Skilled masonry contractor in College Station TX - repairs that match your brick
J&M College Station Concrete & Masonry repairs worn mortar joints, cracked brick and chimneys in College Station, Bryan and the cities nearby. We also build retaining walls and walkways for yards near the creeks that run through the city.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Brick, stone and block, up close
Masonry contractor work in College Station TX: brick, block and stone
J&M College Station Concrete & Masonry is a masonry contractor in College Station, TX, and we handle 16 kinds of brick, block, stone and concrete work for homes here and in the cities around us. A lot of it is repair, like worn joints, cracked brick and tired chimneys, and some is new building, like walls, walkways and pavers. What moves the price is how much of the wall is really failing, how hard your brick and mortar are to match, how easy the work is to reach and whether the city wants a permit. The schedule turns mostly on that permit and on getting materials matched. Your written estimate spells out the work and materials for your own job.
Foundation repair
Seeing stair-step cracks in the brick or doors that stick? We look at the foundation under them and repair the cause before we patch the brick above.
Chimney repair
We rebuild crumbling chimney crowns, replace flaking brick and repoint loose joints so water stops working its way down into the chimney and the house.
Tuckpointing
What is tuckpointing? It's grinding out worn mortar joints and refilling them in a color and shape that match the old joints, so the wall looks whole again.
Brick repair
For cracked, loose or crumbling bricks, we cut out the damaged ones and set new brick matched in size and color, leaving the sound brick around them alone.
Driveway pavers
We lay concrete and brick paver driveways on a packed base, for homeowners who want a driveway that can be lifted and reset in sections later.
Retaining wall construction
We build retaining walls in block, stone or poured concrete to hold back a slope or level a yard, with drainage behind so water has a way out.
Masonry restoration
Is an older brick or stone house looking tired? Restoration means careful cleaning, repointing and repair with materials suited to the original, so the house keeps its character.
Fireplace installation
We build masonry fireplaces in brick or stone, from the firebox to the surround and hearth, for homeowners adding a fireplace to a living room or new addition.
Stone veneer installation
Stone veneer is a thin layer of natural or manufactured stone set on a wall, giving fronts, columns and fireplace faces the look of stone without the bulk.
Concrete block walls
We lay concrete block walls for garages, sheds, privacy screens and property lines, with steel and grout in the hollow cores where the wall needs extra strength.
Foundation block wall installation
What's a foundation block wall? It's the concrete block base under an addition or outbuilding, and we lay it level and true so everything on top sits right.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
We build the brick, block and stone bases for outdoor kitchens, grill islands and bar counters, laid out around the grill and appliances you've picked.
Walkway construction
From the driveway to the front door or out to the garden, we build walkways in brick, pavers, stone or concrete on a base built to stay flat.
Brick wall installation
Planning a garden wall, a privacy wall or a brick mailbox? We build brick walls on a solid footing, with brick and mortar picked to suit your house.
Stone masonry
We set natural stone in walls, steps, columns and borders, shaping each piece to fit, for homeowners who want stonework that looks laid by hand because it was.
Brick pointing
Gaps in the mortar let water into a wall, so we rake out what's loose and pack the joints with fresh mortar matched to the old.
How a job goes, from call to cleanup
You call, I come out
Call (979) 393-7020 or send the form, and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I come out myself, look the job over with you and talk through what I'd fix and what I'd leave alone, and the estimate is free with no obligation.
A written estimate and the city side
You get a written estimate that spells out the work and the materials, so there's nothing to guess at when you compare it with anyone else's. We also sort out what the city needs before anyone starts, so the paperwork is settled before the first joint gets raked out.
Our crew builds, I check, we walk it
Our own crew of masons does the work, and I check it as it goes, since a joint or a row of brick is easiest to set right while the mortar's still fresh. At the end we walk the job together so you can look it over, and we leave the place clean.
Why homeowners call us: plain answers, careful mortar
Tell us about your wall, chimney or walkway on our contact page, or call (979) 393-7020.
I explain what's wrong before you pay for it
I spent my first working years at a desk, so I remember nodding along to trade talk I didn't follow. I'll tell you in plain words what's failing and why, and I'm glad to answer as many questions as you've got.
We fix what's failing and leave sound mortar alone
If only some joints are bad, we fix those and leave the sound ones, which keeps the job to what your house really needs. If something underneath is causing the damage, I'd rather tell you than patch over it.
New joints that match the old ones
Careful mortar work on brick is what we're best known for, and that means choosing mortar to suit your wall in color and strength. Done right, a repair doesn't stick out from across the yard.
City permits and inspections handled when they're ours
Before we start, we find out what the city where your job sits asks for, and when a building permit is ours to pull, we pull it and set up the inspections. If you'd rather pull it yourself on your own home, we'll tell you what the city will want to see.
Questions we hear in College Station, answered plainly
How much does brick or mortar repair cost in College Station?
There's no honest single number, because the cost comes down to how many joints or bricks are really failing and what it takes to match them. A few joints on a garden wall and a chimney that needs scaffolding are very different jobs. I'll look at yours and put the figure in writing.
Why do masonry quotes vary so much between contractors?
Usually because the quotes are pricing different jobs, one replacing a whole section and another fixing only the joints that are failing. Matching mortar to old brick also takes more care than slapping in whatever's in the truck. Our estimate lists the work and materials so you can compare line for line.
How soon can masonry work start in College Station?
That depends mostly on whether the city wants a permit and inspections for your job, and on how long it takes to get brick and mortar matched. If your job needs a remodel or addition permit, the city expects work to begin within 180 days of it being issued, and missed inspections can let it lapse, so we plan the start around that.
Are you a licensed and insured masonry contractor in College Station?
Yes, we're licensed and insured. The city also asks contractors to register with it before it issues them a building permit, which is a fair thing to ask any contractor about before you hire them.
Do I need a permit for masonry work in College Station?
It depends on the job, so we check with the city before we start rather than guess. The City of College Station issues building permits for remodels of and additions to a house, and plumbing, gas or electrical lines that come with a project, like an outdoor kitchen, need their own permits. Who pulls yours works the way we covered above.
Do you guarantee your masonry work?
Yes, every job we do is backed by our satisfaction guarantee. Your written estimate spells out the work and materials, so you know what that guarantee stands behind before we start.
What kind of mortar should be used to repair old brick?
Mortar that's a little softer than the brick and close to the old mortar in color, so the joints take the wear instead of the brick. Mortar harder than the brick around it can make the brick faces crack and flake as the wall moves, which is why we pick new mortar to suit your wall.
Does being in a floodplain change what I can build in my College Station yard?
Yes, if your lot sits in the city's Special Flood Hazard Area, the city requires a Development Permit for any work there, including grading, filling, paving and fences. Burton, Carters, Wolf Pen and Lick creeks raise the flood risk in big storms, and owners are responsible for runoff from their own property, which matters for a retaining wall or new pavers. You can check your lot on the city's floodplain page, and we look at it too before we plan any wall or walkway.
College Station is home base
College Station is where I started this business, and it's still where we're based. Texas A&M is here too, and on its campus the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum shows a World War II Avenger torpedo bomber and a slab of the Berlin Wall, which is worth an afternoon if you've never been.
For getting outside, Lick Creek Park has five miles of marked trails for hiking, cycling, bird watching and riding, plus native plants like the endangered Navasota Ladies Tresses. The paved Lick Creek Greenway Trail runs about three miles from Westfield Park to the park and ties neighborhoods, parks and schools together, and those are the same neighborhoods our crew drives through on the way to a cracked chimney or a worn garden wall.
Where we work, College Station and nearby
J&M College Station Concrete & Masonry is based in College Station, TX, and works across the cities around it, including Bryan and Navasota. Those are the 3 service areas with their own pages here, not the only places we go. Wherever your job is, we get back to you within one business day.
ContactFrom a desk job to the mortar box, since 2013
I started J&M College Station Concrete & Masonry, a masonry contractor in College Station, TX, in 2013, after trading my desk for mixing mortar and carrying block for an older mason who taught me the trade one wall at a time. Thirteen years on, we're licensed and insured, we offer 16 services and we work in College Station, Bryan, Navasota and the cities around them. You can read more about how I learned the trade and how we work on our about page.
- Established
- 2013
- Years in business
- 13
- Services
- 16
- Areas served
- 3
Your masonry estimate, one short form away
We reply within one business day, and the estimate comes with no obligation. After you send the form, we call to set a time, I come out to look the job over with you, and you get a written estimate that spells out the work and materials.
(979) 393-7020