Brick repair in El Dorado Hills CA - fresh mortar that's easy on old brick
Mortar crumbling out of your joints or brick faces flaking off? We clean out the worn joints and refill them so the wall sheds water again.
Tell us what your brick is doing
Use the form or call (916) 260-2151 with the rough size of the wall or chimney and your home's age, so I show up already knowing what I'm looking at.
Does my brick need repair or just new mortar?
Brick repair in El Dorado Hills usually means repointing, where our crew clears the worn mortar out of the joints and packs in fresh mortar so the wall holds together and keeps water out again. Now and then a cracked or flaking brick gets replaced along the way.
Most folks call when they find sandy grit at the foot of a wall or joints that have sunk back from the brick, and the good news is the brick itself is usually fine, because it tends to outlast the mortar around it by a long way. What moves the price is how many joints need work, how deep the damage goes, how many bricks need replacing and how hard the wall is to reach, since a chimney means ladders or scaffolding and a garden wall doesn't. The schedule mostly turns on the weather, because fresh mortar needs mild days to cure, and on how much old mortar has to come out by hand. After I look it over with you, you get a written estimate for your wall.
Why El Dorado Hills homeowners call us for brick repair
The owner looks at every job
I come out myself to look at your brick and write the estimate, then check in on site while our lead mason and crew work. The person who priced it sees it done.
Trained where work gets inspected
I learned masonry on a city public works crew, where nothing got signed off until it passed inspection. I started this business in El Dorado Hills in 2013 to bring that same care to homes.
Fully licensed and insured in California
California's contractors board counts brick, clay block, stone and terra cotta as masonry work, so ask anyone you hire about their license. We're fully licensed and insured.
On brick, the mortar mix decides how the wall holds up long after we've packed up, and that's worth talking through before anyone picks up a chisel. Get in touch and I'll come out and take a look.
How we handle brick repair
First I look at what the old mortar is like and how far back it's gone, because the new mix has to suit what's already in the wall. Our crew then takes the worn mortar out to a clean, even depth, and on older brick we do that by hand with chisels wherever a saw would chip the edges, since a chipped edge shows forever and gives water a way in. We pack the new mortar in a layer at a time, shape it to match the joints you've got, and swap out any brick that's cracked through for the closest match we can find. Then we clean the brick face and leave your yard the way we found it.
Brick repair often comes up alongside other yard work, and the same crew can handle both. If the walk or drive next to your brick has cracked and settled, we lay driveway pavers on a packed base, and if a brick garden wall is leaning because it's holding back a slope, new joints won't fix that, so retaining wall construction with a real footing and a drain behind it is the honest answer.
Spot repointing for worn patches
This suits a wall where only the side that takes the weather or the bottom few rows have gone soft. There's no sense digging out mortar that's still sound, so we fix what's failing and leave the rest.
Full repointing for tired walls
This suits a wall where the joints are worn all over, so patching would just chase the problem around. Doing the whole wall at once keeps the joints looking even and lets the mortar age together.
How can you tell your brick needs repair?
Sandy mortar at the base
You rub a joint and it turns to sand, or grit piles up along the bottom of the wall. The mortar is breaking down, and every season of water in those joints works it looser.
Joints sunk back from the brick
The mortar sits well behind the brick face instead of nearly flush. Water now sits on that little ledge, and the longer it goes, the deeper we have to dig out.
Brick faces flaking off
The face of a brick peels or breaks away in chips. It's often water trapped in the brick or an old repair done with mortar that was too hard, and flaked brick doesn't grow back.
Hairline cracks in the joints
Thin cracks can let in a bit more water, but most walls handle a little extra moisture fine. This one's often a watch-it rather than a fix-it-now, and I'll tell you straight if it can wait.
What happens after you call about brick repair?
Call and I come out
You call or send a message, and I come out myself to look over the wall with you. You then get a written estimate, and we handle any permit before starting.
Our crew repoints the wall
Our lead mason and crew do the work, and I stop by to check on it. Fresh mortar marks easily, so keep kids and pets off that wall while it sets.
Walk the finished wall together
Once the joints are done and the brick is cleaned, we walk the job together. I'll point out what to keep an eye on over the years.
Brick repair questions we hear
These are the questions homeowners in El Dorado Hills ask most about brick and mortar repair. If yours isn't here, call and ask about your own wall.
How much does brick repair cost in El Dorado Hills?
Across the US, brick repair usually runs about $210 to $260 per brick, and that's what the work typically costs nationally, not our price. Your number depends on how many joints and bricks need work, how deep the mortar has gone and how high we have to reach. One cost guide adds that emergency work in winter or extreme heat will likely cost more. I'll give you a written estimate once I've seen the wall.
How do I know if my mortar needs repointing?
If the mortar has worn back more than 1/4 inch from the brick face, crumbles when you scratch it or has gaps in the joints, it's time to repoint. You can check this yourself before you call anyone by running a key along a few joints on the side of the house that takes the most weather.
Can new mortar damage old brick?
Yes, if the new mortar is stronger than the old. Repointing mortar has to be equal to or lower in strength than the original, because a stronger mix can cause spalling, where the face of the brick breaks away. That's why I look at your old mortar before we pick a mix, and we keep the new one no stronger than what's there.
How long does repointed mortar last?
Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, depending on how much weather the wall takes and what mortar went in, while the brick itself may well last over 100 years. So over the life of your house, the mortar is the part you plan to renew, and the brick mostly just needs good joints around it.
Do I need a permit for brick repair in El Dorado Hills?
The county's list doesn't settle it, because El Dorado County names major renovations, new construction, electrical, plumbing and structural changes as work that typically needs a permit, and brick repair isn't on that list. El Dorado Hills is still working through the process of becoming its own city, so for now El Dorado County's building office in Placerville is the place to ask, by email or at an in-person appointment. We work across El Dorado, Sacramento and Placer counties, so we find out which office covers your address and handle the application and inspections if your job needs one.
How do I check a mason's repointing skill?
Ask to see repointing jobs they've done before, because a great bricklayer isn't always good at repointing, which is fussier work. You can also have them do a test patch on a hard-to-see part of your wall. I'm glad to show you photos of our past repointing so you can judge the joints with your own eyes.
Get a written estimate for your brick
Tell us what the wall looks like, its rough size and your home's age. We reply within one business day to set a time for a free estimate at your property, no pressure and no obligation.
What good repointing looks like
Other work around your brick
Driveway pavers
If the drive beside your brick has cracked or sunk, interlocking pavers give you a surface that can be lifted and reset in spots instead of torn out.
Learn moreRetaining wall construction
When a slope is pushing on a garden wall, a retaining wall built with a real footing and drainage behind it holds the dirt where it belongs.
Learn more