Brick pointing in Brentwood CA - tight joints that wear before your brick does
Mortar crumbling or cracking between your bricks? We clear out the worn joints and refill them with mortar made softer than your brick.
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Is your brick mortar worn out, or just weathered?
Brick pointing in Brentwood, CA, is the work of raking worn or cracked mortar out of the joints in your brick and packing new mortar in its place, so water stays out and the bricks stay seated tight.
Most people call us after they notice sandy mortar at the foot of a wall, a joint that's sunk back from the brick, or a crack running through the mortar on a chimney or planter. The price mostly comes down to how many joints actually need work, how high and hard to reach they are and how closely the new mortar has to match the old. Those same things set the schedule, because raking and refilling joints is slow handwork. If some bricks are cracked through or loose, that's brick repair on top of the pointing. My written estimate, with photos of your joints, shows you which ones need it and what it'll cost.
What our brick pointing work involves
First I go over the wall and mark only the joints that are failing, because a sound original joint does a better job than any new one. Then I put a small test patch somewhere out of sight, since sand color and cement type both change how mortar looks once it dries, and you check the color before we do the whole wall. We mix the new mortar softer than your brick on purpose, because mortar that's harder than the brick makes the faces of the brick spall off in chips, while softer mortar lets the joints take the wear. Our crew rakes the old mortar out of the marked joints, packs the new mortar back in firm, tools it to match the joints around it and cleans the wall when we're done.
Sometimes the joints are just where the problem shows. If the cracks come from a foundation that's moved, new mortar will crack right along with it, so we'd look at foundation repair before pointing. Chimneys take more weather than any wall on the house, and when one needs more than fresh joints, we handle it as chimney repair.
Brick pointing in Brentwood, permits and moving ground
Whether a repointing job needs a permit depends on your address and the work, and that's the city's or the county's call, not ours. Before we start, I check with the city or county office for your address, and if a permit is needed we pull it and set up the inspections.
The ground matters more here than most people expect. Contra Costa County data puts about 46% of the county's soil area in high shrink-swell clay, the kind that swells when it gets wet and shrinks as it dries, which is a little over twice the California average of 22%. That back-and-forth can lift and drop a foundation unevenly, and in brick it shows up as cracks that step up the wall joint by joint. When I see that pattern, I'll tell you straight that fresh mortar alone won't hold it. We're based in Brentwood and work in the cities around it, and we see the same clay on jobs in Antioch and Oakley.
- Call (925) 503-1047
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–10 PM
- Brentwood, CA 94513
What happens when you call Allied Brentwood Masonry and Concrete in Brentwood?
Call or send the form
Call (925) 503-1047 or fill out the form, and a few photos of the worn joints help me see what I'm walking into. We'll set a time that works for you.
I walk the wall with you
I come out myself, look the joints over with you and point out which ones are failing and why. Then you get a written estimate with photos that shows the joints needing work and what it costs.
Our crew repoints the joints
Once any permit is sorted, our own crew rakes and refills the joints while I set the layout and check the work as it goes. It's dusty, noisy work, so we cover what's below the wall and clean up as we go.
We walk it together
When the last joint's tooled, we walk the wall together and I show you what to watch for in the years ahead. A homeowner who knows the signs is the best inspector a wall can have.
Why Brentwood homeowners call Allied Brentwood Masonry and Concrete for brick pointing
I look at every wall myself
I come out to every job, look the wall over with you and write the estimate myself. You hear what's wrong from the person who'll be on site checking the work, not from a salesperson.
Trained under older masons
I learned this trade working under older masons for years, and I started this business in 2021. Most of mortar work is judgment about which joints to open and how hard to rake, and that's learned at a mason's elbow.
Licensed and insured for your job
We're licensed and fully insured. If something goes wrong on your property during the work, the coverage is ours to carry, not yours.
Cause first, then mortar
At the estimate I trace a crack back to where it starts before I price any mortar, because joints over shifting clay like ours just open up again. Fixing the cause first means you pay for those joints once.
If your brick is shedding mortar, call (925) 503-1047 or use our contact page and I'll come have a look.
Request an estimateGet a written brick pointing estimate with photos
We reply to every call and form within one business day. I come out myself, look the wall over with you and point out what I'm seeing, then send a free written estimate with photos, with no pressure and no obligation.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Phone
- (925) 503-1047
- Location
- Brentwood, CA 94513
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–10 PM
Questions about brick pointing in Brentwood
How much does brick repointing cost in Brentwood?
Professional brick repointing across the US usually costs about $400 to $2,500 per 100 square feet of wall. Where your job lands depends on how many joints need work, how high the wall is and how closely the mortar has to match. Your own figure comes from the written estimate I put together after looking at the wall.
How do I know my mortar needs repointing?
Look for mortar worn back more than about 1/4 inch from the brick face, mortar that crumbles, holes in the joints, hairline cracks, or cracks between the brick and the mortar. Only the joints showing those signs need repointing, and since the work is slow and done by hand, sticking to those keeps your job smaller.
How long do new mortar joints last?
Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, while the brick itself may well go past 100. So a brick wall will likely need repointing more than once in its life, and that's normal upkeep, not a sign the wall was built badly.
Can an unlicensed handyman repoint my brick in California?
Only for minor work up to $1,000 that needs no permit, and only if they don't have anyone working for them, under the rules from the state licensing board. A job that needs a permit or a crew calls for a licensed contractor, whatever it costs, so ask to see a license before anyone starts on your wall.
What is the best way to remove old mortar without damaging the brick?
On historic brick, preservation guidance says hand chisels usually carry the least risk of damage. Power saws and grinders are more common, and the same guidance warns they can be disastrous in unskilled hands, especially on soft brick. Before you hire anyone, ask how the old mortar is coming out of your joints.
Is white haze on brick normal after repointing?
Yes, a white bloom called efflorescence occasionally shows up in the first few months, and it usually goes away on its own with normal weather. If it hangs on, the safest way to remove it is dry brushing with a stiff natural or nylon brush, then wet brushing.
Work that often goes with pointing
Foundation repair
When brick cracks keep coming back in a stair-step line, the ground underneath is usually moving, and steadying the foundation is what lets new joints last.
Chimney repair
A chimney sits up in the weather with no roof over it, so its mortar, crown and flashing often wear out sooner than the walls below.
Get your worn mortar joints looked at
Have a few photos of the joints and a rough wall area in square feet ready when you call (925) 503-1047 or send the form, and we can talk about your Brentwood wall from the first call.
Request an estimateCall (925) 503-1047