Masonry Contractor in Gloucester Point, VA - Repairs That Suit Your Wall
K&R Newport News Concrete & Masonry is a masonry contractor working in Gloucester Point, VA. We repoint and repair older brick, fix chimneys and foundations, and build new walls, walkways and paver driveways for homes here.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
Gloucester Point homes and the masonry they need
Gloucester Point sits at the southern tip of Gloucester County on the York River, and most of the houses we work on here are ones people have lived in for years. You'll see older brick ranches, block foundations under siding, and newer builds with brick fronts and paver drives. The calls are a lot like the ones we get in Poquoson and Hampton. Mortar is going sandy, a chimney is losing brick at the top, or steps and a walkway have settled out of line.
Many yards here slope toward the water and stay damp, so before we fix a crack or a loose joint I look at where the water's coming from, because a patch over wet ground just brings the same problem back.
Masonry services for Gloucester Point homes
Foundation repair
When a block foundation here cracks or lets in damp, we find the cause first, then rebuild the damaged block and joints so they match what's there.
Chimney repair
Chimneys stand up into the wind here, so we rebuild loose brick above the roofline and reset a cracked concrete cap before pieces start coming down.
Tuckpointing
On older brick houses here, we rake out worn mortar, refill the joints and run a thin finish line along each one so the wall reads clean again.
Brick repair
When a few bricks crack or flake from damp, we cut them out and set replacements matched to the old ones in size and color, so the fix blends in.
Driveway pavers
A paver driveway flexes with the ground instead of cracking like one big slab, and a damaged paver lifts out and swaps for a new one.
Retaining wall construction
Where a yard slopes down toward the river, a retaining wall holds the soil back, and we build drainage behind it so trapped water doesn't push it over.
Masonry restoration
For older brick and stone that's tired all over, we clean, repoint and repair it with materials that suit the old work instead of fighting it.
Fireplace installation
We build masonry fireplaces from the footing up, with the firebox, hearth and surround laid to fit your room and the chimney above it.
Stone veneer installation
Stone veneer, a thin facing of stone, dresses up a plain foundation or entry, and we set it with flashing so rain drains out instead of sitting behind it.
Concrete block walls
Concrete block makes sturdy garage, shed and garden walls, and we fill and reinforce the hollow cores where a wall has to stand up to wind.
Foundation block wall installation
For additions and new builds, we lay block foundation walls level and square, because every course above depends on the first one being right.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
We build brick and stone bases for grills, counters and pizza ovens, with footings and joints meant to handle years of weather out in the yard.
Walkway construction
We lay brick, paver and stone walkways on a packed, gently sloped base so rain runs off the path instead of puddling by your door.
Brick wall installation
We build new brick garden and property walls, choosing brick and mortar that sit well beside your house instead of looking tacked on.
Stone masonry
From steps to wall caps to full stone walls, we cut and set natural stone by hand and point it with a mortar that suits the stone.
Brick pointing
When mortar joints go sandy or sink back from the brick face, we rake out the loose mortar and repack the joints so water sheds off the wall again.
Get a free on-site masonry estimate in Gloucester Point
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I'll come out, look at the job with you and write up a free estimate, with no obligation to go ahead.
(757) 782-8614- Based in
- Newport News, VA 23606
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–10 PM
What to check before masonry work in Gloucester Point
Building permits here come from the Gloucester County Building Inspections department, and the county requires one before a building or structure is built, altered, repaired or torn down, so permitted work waits until the permit is issued. Before you hire anyone, you can check two things. A contractor needs a Virginia contractor license from the state Board for Contractors, with a class for how big a job it covers and a specialty for the kind of work, and needs it before the county will issue a business license. That business license comes from the Commissioner of the Revenue. The county's FAQ says contractors from outside the county need it once their gross receipts in the county pass $25,000 a year, and the Commissioner's office has the current terms.
We're licensed and fully insured, and we handle the permit paperwork when a job calls for it. If your house sits near the water, I flag that early so any review can happen before we start. Our crew comes across the York River from Newport News, and the work here is the same kind we do in Williamsburg and the cities around it. Price mostly follows the size of the repair and how much of it is up high, and the schedule turns on the permit and on dry weather for the mortar to set. I'll go over both for your job when I come out.
What wind and water do to masonry here
The county's building office puts Gloucester in the 100 miles per hour wind zone, and the parts of a house that feel it most are the ones standing on their own, like chimneys and freestanding garden walls. Wind drives rain sideways into the joints and works at a loose cap or a cracked top course, so when I look at a chimney here I start at the top, where the damage usually begins.
Older brick is often softer than what's sold today, and a hard modern patch makes the brick around it crack and flake. We mix our mortar to suit the brick it's going into, so the joint is what wears and is the easy part to redo.
How a masonry job runs when you call us from Gloucester Point
Here's what happens from your first call to the last walk-around, and where the county permit fits in.
Call or send the form
Call (757) 782-8614 or send the form, and we'll get back to you to set a time that works. You don't need anything ready but a rough idea of what's bothering you.
I look at it with you
I come out myself, walk the wall or chimney with you and point out what I see, including what's causing it. Then I write up the estimate, so you know the cost before anything starts.
Permit first, then the work
Once you say go, we sort out the permit and any review your address needs before we start. On the job I work alongside our masons, and you don't need to be home while we're working outside.
Walk the finished job together
When the work's done we walk it together, and I show you what we did and why. That way you'll know what you're looking at if something changes down the road.
Questions about masonry in Gloucester Point
Does a fence or garden wall need a permit in Gloucester Point?
Under state code, a fence of any height is exempt from a permit unless it's there for pedestrian safety or forms a pool barrier. A solid brick or block wall is a bigger build than most fences, so we ask the county how it treats your wall before we dig the footing. Being near the water can change that answer, which the flood map question below explains.
Where can I see the flood map for my property in Gloucester Point?
You can look at the flood maps at the county Building Inspection office during its normal office hours. It's worth a look before a new wall, walkway or patio near the water, because the building official can ask for a permit on work that's otherwise exempt when it sits in a special flood hazard area, a flood-prone zone.
Can I pull my own building permit for masonry work in Gloucester County?
Yes, if you're doing the work yourself on your own home, you don't need a contractor license to get the permit. If you hire a contractor, the county's guidance is that the contractor should get the permit and that you're responsible for making sure they're licensed. When you hire us, we take care of the permit paperwork.
How much does brick and chimney repair cost in Gloucester Point?
The cost comes down to how much of the wall needs work, so I give you a written figure after I've seen it instead of a guess over the phone. Repacking a few failing joints costs far less than rebuilding a chimney top, matching old brick or colored mortar takes extra time, and work up high needs staging. Calling while the damage is small is usually the cheapest way through.
What causes mortar joints to crumble on older brick houses in Gloucester Point?
Mostly it's water getting into joints that have reached the end of their life. Mortar is meant to be the soft, wearing part of a brick wall, and after years of rain soaking in and drying out it goes sandy and falls back, faster under a dripping gutter or along wet ground. We rake the joints back to solid mortar and repack them, which is what brick pointing is.
How do I get an emergency chimney or wall repair started in Gloucester County?
Call us, because for emergency construction or alterations state code lets work begin and allows until the end of the first working day after it starts to file the permit application. The building official can also let work start before an application arrives or a permit is issued. If a chimney is coming apart after a storm, call (757) 782-8614 and we'll make the area safe first.
Newport News, VA
Call about your Gloucester Point masonry job
We take calls seven days a week, so a cracked wall you spot on a Saturday doesn't have to wait until Monday.