Repointing an old stone wall
When joints are sanding out or open, we replace the mortar and keep the stone. It's the most common stone repair, and usually far less work than taking a wall down.
Stone masonry in Fresno CA - stone walls built and repaired to stay solid
Mortar crumbling from your stone wall, or a yard that needs one? We repoint with the right mortar or build new from the ground up.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
What stone masonry work involves
Stone masonry in Fresno is building stone walls and keeping them sound, and the repair we do most is repointing, where we take worn mortar out of the joints and put new mortar back in.
Most people call us when mortar is sanding out of an older stone wall, or when the yard needs a new wall to hold back a slope or mark a line. The price comes down to how much wall there is, whether it's new or repair, how much old mortar has to come out, the stone you pick, and whether the wall is mortared on a foundation or stacked dry. The schedule turns on that same prep work, on the weather, since hot, windy days are hard on fresh mortar, and on any permit the job needs, which we file and handle the paperwork for. I give you the price in writing after I've seen the wall.
Prep done the commercial way
I ran crews on large commercial jobs in Fresno before going out on my own in 2013. Those jobs taught me a wall is won or lost in the footing, drainage and mortar mix.
I write the estimate myself
I come out, look at your wall and price it myself, so the number comes from the stone and joints in front of me, not a guess over the phone.
A small fix when it will do
If only a few joints have gone bad, I'll tell you that. I'd rather point a short stretch than sell you a rebuild your wall doesn't need.
How we repair old stone and build new
On a repair, we start by finding where water is getting into the wall, then cut out the mortar that's gone soft and leave the sound joints alone. We fill the joints with a repair mortar suited to the old wall rather than patching with hard cement, because an old stone wall has to keep drying out through its joints. On a new wall, I help you pick a stone that has held up outdoors here, and we talk through dry stacked or mortared before anything is ordered. Then our crew digs out, builds the foundation if the wall is mortared, lays the stone a row at a time with a lead mason running the job, and cleans up when it's done. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
Stone walls rarely stand alone. If the house next to yours is brick with the same crumbling joints, we can take care of the brick pointing while we're there. If a wall has cracked or leaned because something under it moved, we look at foundation repair first, since new mortar won't stay put on a base that's still shifting.
Stone wall jobs around the house
Stone retaining walls
A wall that holds back a slope has to stay put against the weight behind it, so the base and how water drains away from it matter as much as the stone.
Garden walls and stone fences
Low walls along a bed, a path or a property line can be laid dry for a loose, natural look or set in mortar for a tighter, more formal one.
Relaying a loose section
When a few stones have worked loose or a stretch has bulged out, we can often take down just that part and relay it with the same stone instead of rebuilding the whole wall.
Get a written price for your stone wall
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I'll come out, look at the wall and give you a written price, free and with no obligation.
Photos of the wall
Send a few close-ups of the joints and one from far enough back to see the whole wall. That tells me a lot about the job before I come out.
New wall or repair
Tell us whether it's a new wall or an old one that needs work, and add the property address so we can plan the visit.
Fresno and the cities around it
We're based in Fresno and work in the cities around it, including Clovis, Madera, Selma, Sanger and Kingsburg. If you're outside those, call anyway, since they aren't the only places we work.
Stone and masonry finish examples
Examples of dry-stacked and mortared stone, joint styles and wall layouts you can point to when we talk through your project.
Stone wall questions we hear in Fresno
Straight answers on mortar, wall types, stone, permits and licensing, the things worth settling before anyone sets a stone.
What mortar should I use to repair an old stone wall?
Use a repair mortar that lets moisture move out of the wall and evaporate, not hard cement. National guides written for older stone buildings warn that hard modern mortar like Portland cement can leave the stone soaking up moisture until it fails, and that failure can be structural, not just cosmetic. So the mix matters as much as the labor.
What's the difference between a dry-stacked and a mortared stone wall?
A dry-stacked wall is stone stacked without mortar, and a mortared wall is stone laid in mortar on a foundation. That foundation is part of the job on a mortared wall, which means more digging and more work below ground. At the estimate we'll talk through which one fits your yard and what the wall has to do.
What kind of stone holds up outdoors in Fresno?
Pick a stone with a history of standing up to the weather here, because not every natural stone is suggested for outdoor use. Before you choose, ask which stones have held up outdoors around Fresno, and we'll go over those with you. Manufactured stone, made from cement and color pigments to look like natural stone and set onto a backing wall, is another option.
Who issues building permits in Fresno?
The City of Fresno issues building permits, and you need one to build, alter, repair or demolish a building or structure. Applications are filed at the city's Building and Safety Permit Counter. When your job needs one, we file it and handle the paperwork. If your home is a designated historic property, tell me at the estimate.
What license covers stone work in California?
The state's C-29 Masonry Contractor classification, set by the Contractors State License Board, covers installing natural and manufactured stone. It includes walls that carry weight and walls that don't, for structures and fences, laid with or without mortar, so a dry-laid stone fence counts too. We're licensed and insured.
Why does repointing a stone wall take so long?
Most of the time goes into getting the old mortar out. Doing it with hand chisels and mash hammers is slow and adds hours, but national preservation guidance says that in most cases it's the least risky way to treat older stone and gives the best finished result. How much mortar has to come out is a big part of your price.
Have us look at your stone wall
We're open seven days a week, so call (559) 319-0148 or send the form and I'll come out to see the wall.