AJ Torrance Concrete and MasonryAJ Torrance Concrete and Masonry

Masonry Contractor in Torrance, CA - Repairs That Match the Wall They Join

AJ Torrance Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor based in Torrance, CA. We repair brick, chimneys and worn mortar joints, and build block and retaining walls for houses all over the city.

Request a quote(424) 318-3093
A wide tan brick-paver driveway curves beside a house, bordered by landscaping stones and ornamental grasses.
  • Licensed and insured.
  • Free estimates at your property.
  • We reply within 1 business day.

About Torrance, CA

Torrance is where I started this business in 2013, and it's still where most of our calls come from. It's a big city with a little of everything, long blocks of houses on quiet streets, busy commercial corridors and industrial stretches, and we work just as often in the cities next door, like Lomita and Gardena, where a lot of the houses were built much the same way.

Most of the city sits flat, with one-story and two-story houses on regular lots, but the south end climbs toward the hills. So the same call can mean a chimney on a level lot in one neighborhood and a retaining wall holding up a backyard in another.

Services in Torrance, CA

  • Brick repair

    Brick planters and steps on older Torrance houses crack and loosen with age. We swap out bad brick for the closest match and set it in mortar no harder than the wall.

  • Chimney repair

    Plenty of houses here keep the original brick chimney, and the top and its concrete cap wear first. We rebuild loose brick, redo the cap and refill worn joints before water gets in.

  • Tuckpointing

    Mortar joints on older brick here go sandy long before the brick gives out. We grind out the worn mortar and pack new mortar matched to the old in strength and color.

  • Foundation repair

    When the concrete under a Torrance house settles, it shows up as cracked brick or a step pulling away. Our foundation repair finds why it moved and fixes that first.

  • Retaining wall construction

    Sloped yards on the city's south end need a wall that holds the dirt back. We size it for the height, no bigger, with drainage behind so water doesn't pile up.

  • Concrete block walls

    Block walls between Torrance yards lean or crack once roots and years get to them. We keep the sound sections and rebuild the ones that aren't, on footings sized for the wall.

Permits, licenses and what moves the price in Torrance

Building permits in Torrance come from the city's Building and Safety Division, and when a job needs one, the city's review sets the start date more than our calendar does. Before you hire anyone, check that they hold a state contractor license and a Torrance business license, because both apply to masonry work here. We're licensed and insured, and if your job needs a permit, we handle the application with the city and tell you what we learn before any work starts. The price moves with how much wall or brick there is, how easy it is to reach and how closely new work has to match old, and my written estimate spells out the scope for your house.

Since we're based here, most Torrance jobs are a short drive, and the same goes for Redondo Beach next door. Getting brick and block to the house is a bigger part of the job than people expect, so on narrow streets, busy corners or lots with a side gate too tight for a wheelbarrow, we work out where the pallets go before delivery day. Hauling by hand takes longer, and that's one of the things the estimate accounts for.

Torrance, CA properties and local conditions

Parts of Torrance sit on expansive soil, ground that swells when it's wet and shrinks as it dries, and the city made its foundation rules stricter because of it. That movement is what cracks block walls, tips garden walls and opens gaps under front steps. When we build, the footing is sized for the ground it sits on, and when the work needs plans, the soil question gets answered before anyone digs.

A lot of houses here have a few decades on them, with a brick chimney, a block wall on the property line and patches from whoever came before. Most of what we do on them is repair, finding what's failing and leaving the sound parts alone, because tearing out good brick costs you money and doesn't make the wall any better.

Get a written masonry estimate for your Torrance house

Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time for me to come out to your place in Torrance. I look at the job myself, and the estimate is free, done at your property and sent in writing with the scope spelled out. There's no obligation to hire us.

How a masonry job goes when you call us in Torrance

  1. Call or send a request

    Call (424) 318-3093 or use the form, and we'll set a time for me to come see the job. It helps if you're home for the visit so you can show me what's bothering you.

  2. I look at the job

    I walk the wall, chimney or yard, tell you what I see and what can wait, then send a written estimate with the scope spelled out. Finding out what it takes costs you nothing.

  3. We handle the permit steps

    If the work needs a permit, we take care of it with the city, starting with the zoning clearance Torrance wants before an application so the review doesn't stall. Since January 5, 2026, the city takes plans and permit submittals only electronically, so there's no paper set for you to carry in.

  4. Our crew does the work

    Our own crew builds it, with a lead mason running the site and me stopping by to check on it as it goes. I look it over before we call it done.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a permit to build a garden wall in Torrance?

Possibly, because a draft city ordinance only exempts fences not over three feet high from a building permit, along with finish work like painting, tile, cabinets and counters. A city staff report says the proposed changes make the permit-free list stricter, not looser. We check your wall with the city's building permit office before any work starts and tell you what we learn.

When does a contractor need a CSLB license in California?

Under Contractors State License Board guidance, a contractor needs a license when the job needs a building permit, uses any hired workers, or totals $1,000 or more in labor and materials across its contracts. A larger job can't be broken into smaller contracts to get under $1,000. Ask for the license before you sign anything.

Does a contractor need a Torrance business license to work at my house?

Yes, the city requires a business license from anyone with a company in Torrance or anyone who will physically work in the city. That covers contractors coming in from other cities, and companies using their own vehicles to deliver here.

How do I check if my Torrance address is in an earthquake hazard zone?

Type your address into the state's EQ Zapp map, which shows whether it falls inside any mapped earthquake hazard zone and whether the state has yet to evaluate that area. The city ties its stricter soil investigation rules to nearby faults and to hillside conditions in parts of Torrance, so it's useful to know going into a retaining wall or foundation job.

What makes masonry work in Torrance cost more or less?

The biggest factors are how much brick or block is involved, how hard it is to reach, and how closely the repair has to match an older wall. Matching old brick and soft mortar takes longer than laying new, and a wall that needs a permit or a look at the soil adds steps before we dig. I put the scope in writing so you can see what's driving the number.

What is the best way to repair old mortar joints on a brick house?

Grind out the worn mortar and repack the joints with mortar that matches the old in strength and color, never harder than the brick around it. Hard mortar doesn't give, so the brick takes the stress and cracks or flakes at the face instead of the joint wearing the way it's supposed to. The last guy's cement patch usually holds great. It's the brick around it that gives up.

Service areas

Explore the services

Torrance, CA

Get a mason out to your Torrance house

Cracks and loose joints are cheaper to fix while they're small, before water gets behind the brick.

Request a quote(424) 318-3093
(424) 318-3093Request a quote