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Unilock Construction in Montclair, CA | Sycamore Contractors
We provide independent Unilock paver and wall installation and repair across Montclair, CA, with Unilock in Claremont just one of the nearby communities we also serve. We’re not a manufacturer showroom or an authorized dealer – we’re a hardscape contractor that works with Unilock’s Brussels Block, Brussels Dimensional, Estate Wall, and Beacon Hill lines because they hold up in the Pomona Valley. What makes our work different in Montclair specifically is that almost every project here is a tear-out and replacement on a 1950s – 70s lot, not a fresh install. Call (877) 265-6284 for a free estimate.
Why Montclair Residents Choose Us for Unilock Service
We know Unilock’s installation specifications the way a mechanic knows a particular engine family. Base depth, edge restraint, joint sand grade – these aren’t suggestions. They’re the difference between a paver field that stays flat for twenty years and one that starts migrating toward the street after two Santa Ana seasons. Nate Calloway, our owner, grew up in Redhawk and spent two decades running hardscape and remodeling crews across Southwest Riverside County. He’s seen what dry inland heat does to concrete and what winter rain does to the subbase beneath it. When a Montclair homeowner calls us about a settled Brussels Block driveway or an efflorescing Beacon Hill patio, we already know what we’re going to find before we lift the first paver. We bring OEM Unilock pavers, edge restraints, and polymeric joint sand – never generic substitutions, because color and dimensional consistency matter when you’re re-leveling half a field.
Montclair’s housing stock is almost entirely 1950s – 1970s single-story stucco on modest lots, and the city is essentially fully built out. That shapes everything about how we work here. We’re rarely installing on a fresh graded pad. We’re dismantling builder-era concrete, checking what’s underneath, and rebuilding from the subgrade up. That’s a different skill set, and it’s one most installers never develop because they spend their time on new construction in cities that still have empty parcels.
Still deciding on a paver brand? See our full Unilock sales & service page for a deeper look at the product lines and how they compare. And for a broader view of what we do across the area, our Montclair service area page covers the full scope of our general contracting work.
Styles & brands we work with







Common Unilock Construction Problems We Solve in Montclair
- Efflorescence haze on Brussels Block and Beacon Hill pavers. Montclair’s dry inland heat leaves mineral salts trapped in the subbase. When the first winter rain pushes that moisture to the surface, it carries the salts with it, leaving a chalky white film. We clean it properly and address the drainage condition that caused it – because if the subbase stays wet, the haze comes back.
- Joint-sand washout at the driveway apron. Dense Montclair lots drain toward the street, and when there’s no place for storm runoff to go but over the pavers, the joint sand erodes. That leaves pavers loose, then shifting, then cracked. We re-sand with polymeric product and fix the drainage path so runoff sheds past the field instead of through it.
- Edge restraint failure on 1950s lots. The original subgrade under most Montclair driveways was never compacted for hardscape loads. The base spreads laterally at the perimeter, the edge restraint bends or breaks, and the outer pavers start walking outward. We reset the restraint, re-compact the base, and re-lay the affected section.
- Settled patio bases on expanding clay subgrade. Montclair’s subgrade is expansive clay in many pockets. Original slab patios crack and heave, and when new pavers are laid over them without addressing the movement, the paver field follows. We remove the failed layer, stabilize the base, and re-set the pavers so they stop moving independently.
- Faded or chipped Estate Wall units after Santa Ana winds. Wind-driven debris from overhanging trees tops and chips wall caps and face units. We replace damaged pieces with matching OEM units and rebuild any wall sections where the core fill has slumped or shifted.
Unilock Service in Montclair: What Local Conditions Mean for Your Equipment
Montclair is one of the densest, oldest-built-out small cities in the Pomona Valley. The post-WWII tract housing and the commercial strips along Holt Blvd and Central Ave were built decades before modern seismic and energy codes, which means construction here is dominated by retrofits, ADU conversions, and remodels – not greenfield building. For Unilock work specifically, that translates into a reality most neighboring cities never face: almost every paver driveway or patio in Montclair is a replacement or overlay on the original concrete slab. We’re routinely demolishing and hauling builder-era concrete, verifying what’s beneath it, and resetting base on lots whose grading predates any modern hardscape standard. Neighboring cities with vacant land never face that demolition-and-subgrade-verify step. That’s a hidden cost and a hidden risk, and it’s one of the first things we explain to a Montclair homeowner who wants a Brussels Block driveway.
We saw this play out on a 1950s single-story stucco home off Central Ave. The original concrete driveway had cracked and heaved where a pine root lifted a slab pocket, and the homeowner wanted a Brussels Block driveway with a widened apron. We broke out the old slab, found uncompacted fill under the apron edge, re-graded and compacted the subbase, set a concrete edge restraint, and laid Brussels Block with polymeric joint sand. Then we re-sanded the joints after the first rain when the runoff channel at the street revealed where the drainage needed to shed. The driveway has stayed flat through two wet seasons since.
As Nate says: “Do it right the first time, or you’ll do it twice in the July heat.” On a fully built-out Montclair lot, that’s not a slogan – it’s a budget line item.
Unilock Models & Products We Service in Montclair
Our crews are fluent in Unilock’s full hardscape line. Brussels Block driveways and walkways are the workhorse of Montclair’s 1950s ranch homes – they take the daily sun load without fading and handle the occasional rainy-season runoff when the base is prepped correctly. Brussels Dimensional Series gives a cleaner, more architectural edge to patios and pool decks. Estate Wall and Beacon Hill wall systems handle the retaining and planter walls we build on the small, tight lots common throughout the 91763 ZIP. We keep OEM pavers, edge restraints, and polymeric joint sand in local supply for fast Montclair turnaround, and when a repair requires matching a discontinued color lot, we source direct from Unilock’s distribution network rather than substituting whatever the nearest big-box store has on the shelf.
See the difference
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AfterUnilock Service Pricing in Montclair
What you’ll pay depends on what we find under the old slab. A straight overlay on sound concrete costs less than a full tear-out with subbase re-compaction, and a 1950s lot with uncompacted fill under the apron is a bigger job than a 1970s slab that was poured over properly graded ground. Here’s what to expect in the Montclair market:
| Service | Price Range |
|---|---|
| Paver Driveway Installation | $7,000 – $18,000 |
| Concrete Driveway Installation | $4,500 – $12,000 |
| Driveway Replacement | $5,000 – $14,000 |
| Paver Patio Installation | $3,500 – $11,000 |
| Driveway Sealing | $250 – $700 |
A free estimate includes the demolition scope, what we find once we open the surface, and a written line-item quote. No change orders, no discovery-day surprises. Call (877) 265-6284 to schedule yours.
Serving Montclair, CA — Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Montclair area and know this community well, and we also provide Unilock service in Upland. Use the map below to see our full service coverage — if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs – Unilock Construction in Montclair
Sometimes. If the slab is structurally sound – no active cracking, no heaving, no drainage problems – an overlay with a proper underlayment can work. But many Montclair slab driveways from the 1950s and 60s were poured on uncompacted fill, and in that case the slab is already failing beneath the surface. We’ll tell you which situation you have before we recommend anything. Call (877) 265-6284 for an honest assessment.
That’s efflorescence – mineral salts from the subbase being pushed to the paver surface by moisture. Montclair’s dry summers leave salt concentrated in the ground, and the first wet season draws it upward through the pavers. It’s cosmetic in most cases, but if it keeps recurring, the subbase is staying too wet and the drainage needs attention. We clean it and fix the moisture path so it stops coming back.
Yes, Montclair requires permits for most hardscape work that changes impermeable surface area or involves retaining walls over a certain height, and yes, we pull the permits ourselves. We handle the city submittal, inspections, and final sign-off as part of the contract. On a built-out lot where drainage and setbacks are already tight, a permit is what keeps you from inheriting a code violation when you eventually sell the house.
Almost never. Edge settlement is usually a base or edge-restraint problem, not a paver problem. We lift the affected section, re-compact the base, reset the edge restraint, and relay the same pavers. If the pavers themselves are chipped or faded beyond matching, we’ll source the closest matching OEM units. A full replacement is the last option, not the first recommendation. Call (877) 265-6284 for an exact quote.
Yes, and it’s one of the better uses of the system on small 1950s lots. Estate Wall is designed for structural retention up to a few feet without geogrid reinforcement, which makes it well-suited to raised planters and seating walls along lot lines. On Montclair’s expansive clay subgrade, we over-excavate slightly and add a compacted aggregate base so the wall doesn’t lean with the soil movement. Expect planter wall work to start around $3,000 – $6,000 depending on length and height – call (877) 265-6284 for a specific price.
Service Areas Near Montclair
We run Unilock hardscape crews throughout the Pomona Valley and beyond. If you’re in a neighboring city, we cover Unilock service in Midway City and Unilock service in Fullerton as well. We also work in Temecula, Murrieta, Wildomar, and the surrounding Southwest Riverside County communities.
Book Your Unilock Service in Montclair Today
We’re scheduling free estimates for Unilock paver and wall work across Montclair’s 91763 ZIP now. Call (877) 265-6284 and we’ll put you on the calendar. If it’s a drainage or settling issue that’s actively getting worse, mention that when you call and we’ll prioritize the visit.
Written by Nate Calloway, Owner at Sycamore Contractors, serving Montclair and the Pomona Valley with Unilock service in Ontario and surrounding areas.