Masonry restoration in Oakland, CA - worn joints rebuilt and the leak fixed first
Crumbling mortar, loose brick or a damp wall inside? We find where the water gets in, then repoint with mortar that suits your brick.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Does your Oakland brick need restoration or just a patch?
Masonry restoration in Oakland means bringing worn brick and stone back into shape by cutting out tired mortar, repointing the joints and resetting loose brick, once we've stopped the water that did the damage.
Brick looks permanent, but the mortar between it wears, and most of our calls come from owners of older homes who've noticed sandy joints, a brick that rocks when you push it, or a stain on the inside wall after rain. The price moves with how much wall needs work, how deep the joints have worn, how many bricks need replacing and how hard the work is to reach, like the top of an old chimney. The schedule turns on whether a leak has to be fixed first, whether the job needs a permit, and dry enough weather for fresh mortar to set. I'll look at the wall with you and put the number for your job in a written estimate.
What our masonry restoration work includes
First I track down where the water is coming from, like a broken downspout or a gutter spilling onto the wall, because fresh mortar can't hold up against the same leak. We get that fixed before anything else. Then we cut out the worn mortar to sound material, pack the joints with a mix chosen for your brick and tool them to match the old ones. Loose or broken brick and stone get reset or replaced with pieces that match. Cleaning comes last, and we go easy on it, keeping high-pressure water off older brick and soft stone.
Restoration sometimes shows that patching isn't the best answer. If an old firebox is past saving, fireplace installation can give you a new one instead of another round of repairs. If a wall is solid but has been patched so many times it looks like a quilt, stone veneer installation puts a new face on it.
Spot repointing
This suits a wall where only a few areas have gone sandy, often under a downspout or along the base. We cut out and refill just those joints and match the color as closely as we can.
Full repointing of a wall or chimney
This suits a wall where the joints have worn back across most of it. It costs more now, but you end up with one even wall instead of patches that age at different rates.
Rebuilding a loose section
This suits a corner, a chimney top or a garden wall where bricks rock or have already fallen. We take it down to sound masonry and relay it, because new mortar alone won't hold loose brick in place.
Don't wait if bricks are loose, water is showing up inside, or a chimney has started to lean. Those get worse with every rain, so call us at (510) 216-0213.
What happens after you call about your brick in Oakland?
Here's how a restoration job runs with us, from the first call to the final walk-through. I'm on it from start to finish, so you'll know where things stand at each step.
Call or send the form
Tell us what you're seeing and where the wall is, and send photos of the worn joints and any leaks you know about. We get back to you and set a time for me to come out.
I look at the wall with you
I check the joints, the brick and where water is getting in, then write the estimate myself. You get the scope, the price and my honest take on what can wait.
We handle the city and the work
Once you say go, we take care of any permit and inspections the job needs, fix the water source, then repoint and repair. I work on site alongside the crew, so you can ask me how it's going any day.
Walk the finished wall together
We clean up and walk the finished job with you before we call it done. Your satisfaction, guaranteed.
Get a written restoration estimate for your wall
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day. I'll come out, look at the wall with you and give you a free written estimate, with no obligation to go ahead.
(510) 216-0213Masonry restoration in Oakland: permits and who should do the work
Whether a restoration job in Oakland needs a permit depends on what the work involves, so I don't guess on that before I've seen the wall. The city's Bureau of Building runs permits for construction in Oakland, and that's the office to ask if you want to check for yourself. When your job needs one, we handle the application and the inspections. The city also wants an approved recycling plan and recycling summary report before it issues a building permit, so that goes in with the application. Before you hire anyone, ask whether they pull permits themselves. We're licensed and fully insured, and we do.
We're based in Oakland and work across the East Bay. On older homes here we mostly see sandy joints under gutters and downspouts, chimneys worn hardest at the top, and old hard cement patches that have cracked the brick around them. We see the same older brick on jobs in Berkeley and Alameda, and we fix it the same way.
Masonry restoration questions from Oakland homeowners
How much does brick repointing cost in Oakland?
Brick repointing across the US usually costs about $400 to $2,500 per 100 square feet, which is national planning data and not a quote for your wall. Where yours falls depends on how deep the joints are worn, how many bricks need replacing, how high the work is and whether a leak has to be fixed first. My written estimate gives you the number for your job.
What is the best way to pick mortar for repointing an older brick house?
Soft, porous lime mortar is usually the right pick for an older brick house, because mortar is meant to wear out before the brick does. Hard portland cement mortar that lets less moisture through than the brick has caused severe damage, since water trapped behind it can't dry out and the brick takes the hit instead. Lime also barely moves as temperatures swing and dissolves slightly in water, so it can re-seal hairline cracks over its life.
How often does a brick house need repointing?
Brick and stone walls and chimneys normally need repointing every 20 to 30 years as general upkeep, though that's a rule of thumb and not a promise for any one wall. Write down when yours was done, because that date tells you when to plan and budget for the next round. If your joints are firm and only a little worn, I'll tell you it can wait.
How do I clean old brick without damaging it?
Skip the pressure washer, because high-pressure water is very abrasive and can etch marble, other soft stone and some brick. Make sure every joint is sound and the house is watertight before any water cleaning starts, or water can get inside, rusting the metal anchors in the wall and staining or ruining plaster.
Can a handyman do a small masonry repair in California without a license?
Only on very small jobs. California's minor work exemption tops out at $1,000, and it covers only work that needs no permit, done by a person who employs no one on the project. Past that, you want a licensed contractor, and the state has a masonry license class, C-29, for this kind of work.
Is tuckpointing the same as repointing brick?
Usually, yes, the way most people use the words. Repointing is also called pointing and, less accurately, tuck pointing, so quotes under any of those names are often for the same job. Ask each contractor how deep they'll cut out and what mortar they'll use, so you're comparing like with like.
Other work that often comes with restoration
If the firebox or hearth is cracked past patching, a new fireplace built to fit the room can make more sense than chasing repairs on old masonry.
When a sound wall has been patched so many times it no longer matches, a stone face over it gives you one even look again.
Send us photos of your worn joints
Call (510) 216-0213 or use the form with photos of the joints, where the wall is and any leaks you know about, and I'll come out already knowing what to look for.