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Unilock Construction in Montara, CA | Ashford Contractors
We provide independent Unilock construction, repair, and re-lay service across Montara, from paver driveways off Sunshine Valley Road to terraced Uni-Stone walls on the mountain side. What makes our Unilock work here different is that we build for Montara’s fog-belt salt air and county-level geotechnical review, which means drainage and base preparation come first, long before the first block goes down. Whether your Brussels Block driveway is heaving or a retaining wall is starting to bulge, call Ashford Contractors at (877) 752-3868 for a free on-site estimate.
We’re a full-scope general contractor, and our Unilock work sits alongside everything else we do: roofing, windows, ADUs, kitchens, and exterior remodels. We source Unilock sales & service product directly and install it with our own crews, never subbed out to a landscaper. No manufacturer program, no middleman. Just us, accountable for the finished hardscape.
Why Montara Residents Choose Us for Unilock Service
We’ve been setting segmental pavers and retaining walls along the San Mateo County coast long enough to know that Montara is not a generic paver market. The salt-laden fog off the Pacific, the persistent onshore wind, and the steep, unincorporated lots all change how a Unilock installation holds up. We’re also a Montara service area contractor that pulls county permits, schedules geotechnical review when the slope demands it, and builds base and drainage that actually work here.
Glen Mossier founded this company with a simple habit: get the sub-base square, compacted, and drained before anything decorative goes on top. He learned framing and materials science at Skyline College in San Bruno and has spent two decades unwinding other people’s shortcuts across San Mateo County, from Unilock in Half Moon Bay to Montara. That’s why we stock genuine Unilock pavers, caps, and compatible polymeric joint sand locally, so a Montara repair doesn’t wait on a freight truck from the East Coast. And we stand behind our own workmanship: private paver driveways and patios carry our workmanship warranty, and our estimates are always free.
Styles & brands we work with
Common Unilock Construction Problems We Solve in Montara
- Efflorescence bloom and salt staining on Brussels Block and Beacon Hill pavers. Montara’s fog keeps paver surfaces damp for months, and salts from both the marine layer and the concrete itself migrate out and crust the surface. We diagnose whether it’s cosmetic bloom, salt-fog staining, or a drainage issue forcing moisture up through the slab and fix the underlying cause rather than just pressure-washing the symptom.
- Polymeric sand washout and joint failure on wind-exposed patios and driveways. Montara’s onshore wind and heavy winter rain strip sand from joints faster than any inland Peninsula town. Once the joints go, pavers shift, rotate, and start working loose. We re-lay with the correct polymeric sand for coastal exposure and, where needed, add edge restraint that actually holds.
- Segmental retaining wall creep and bulging on sloped lots. Uni-Stone walls built without geogrid or free-draining gravel behind the block are the single most common failure we see on Montara’s hillside properties. The county’s coastal and geotechnical review exists precisely because these walls carry real slope loads. We rebuild with geogrid, drainage aggregate, and proper batter.
- Corroded or spalled paver edges from road salt and Pacific spray. On driveways near the coast or on steep access roads, de-icing salt and sea spray combine to eat away at paver edges and loosen the surface. We repair by pulling faulty units, regrading the base, and re-setting with matching Unilock stock.
- Base settlement and depression where drainage was never addressed. Pooling against the garage or settling under vehicle load usually means the original base was never compacted in lifts or the site’s natural drainage was ignored. We re-grade, re-compact, and make water move away from the house before putting the pavers back.
Unilock Service in Montara: What Local Conditions Mean for Your Equipment
Montara is unincorporated San Mateo County, which means any Unilock paver driveway, patio, or retaining wall is permitted through San Mateo County Planning and Building, not a city hall. On bluff-top and steep-lot parcels, the county commonly triggers geotechnical review and coastal or septic constraints before a permit is issued, which is why our Unilock in El Granada experience helps here too. That reality changes how we design and build a hardscape here. Wall height, drainage, and slope loading have to be worked into the Unilock layout before a single block is set, because the county engineer is going to ask exactly those questions. We work that permitting path on nearly every Montara project, so our clients aren’t surprised by a stop-work order halfway through a driveway replacement. It also means our base and drainage work has to exceed the typical inland spec, because the inspector’s eye is on the geotech report, not just the finished surface.
Unilock Models & Products We Service in Montara
We service the Unilock lines most common on Montara properties. Brussels Block is the tumbled, dimensional paver you see on driveways and entry walks; Uni-Stone is the tumbled wall block we rework on terraced hillside lots; Beacon Hill gives that flagstone look for patio spaces; and Town Hall is the permeable, open-graded paver we recommend for drainage-sensitive lots where the county wants stormwater managed on-site. We stock genuine Unilock pavers, caps, and matching polymeric joint sand for fast turnaround in the 94037 ZIP, and we use OEM product so color, thickness, and interlock match the existing field. When a wall section fails, we don’t cobble together a knock-off block that’s half an inch off; we match it.
See the difference
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AfterUnilock Service Pricing in Montara
Here’s what our Montara clients typically see for Unilock work. The range depends on access, slope, base condition, and what the county requires:
| Service | Typical Montara Range |
|---|---|
| Paver Driveway Installation | $7,000 – $18,000 |
| Paver Patio Installation | $3,500 – $11,000 |
| Driveway Replacement | $5,000 – $14,000 |
| Driveway Sealing | $250 – $700 |
What moves the number most in Montara is the base and drainage work, especially on sloped lots where we’re cutting into hillside and installing free-draining aggregate. A flat inland patio job runs lean; a Montara driveway that needs geotechnical review, heavy excavation, and new drainage runs higher. Every estimate is free and line-itemed, so you see exactly where the money goes. Call (877) 752-3868 and we’ll walk the site and price it accurately.
Serving Montara, CA — Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Montara area and know this community well, with Unilock in Pacifica also in our regular service area. Use the map below to see our service coverage — if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs – Unilock Construction in Montara
Because Montara’s wind and rain hit harder than inland jobs, and if the original base wasn’t graded with positive drainage and the joints weren’t packed with the right polymeric sand for coastal exposure, water channels through the patio and strips the joints. We fix it by re-grading the base, re-setting the pavers, and using a polymeric sand formulated to hold against wind-driven rain. Call (877) 752-3868 and we’ll tell you whether it’s a joint problem or a base problem; estimates are free.
Yes. Montara is unincorporated, so retaining walls above a certain height and paver driveways that change drainage or grade typically require a permit through San Mateo County Planning and Building, and steep-lot projects may also need geotechnical review and coastal or septic clearance. We handle the full permit path for our Montara clients.
Usually no. Most of what we see in Montara is efflorescence, natural salts migrating out of the concrete because the fog keeps the surface damp. Salt spray can add a crust on top. The concrete itself is typically sound, and we treat the stain and address the moisture source rather than replacing good pavers.
The fix is almost always better edge restraint and a properly compacted base with adequate drainage. Once pavers start shifting on a wind-exposed Montara driveway, the joints have failed and the system is moving. We re-lay with edge restraint, re-packed polymeric sand, and a base that sheds water away from the field instead of letting it pool underneath.
Yes. We keep genuine Uni-Stone block and caps in stock for Montara work, so a partial wall rebuild matches the existing color and texture. The question is why it bulged, and typically that’s missing geogrid or clogged drainage behind the wall. We rebuild the failed section correctly and tie it into the sound sections.
Service Areas Near Montara
Ashford Contractors provides Unilock service across the mid-Peninsula coast and bay side, from Unilock service in Los Altos Hills to Unilock service in Broadmoor for homeowners who want the same coastal-grade hardscape work. We regularly serve Foster City, Belmont, San Mateo, San Carlos, and the Highlands-Baywood Park area. If you’re anywhere along the 92 corridor or the Pacific side, we can reach you.
Book Your Unilock Service in Montara Today
If your Montara pavers are moving, staining, or draining wrong, we’ll walk the site and give you a straight answer on what’s worth fixing. Call (877) 752-3868 to schedule a free estimate. We’ll show up, look hard at the base and drainage, and price the job so you know exactly what you’re paying for.
Written by Glen Mossier, Owner at Ashford Contractors, serving Montara and the San Mateo County coast, including Moss Beach Unilock service. Build it right the first time, and you won’t be rebuilding it in ten years.