Masonry contractor in College Station, TX - brick repairs that blend with the old
J&M College Station Concrete & Masonry is a masonry contractor in College Station, TX. We repair worn mortar joints, cracked brick and chimneys, and we build walls, walkways and paver work, matching new joints to the old.
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- Free in-person estimates.
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Services in College Station, TX
Tuckpointing
Many brick homes here have soft, sandy joints around brick that's still sound. We rake out just the worn ones and refill them to match.
Brick repair
Cracked or flaking bricks tend to show up by gutters, downspouts and spots that stay wet. We replace just those, matched to your brick in size and color.
Chimney repair
Chimneys take weather on every side, so loose crowns and open joints near the top are what we check first. We rebuild what's failed and seal the top.
Foundation repair
Stair-step cracks running through brick usually mean the trouble starts lower down. When it does, we look at foundation repair first instead of patching mortar over it.
Retaining wall construction
Yards that drop toward the street or a neighbor's lot often need a wall to hold the ground and steer runoff. We build them with drainage behind the block.
Walkway construction
Older front walks here often settle, crack and turn into trip hazards. We pull out the old one and lay brick, stone or pavers on a packed base.
College Station, TX properties and local conditions
Burton, Carters, Wolf Pen and Lick creeks all run through College Station, and the city counts them as raising the flood risk in a big rain. On lots near them, water crossing the yard ends up against the bottom of brick walls, under walkways and behind garden walls, and that's where mortar washes out and bricks start to crack. So before we build or repair anything low on one of these lots, I walk the yard and figure out where the water goes, because a wall that dams runoff or a walkway that tips it toward the house just moves the problem somewhere else.
Most of the houses we work on here are brick, and plenty of them carry an earlier repair done in plain gray mortar that sticks out against the original. We match the color, the sand and the shape of the joint to what's already there, so the fix blends in instead of pulling your eye to it.
What I've learned working on College Station houses
Building permits here come from the city's Planning & Development Services department, which issues them for remodels of and additions to houses and duplexes. Its list doesn't spell out every kind of masonry job, so before we start I find out what the city wants for yours, and when the permit is ours to pull, we pull it and set up the inspections. On a bigger job, that paperwork and those inspections set the start date as much as our crew's calendar does. A contractor has to register with the city before it can get a building permit, so it's fair to ask anyone you're talking to whether they're registered. We're licensed and insured, and I'm happy to answer that question for you.
The price here turns on scope. Is it a few dozen bad joints or the whole wall? How close can we get to your old brick and mortar, how high or tight is the work, and is something underneath causing the damage that has to be fixed first? You'll see your own number, with the work and materials spelled out, on the written estimate after I've been out. We do the same kind of work just up the road in Bryan, where the houses look a lot like they do here, but we check that city's own rules before we start there.
Your free masonry estimate in College Station, done at your house
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time for me to come out to your College Station home. The estimate is free and there's no obligation.
(979) 393-7020What happens after you call us in College Station
Call or send the form
Call (979) 393-7020 any day of the week, or use the form, and tell us what you're seeing. We'll pick a time for me to come look at it.
I look it over with you
I come out myself and walk the job with you, talking through what I'd fix and what I'd leave alone. You get a written estimate that spells out the work and the materials, so you know the cost before anyone lifts a trowel.
We sort out the city side
Before anyone starts, we find out what the city asks for your job and get the permit and inspections lined up if there are any. If you're pulling the permit yourself, I'll tell you what the city will want to see.
Our crew does the work
Our own masons do the work while I check it as it goes. At the end we walk it together and leave the place clean.
Frequently asked questions
How do I pull my own building permit for masonry work in College Station?
If the work is on the home you own and live in, the city lets you get the building permit yourself without registering as a contractor. You apply through the city's building permits office, and we'll tell you what the city will want to see for your job. Gas piping, plumbing and electrical work, like the lines to an outdoor kitchen, need permits of their own, separate from the building permit.
What changes if my College Station house is in the flood zone?
Inside the Special Flood Hazard Area, the city's mapped flood zone, any work needs a Development Permit first, including grading, filling, paving and new structures like fences. For a masonry job that can mean a paver driveway, a walkway or a garden wall, so we check your lot against the city's floodplain rules before we plan anything. If the job adds onto the house, the new finished floor has to sit at least 12 inches above the base flood elevation.
What counts as a substantial improvement in College Station's flood zone?
The city calls it a substantial improvement when a rebuild, rehab or addition costs more than half of the house's appraised or market value, and the builder picks which value to use. Inside the flood zone, crossing that line, or having flood damage bad enough to need that much work, may mean bringing the whole house up to current floodplain standards. It's worth knowing before a big brick rebuild, so I'll ask about it when I see your house.
How long does a building permit last in College Station?
Once the city issues a remodel or addition permit, construction has to start within 180 days. A late start or missed inspections could let the permit expire, so when the permit is ours, we line up our crew and the inspections before we pull it.
Who is responsible for drainage between neighbors' yards in College Station?
Property owners are, for runoff coming off their own property and running between private lots. So if water from one yard is soaking the base of the brick next door, that's for the owners to sort out. When we build a wall, a walkway or pavers, I plan where the water will go so we don't send it somewhere new.
How much does masonry repair cost in College Station?
It comes down to how much of your house actually needs work, which is why I price it after seeing it. Replacing a handful of worn joints costs far less than redoing a wall, and matching older brick, working high on a chimney or finding a problem underneath that has to be fixed first all add to it. A flood-zone permit or a separate gas permit for an outdoor kitchen can add to the paperwork side too.
About College Station, TX
College Station is mostly homes, a lot of them brick, with rentals close to Texas A&M a few streets from family neighborhoods and newer subdivisions farther out. A rental owner and someone fixing up the house they live in often want different things from us, a sound, tidy repair on one and a close match on the other, and I'd rather talk that through in your driveway than guess.
We also head down to Navasota for the same kinds of work. Here, though, the creek lots and the brick decide most jobs, so I look at where the water runs and what the old mortar looks like before I write a number down.
Explore the services
College Station, TX
Plan your College Station masonry job, permits included
If you're near one of the creeks or thinking about an addition, calling early gives us time to check the city's rules before your schedule depends on them.