Older brick homes
Older brick tends to be softer, with thin joints and old mortar that's easy to break out the wrong way. These walls get the slowest, most careful work we do.
Brick pointing in Fresno CA - tight joints and brick edges that stay whole
Mortar crumbling out of your brick joints? We clear out the worn mortar and pack in fresh, so the wall stays tight and dry.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
What brick pointing involves on your house
Brick pointing in Fresno, CA means we take the worn mortar out of the joints between your bricks and fill them with new mortar, so water stays out and the wall holds together.
Most calls we get start with crumbling joints, sand piling up at the base of a wall or mortar that's sunk back behind the brick face, and mortar repair on older brick is the work we're best known for since I went out on my own in 2013. The price moves with how much wall needs new joints, how deep the old mortar has to come out, how soft the brick is and how high we have to work. The schedule turns on the same things, plus any permit or historic review the city needs before we start, and your estimate will spell out what applies to your wall.
I write your estimate myself
I come out, look at your joints and write the estimate myself, so the person pricing the job has actually seen your wall and knows what it needs.
Our own crew does the work
Our own crew does the pointing, with a lead mason running it on site, so you're not handed off to people who never heard what we talked about at the estimate.
A small fix when that's enough
If only one section has worn joints, I'll tell you that instead of pricing the whole wall. I'd rather point what needs it than sell you work your brick doesn't need yet.
How we repoint your brick joints
I start by looking at the old mortar, how hard it is and how deep it's worn, because we need to know what we're matching before anything comes out. Taking out old mortar is where brick gets chipped, so on older brick and thin joints our crew clears them by hand instead of running a saw down them. It's slower, and the brick edges stay whole. We clean the joints out, dampen them, pack the new mortar in layers so it fills to the back, and tool each joint to match the rest of the wall once it firms up. Then we brush the brick faces clean and haul the old mortar away.
Loose joints are sometimes a sign of something bigger. If cracks step down the wall like a staircase or doors have started sticking, the house may be moving, and foundation repair has to come first or the new joints just crack again. Chimney brick sits up in the open with nothing over it, so worn joints up top often go along with chimney repair on the crown and flashing.
Brick around the house that needs pointing
Chimneys above the roofline
A chimney stands out in the open on every side, so its joints usually wear before the house walls do. Worn joints up there let water into the brick and down inside.
Garden and yard walls
Freestanding brick walls take weather on both faces and across the top, so the cap and top rows often go first. Pointing them early keeps loose brick from turning into a rebuild.
Brick homes around Fresno
We're based in Fresno and point brick in the cities around it too, including Clovis, Madera, Selma, Sanger and Kingsburg. The crew, the care with old brick and the prep stay the same.
Get a written price for your brick pointing
We'll get back to you within one business day to set a visit. I come out, look at your joints and write you a free estimate, with no obligation to go ahead.
Send photos of the worn joints
A couple of close-ups and one shot of the whole wall show me how deep the wear goes and how much of the wall it covers before I come out.
Tell us how tall the wall is
Height tells us whether we'll need scaffolding, which changes the setup and the price, so a rough number for the wall or chimney helps us plan the visit.
Mention a historic designation
If your home is a designated historic property, say so on the form so we can plan for it, because historic homes can add a review step before work starts.
Brick and masonry examples to look through
Joint shapes, mortar colors and brick from old to new, to help us talk through how you want your wall to look.
Brick pointing questions we hear in Fresno
Straight answers to what Fresno homeowners ask us most about worn mortar, cost, permits and who should do the work.
How do I know if my brick needs repointing?
Your brick needs repointing when the mortar has worn back more than 1/4 inch from the face, crumbles when you rub it, has holes or hairline cracks, or has pulled away from the brick. You can check all of these yourself with a fingernail before you call. Send me photos of what you find and I'll tell you if it's spot work or the whole wall.
How much does brick repointing cost in Fresno?
Across the US, brick repointing usually costs about $400 to $2,500 per 100 square feet of wall, and that's the market's range, not our price. Where your job lands depends on how deep the joints are worn, how fragile the brick is and the height, since walls or chimneys above 8 feet need scaffolding. Your estimate comes free and in writing.
Do I need a permit to repoint brick in Fresno?
Your job may need one, because the City of Fresno issues permits to owners who plan to build, alter or repair a building or structure, and applications go through the city's Building and Safety permit counter. When a job needs a permit, we file it and handle the paperwork. On a historic property, the city's Historic Preservation Commission also approves or denies the permit.
Who should I hire to repoint my brick?
Hire a licensed masonry contractor with real repointing experience, because the brick industry's own guidance warns that an excellent mason may not be qualified for repointing. In California, an unlicensed person who bids more than $1,000, does work that needs a permit or hires workers is subject to legal action. Ask any crew how they'll show you their skill. We're licensed and insured.
What mortar should be used to repoint old brick?
The new mortar should be equal to or weaker than the old, because a stronger mix can make the brick face spall, or break away. For historic masonry, federal guidance prefers lime mortar over Portland cement, partly because lime lets water pass through more easily. Ask any crew how their mix compares with what's in your wall before work starts.
Can you just smear new mortar over old joints instead of repointing?
No, a skim of mortar over worn joints won't do the job of repointing, and the National Park Service doesn't recommend it for historic masonry. The soft old mortar stays behind it and keeps failing. Done properly, mortar joints typically last more than 25 years depending on exposure and the mix, and the brick itself may last over 100.
Get your brick joints looked at
Call (559) 319-0148 or use the form, because catching worn joints early often means pointing one section instead of the whole wall.