The owner on every job
I come out to look at every job myself, and I work alongside my crew on the wall, so you know who's on your property and what they're doing.
Raised on masonry crews
I spent summers through school mixing mortar and hauling block before I laid my first row of brick, then started this business right here in South Whittier.
Fully licensed and insured
Ask me for proof of both when I come out to measure. I'd rather you check than wonder who's working in your yard.
From your first call to the final walk
You deal with me from the first visit to the final walk, and you'll know who's in your yard.
You get in touch
Call (562) 358-3030 or send the form with the wall's rough length, height and spot.
I come out and measure
I measure, check the ground and note your address so we know which permit office covers it.
Your estimate on site
I go over the footing, brick and cap with you and give you the estimate there.
Permit, then the build
We get any needed permit, then my crew and I pour the footing, lay brick and set the cap.
A walk around the wall
Before we leave, I walk the finished wall with you and we clean up the site.
What to know before building a brick wall
Read through the answers below, and if your question isn't here, ask me when you call.
Ask me directly
Call (562) 358-3030 or send the form with anything else, and we'll get back to you.
Who issues building permits for a brick wall in South Whittier?
For homes in unincorporated LA County, LA County Public Works issues building permits, and its South Whittier District Office in Norwalk processes them, at (562) 946-1390. Some addresses fall under another office, so we check yours first, and if your wall needs a permit, we handle it as the licensed contractor.
How tall can a brick wall be in my front yard in South Whittier?
In unincorporated LA County, the county's planning rules cap walls at 3.5 feet in front yards and corner side yards, and 6 feet in side and rear yards. A wall that holds back soil tops out at 6 feet in any yard. Tell us where the wall goes, and we'll plan its height around the limit for that spot.
Can I build a brick garden wall with salvaged or reclaimed brick?
Usually not, if you want it to last outside. The brick industry's own garden wall guide says used brick belongs in a garden wall only if it meets the SW grade, the one for severe weather, and most used brick doesn't because it was often fired unevenly. If you love that look, I'll tell you honestly whether your brick is fit to stand outside.
What kind of footing does a brick garden wall need?
A solid one, built of concrete or brick. The brick industry's garden wall guide says to set it in undisturbed earth, and says steel reinforcement matters most where the soil swells and shrinks a lot. After I look at your lot, I'll tell you whether we'd reinforce yours and why.
How thick does a freestanding brick garden wall need to be?
Thick enough for its height, because a thin brick wall can only get so tall before sideways forces like wind make it unsteady. A UK brick group's guide lists the usual fixes: a thicker base, piers that stick out from the face, or a zigzag or staggered layout. If you want a slim wall, ask which one the design uses.
Why is white powder showing up on my new brick wall?
That's usually new building bloom, a white salt haze that shows up as a fresh wall gives off water while it dries. It tends to come soon after the build and fade. If it keeps coming back after that first drying, water is likely getting into the wall and staying there, so the cap and joints are worth a look.
Does a contractor need a license to build a garden wall in California?
Yes. State contractor law counts fences, landscaping and other improvements of the land next to a home as home improvement, done by a contractor licensed through the Contractors State License Board. The board also caps a down payment at $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less, which helps when you compare bids.
Tell us about the wall you have in mind
Send the wall's length, height, which yard it's in and the brick you like. We reply within one business day and set up a free, no-obligation estimate on site.
Whittier, CA 90604