Brick wall installation in College Station TX - a wall built to let water back out
Planning a garden wall or brick on the house? We help pick the brick and the design, then build it so water gets back out.
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What does it take to build a brick wall in College Station?
Brick wall installation means building a new brick wall, either a garden wall that stands on its own or brick veneer on your house, and our crew in College Station builds it so you end up with a wall that's strong by nature and has a way out for water.
Most folks who call me about a new wall are choosing between two kinds, a garden wall out in the yard or brick veneer, which is a single layer of brick laid against the outside of the house. What moves the price is the size, the brick you pick and how much footing and thickness the design needs, and what moves the schedule is mostly the weather and whether a tall wall brings a city permit into it. Your written estimate spells out the work and the materials, so you see your own number and what's behind it.
How do you know it's time for a new brick wall?
An old wall that leans
You see a garden wall tipping out of line or split from top to bottom. Usually it was built too thin for its height or never had a proper footing, and the longer it stands that way the more likely it comes down on its own, often onto something you'd rather it didn't.
Brick flaking near the ground
The faces of the bottom bricks are crumbling or coated white with salt. That usually means paving or ground drains toward the wall and keeps it soaked, or the brick wasn't suited to outdoor work, and every wet season takes a little more off the face.
Damp spots behind old brick
You notice staining or damp on the inside wall behind the brick on your house. Usually water got past the brick and had no way back out, and every month it sits, the framing behind it soaks up more and the repair gets bigger.
How we handle brick wall installation
I start with where the wall goes and how tall and long you want it, because height decides the thickness, the footing and whether the city gets involved. We settle the design and the brick together, then our crew digs and pours the footing, the concrete base the wall sits on, and lays the brick course by course with full mortar joints, since a joint that's only partly filled lets wind-driven rain into the wall. Whether it's a garden wall or veneer on the house, we build in a way out for water, with flashing, a strip that turns water back outward, and weeps, small gaps low in the wall that let it drain, wherever the wall calls for them. Then we clean the brick down and haul off our mess.
If you'd like stone in the mix, say stone caps on brick piers or an all-stone wall to go with the house, that's our stone masonry work. And if you've already got a brick wall that stands straight but has worn joints, you may not need a new one at all, because brick pointing replaces the bad mortar and leaves the sound brick alone.
Freestanding garden wall
Suits a yard that needs an edge, some privacy or a backdrop for a patio. Height and thickness go hand in hand here, so the taller you want it, the more the design has to do to keep it standing.
Brick veneer on the house
Suits an addition, a front getting brick for the first time or old veneer that has to come off. The brick isn't holding the house up, so the real work is the drainage behind it and getting the new brick and joints to match what you already have.
Plan your brick wall, get a written estimate
We'll get back to you within one business day to set a time for a free estimate at your home. You'll have a written estimate of the work and materials in hand afterward, and there's no obligation to go ahead.
(979) 393-7020Brick wall installation in College Station starts with the height
Height is the first thing to settle here, because the City of College Station requires a building permit for a brick wall taller than six feet, and a contractor building a wall that needs one has to be registered with the city. The application wants a site plan or property survey with dimensions showing where the wall goes, plus construction drawings that show the footings and the material. Before we start, we find out what the city asks for on your job, and when the permit is ours to pull, we pull it and set up the inspections. If you'd rather pull it yourself for your own home, I'll tell you what the city will want to see.
We're based in College Station and work across the cities around it, and we see plenty of brick veneer houses and walls along patios and side yards, the same as on jobs in Bryan and Navasota. Summer heat is what we plan around most, because mortar that dries out before it sets turns weak, so in the hot months we start early and keep fresh joints damp.
What happens after you call about a brick wall?
Tell us about your wall
Call (979) 393-7020 or send the form with the height, length and where the wall goes, plus a property survey if you've got one. We'll set a time for me to come out.
Walk the spot with me
I come out myself, look over the spot and the house with you and talk through the design and the brick. You get a written estimate that spells out the work and the materials, so you can see what's driving the price before you decide.
Settle the city side first
If the wall is tall enough to need a permit, we sort that out before anyone starts, because the permit has to be applied for before work begins. That's the main reason a tall wall takes longer to get going than a short one.
Build, inspect and walk it
Our crew builds the wall while I check it as it goes, and on a permitted wall the city inspects it once the work is done, which we set up when the permit is ours or you'd arrange with Planning & Development Services at 979.764.3570 if you pulled it. At the end we walk it together and leave the place clean.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a brick wall cost in College Station?
A basic brick veneer wall usually runs about $40 to $50 per square foot across the US, and that's a national market estimate, not our price. A freestanding garden wall prices differently, and the size, the brick you choose, any piers or thicker base and whether drawings and a permit are needed all move the number. Your free written estimate gives you the figure for your own wall.
How do brick veneer walls keep water out?
Brick veneer is built on the idea that some water will get past the brick, so flashing, weep holes and an air space behind the brick steer it back outside. Fixing that drainage after the wall is finished can get very expensive, which is why it's worth having the work looked at on site while it goes up. I'm glad to show you the flashing before it's covered.
Can I build a brick wall myself in College Station?
Yes, on your own homestead you can do the work without registering as a contractor with the city. If the wall is tall enough to need a building permit, you still have to apply for one before you start, the same as we would.
What is the best way to design a freestanding brick wall so it stays up?
Match the wall's thickness to its height, because UK brick guidance sets a slenderness limit on thinner walls so they stay stable against sideways forces. For a slim look, that guidance points to a thicker base, piers that stick out from the face, or a zigzag or staggered layout. It also calls for a properly detailed protective coping, the cap along the top that keeps rain from soaking down into the wall.
What kind of brick is best for an outdoor wall?
Pick a brick made to handle outdoor exposure, since UK brick guidance says bricks for outdoor walls need suitable durability against weathering, frost and the salt damage called sulfate attack. The brick you choose has a lot to do with how well the wall holds up years from now, so we go over the options with you at the estimate.
How do I keep the bottom of a brick wall from staying wet?
Slope the paving on both sides away from the wall where you can, or add a drainage strip along the base, which UK guidance says keeps the lower rows of brick from soaking for no reason. Where the ground sits higher on one side of a garden wall, that guidance says a membrane may be needed to stop water and ground salt moving through the brick.
College Station, TX
Price your brick wall, before buying brick
Brick color can shift from one batch to the next, so settling the design early leaves time to order enough from one run for the whole wall.