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Serving Rancho Cucamonga, CA and surrounding areas. (909) 515-5018
RCM Rancho Cucamonga Masonry builds concrete block walls, repairs brick and mortar, installs driveway pavers, and handles foundation work for homeowners across Montclair, CA. We have served the Inland Empire since 2020 and understand the alluvial soils and postwar housing stock that define Montclair properties - work that requires proper footing depth and materials matched to local conditions. Every inquiry gets a reply within 1 business day.
Montclair properties run on modest lots where block walls serve as property boundaries, privacy screens, and the first line of defense against soil movement on uneven terrain. The alluvial soils common in this part of the Inland Empire make footing depth and rebar reinforcement more important here than in more stable ground conditions. Our concrete block wall installation includes proper footing design and reinforcement sized for local seismic and soil requirements.
Most homes in Montclair were built on slab-on-grade foundations between the 1950s and 1980s, and those slabs now sit on soil that has cycled through decades of wet winters and dry summers. Cracks in slab foundations here are often a symptom of alluvial soil movement beneath the home - addressing the crack without understanding the soil condition underneath leads to repairs that fail within a few years.
Mid-century Montclair homes commonly have brick planters, chimney stacks, and entry details that have developed spalling or cracked faces after decades of thermal cycling in the Inland Empire heat. Matching the color and texture of original brick from the 1960s and 1970s matters here - a visible patch on a street-facing feature affects curb appeal and the impression the property makes.
Montclair sits at roughly 1,100 feet in elevation at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, and some properties - especially toward the northern edge of town - have grade changes that need proper retaining walls rather than improvised timber or stacked stone. Without adequate drainage and rebar engineering, retaining walls on alluvial soil here tend to fail at the footing level within a few years of installation.
Concrete driveways on homes built in the 1960s and 1970s across Montclair are past the point where patching makes economic sense. Paver driveways perform better here than poured concrete replacements because individual pavers flex with ground movement rather than cracking - an important advantage on the alluvial soils that shift under most Montclair properties with each rain cycle.
Montclair summers regularly push past 95 degrees, and that sustained heat accelerates mortar breakdown faster than in coastal areas. Mortar joints on older brick chimneys and planters in this city often powder and recede at a faster rate than homeowners expect, letting water into wall cavities during winter rains. Tuckpointing seals those joints before water intrusion causes damage that costs far more than mortar alone to fix.
Montclair's residential neighborhoods are made up primarily of single-family homes built between the late 1940s and the early 1980s, when the Inland Empire was expanding quickly and builders were putting up one-story ranch homes and simple two-story designs as fast as they could. At 40 to 75 years old, the concrete flatwork, masonry block walls, and brick details on these homes are past the typical service life for materials installed without the reinforcement standards that are required today. The soil beneath these properties compounds the issue. Montclair sits in the foothills at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, where alluvial soils - the loose, sandy material washed down from the mountains over thousands of years - shift as moisture levels rise and fall. That movement puts stress on everything that sits on top of it: slabs, footings, driveways, and garden walls.
Climate creates its own set of challenges. Montclair summers are long and hot, with daytime highs regularly reaching 95 to 100 degrees from June through September. That heat and UV exposure breaks down mortar, exterior sealants, and stucco coatings faster than in cooler parts of California - most homeowners underestimate how quickly their exterior masonry degrades when it is baked by the sun year after year. Winter rain arrives in concentrated bursts between November and March, and the hard, compacted soil in many yards does not absorb water quickly. Pooling water near foundations and block walls accelerates the soil movement already happening beneath the surface, and it is a common cause of wall cracking and footing failure on properties where drainage was never properly addressed. Santa Ana wind events in fall add one more variable - gusts above 50 mph can stress masonry that was already showing wear, and post-wind inspections often reveal cracks and shifted blocks that had been developing quietly for months.
Our crew works throughout Montclair regularly, and we pull permits through the City of Montclair Building and Safety Division for structural masonry projects that require one. Montclair is a compact city of about 5.5 square miles, and most of the residential neighborhoods sit on a grid of quiet streets east and west of Monte Vista Avenue. We have worked on properties along Central Avenue near Montclair Place, on the quieter blocks closer to the Montclair Metrolink station, and in the neighborhoods bordering Ontario to the west. The housing stock throughout is consistent - modest lots, slab-on-grade construction, concrete driveways, and block wall fencing that all date from roughly the same era.
Because so many Montclair homes were built at the same time, we often encounter the same conditions from street to street: aging mortar on brick planters and chimney stacks, cracked concrete flatwork from alluvial soil movement, and block walls that were installed without adequate footings or drainage for this soil type. Knowing what to expect on a site before we arrive makes our assessments faster and more accurate, and it means we are not surprised by conditions that are actually typical here.
We also serve homeowners in neighboring Ontario, CA, which borders Montclair along the 10 Freeway corridor to the west. If you have family or neighbors there looking for masonry work, we cover that area as well. To the north, we work regularly in Upland, CA, where the foothill setting creates similar soil and drainage conditions that our crew handles on a regular basis.
Reach out by phone or through the contact form. We reply within 1 business day to confirm the scope and schedule a time to visit the property. You do not need to have a detailed plan ready - describing what you are seeing is enough to get started.
We visit the property, assess the condition of the masonry, and check site factors like soil, drainage, and access. You receive a written estimate that breaks down materials and labor with no pressure to sign. If the project needs a permit, we identify that at this stage so there are no surprises later.
Work is scheduled at a time that fits your calendar. Our crew cleans up the work zone at the end of each day so the disruption to your yard and access is minimal. You do not need to be home for most work, though we recommend being available the first day so we can confirm details before starting.
When the job is done, we walk the site with you to confirm everything matches the estimate. If the project required a permit, we ensure the inspection is scheduled and passed before we close out. Any questions after we leave can be directed to us directly by phone.
We serve all of Montclair and surrounding Inland Empire communities. Call us or fill out the form and we will get back to you within 1 business day.
(909) 515-5018Montclair is a city of about 38,000 people in San Bernardino County, tucked between Ontario to the west and Pomona to the east along the 10 Freeway corridor. It sits at approximately 1,100 feet in elevation at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, giving it a foothill character that sets it apart from the flatter valley cities farther east. Most of the residential area is a grid of single-family streets that were laid out and built up rapidly between the 1940s and 1970s, with stucco-and-concrete construction that reflects standard Inland Empire building practice of that era. Central Avenue is the main commercial corridor, and Montclair Place - the large regional shopping mall long familiar to residents as Montclair Plaza - serves as a landmark most people in town use to get their bearings. The Montclair Metrolink station on the San Bernardino Line connects daily commuters to Los Angeles and other Inland Empire cities, making it a practical home base for people who work across the region. Learn more about Montclair's history and character at the Montclair, California Wikipedia article.
Owner-occupied homes make up the majority of Montclair's housing units, which means most residents have a real financial stake in keeping their properties in good shape. A large share of those homes - now 40 to 75 years old - are at the age where original concrete flatwork, block walls, and masonry details need genuine attention, not just cosmetic touch-ups. The city borders several other Inland Empire communities where we also work regularly, including Ontario to the west and Claremont to the east along Foothill Boulevard. If your property is near the city line, we serve both sides without any service boundary complications.
Restore structural integrity and stop foundation damage before it spreads.
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Learn MoreOur crew serves all of Montclair and the surrounding Inland Empire. Call us today or request a free written estimate online.