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Serving Placentia, CA and surrounding areas. (657) 226-2890
Placentia Concrete & Masonry is a masonry contractor serving Whittier, CA with tuckpointing, brick repair, foundation repair, retaining wall construction, and concrete flatwork for homeowners in a city where most of the housing was built between the 1940s and 1960s and seismic conditions are a real factor.
We have served the region since 2015 and respond to all new inquiries within one business day.
Whittier has a substantial share of homes built between the 1940s and 1960s, and many of them have brick chimneys, garden walls, and accent features with original mortar now 60 to 80 years old. Mortar fails before brick because it is designed to - protecting the brick from water damage and absorbing the small movements from seismic activity and ground shifting that Whittier homes experience regularly. Our tuckpointing service removes failed mortar and replaces it with a compatible mix that matches the existing color and hardness - restoring the joint without damaging the surrounding brick face.
Whittier's seismic history - including the 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake - left a legacy of cracked concrete slabs and shifted foundation walls that have continued to develop over the years. Even smaller, more frequent tremors work against foundations cumulatively. On homes built in the 1940s through 1960s, concrete foundations that were poured to the standards of that era may need crack repair, patching, or drainage corrections to remain stable under current conditions.
The Friendly Hills neighborhood in southern Whittier sits on rolling terrain with sloped lots that need retaining walls to manage grade and prevent soil movement. Many existing walls on these hillside properties were built in the 1960s and 1970s and are showing the effects of decades of clay soil pressure, moisture loading, and seismic movement. We build new retaining walls with drainage systems designed for sloped Los Angeles County lots where soil conditions require more than a standard flat-site approach.
Brick chimneys and decorative brick on Whittier homes from the 1940s and 1950s use softer, lime-set brick that responds differently to repair than modern hard-fired brick. The 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake cracked and shifted brick on older homes throughout the city, and subsequent smaller seismic events have continued to widen those gaps. Proper brick repair on homes this age means selecting mortar with compatible hardness - a modern Portland cement mix can cause spalling on soft older brick rather than providing lasting protection.
Single-family homes in Whittier's residential neighborhoods typically have front walkways and rear patio areas that were poured at the same time as the original home - meaning many are now 60 to 80 years old. These older concrete surfaces crack from age, root pressure, and soil movement, and in Whittier's seismically active environment, uneven walkway sections are a genuine trip hazard that needs addressing. Replacement panels restore a flat, safe surface that handles Whittier's seasonal drainage conditions.
Whittier's older homes - particularly around the Uptown Whittier district and in established residential blocks near Whittier College - have original brick and stone masonry that has absorbed decades of Southern California weather, sun exposure, and seismic movement. Restoration work on these surfaces involves cleaning, re-pointing, and in some cases partial rebuilding of decorative masonry elements to return them to a sound, weather-resistant condition without changing the home's original character.
Whittier sits in Los Angeles County about 12 miles southeast of downtown LA, and it has a housing stock that differs from Orange County cities in one important way: seismic risk here is higher. The city experienced the 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake directly - a 5.9-magnitude event that caused significant damage to older buildings and homes throughout the city. The fault responsible for that earthquake, the Puente Hills fault system, remains active, and smaller tremors have continued to affect foundations, masonry, and concrete flatwork in the years since. Brick that was cracked by ground movement in 1987 and not properly repaired has had nearly four decades to absorb moisture, widen, and deteriorate further. For older homes in Whittier, seismic history is a real factor in the condition of their masonry - and it is something a contractor working here needs to account for when assessing damage and selecting repair materials.
The city also has meaningful terrain variation. The flat residential grid around Uptown Whittier and the streets near Whittier College is the part of the city most homeowners picture - postwar ranch homes on modest lots with standard concrete driveways and walkways. But the southern part of the city, around Friendly Hills, is different: rolling hills, larger lots, sloped yards, and homes from the 1960s through 1980s that were built on terrain requiring retaining walls and drainage management. Hillside masonry work in Whittier involves soil conditions and slope loads that do not apply to flat-lot jobs, and contractors who have only worked on flat residential properties are not always prepared for what Friendly Hills lots require. Whittier's rainy season also hits older stucco and brick surfaces hard after months of dry summer heat, which tends to surface water intrusion problems that have been developing all year.
Our crew works throughout Whittier regularly and understands the local conditions that affect masonry work in this city. The flat residential neighborhoods around Uptown Whittier and the streets near Whittier College generate regular tuckpointing and concrete flatwork calls on postwar ranch homes. The hillside lots in Friendly Hills in the south end of the city require a different approach - retaining wall work and foundation assessments on properties with grade changes that flat-lot jobs do not involve. For permitted work, we coordinate with the City of Whittier Community Development Department on all jobs that require a building permit, which is standard for structural work, new retaining walls, and fireplace or chimney construction.
Whittier is bordered by Pico Rivera to the north, La Mirada and Norwalk to the south, and La Habra Heights to the east. Major corridors through the city include Whittier Boulevard, Hadley Street, and Painter Avenue. The Whittier Narrows Recreation Area sits at the northern edge of the city near the San Gabriel River. The hills and canyons in the southern part of Whittier near Turnbull Canyon mean that some properties in this city face erosion and drainage challenges that are uncommon elsewhere in the region.
We also serve neighboring Tustin in Orange County, which has its own range of masonry conditions from Victorian-era homes in Old Town to newer developments, and La Habra to the northwest, where postwar residential housing and hillside lots create similar conditions to parts of Whittier.
Reach us by phone or through the contact form. Tell us what you are seeing - failed mortar joints on a chimney, a cracked walkway, a leaning retaining wall, or whatever is prompting the call. We get back to all new inquiries within one business day.
We visit your Whittier property to assess the damage in person - looking at the condition of the brick or concrete, checking for seismic cracking patterns if relevant, and evaluating drainage and slope conditions on hillside lots. The written estimate covers scope, materials, and timeline so there are no cost surprises when work begins.
We schedule around your calendar and Whittier's seasonal weather. For tuckpointing and brick work, we verify weather conditions are dry before starting since mortar must cure without rain. For hillside retaining wall jobs, we confirm access and permit status before mobilizing. Permit applications are handled by us for all jobs that require one.
When the work is done, we remove all debris and material waste from the property. We then walk through the completed work with you - showing what was done, explaining any maintenance considerations, and answering questions about what to watch for if further movement or moisture issues develop.
We serve homeowners throughout Whittier - from the flat residential blocks near Uptown to the hillside lots in Friendly Hills. Free written estimates, no pressure, one business day response.
(657) 226-2890Whittier is a city of about 87,000 people in southeastern Los Angeles County, distinct from the suburban sprawl around it in ways its residents notice. The city has its own historic downtown - Uptown Whittier - with walkable streets, older brick commercial buildings, and local restaurants that give it a neighborhood-city character that is different from cities that blended into the broader LA metro without developing their own center. The streets surrounding Whittier College in the central part of the city contain some of the city's most established residential blocks - tree-lined, owner-occupied, and with homes that have been in families for generations. About 55% of Whittier homes are owner-occupied, which is high for an LA County city and reflects the stability of its neighborhoods.
The southern part of the city, including the Friendly Hills area, has a noticeably different character - larger lots on rolling terrain, more custom homes from the 1960s through 1980s, and views of the hills that give this part of Whittier a feel unlike the flat grid to the north. The Puente Hills rise along the city's southern edge. Homeowners in neighboring La Habra deal with similar older housing stock and hillside conditions to Whittier's western neighborhoods. Homeowners in Buena Park to the west have their own postwar housing challenges, and we serve both cities regularly.
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Learn MoreCracked brick, failed mortar, shifting retaining walls, and aging concrete do not improve on their own. Whittier homeowners who call early save significantly compared to those who wait until the next rainy season forces the issue.