Masonry contractor in Newport News, VA - repairs that suit the wall you have
K&R Newport News Concrete & Masonry is a masonry contractor in Newport News, VA. We repoint and repair older brick, fix chimneys and foundations, and build new walls, walkways and paver driveways for homes across the city.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
Newport News homes, from older brick to new block
Newport News stretches a long way up the peninsula, and the calls we get change as you go. Older neighborhoods bring us worn mortar joints, tired chimneys and brick steps that have shifted, while newer streets bring requests for walkways, garden walls and paver driveways. We're based here, and we do the same work across the line in Hampton and the other cities around it.
Because the houses range so widely in age, the first thing I do on any job is work out how the wall was built and with what, since that decides the mortar, the brick and the method before anything else.
Masonry services for Newport News houses and yards
Foundation repair
When a crack opens in the block or brick under your house, we find out what caused it before we patch it, so the fix isn't just covering it up.
Chimney repair
Loose brick and crumbling joints above the roofline let water in. We repoint, reset brick and rebuild the cap on top so the chimney sheds water again.
Tuckpointing
On older brick fronts where the joints look patchy, tuckpointing fills them with mortar colored to the brick and adds a thin line that reads like fresh joints.
Brick repair
Bricks that have cracked or lost their face get cut out and replaced with brick matched in size and color to the wall around them.
Driveway pavers
A paver driveway suits the newer lots here and lets us lift and reset a section if it settles, instead of breaking out a whole slab.
Retaining wall construction
Where a slope keeps washing onto your walk, we build a retaining wall on a packed base with drainage behind it, so water runs out instead of pushing on it.
Masonry restoration
On older houses with years of mismatched patches, we redo the work with mortar and brick that suit the original, so the house looks of a piece again.
Fireplace installation
We build and rebuild masonry fireplaces with the firebox sized to the chimney it draws through, so the smoke goes up instead of into the room.
Stone veneer installation
Stone veneer dresses up a plain block foundation, a porch base or a fireplace wall, and we set it over a backing that lets water drain out.
Concrete block walls
Block makes solid garden walls and privacy screens, and we fill the hollow centers with grout and steel where the height of the wall calls for it.
Foundation block wall installation
For an addition, a garage or a crawl space, we lay the block foundation on a level footing, because every row above follows the first one.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
We build the brick, block or stone base for a backyard grill and counter, with room left for the gas, water and power lines to run through.
Walkway construction
A brick, paver or stone walk from the drive to the door gets a packed base and a slight pitch, so rain runs off instead of puddling.
Brick wall installation
New brick garden walls, porch walls and mailbox posts get laid with brick and mortar picked to suit your house, so the new work looks like it belongs.
Stone masonry
Natural stone suits steps, low garden walls and chimney faces, and we fit each piece by hand so the joints stay tight and the weight sits right.
Brick pointing
When the mortar between your bricks has gone sandy enough to scrape out with a key, we rake it out and repack it before water works into the wall.
Get a free on-site estimate for your Newport News project
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I come out myself, look at the job with you and write up a free estimate with no obligation.
(757) 782-8614- Based in
- Newport News, VA 23606
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–10 PM
What working in Newport News means for your job
Building permits here come from the city's Codes Compliance office at City Hall, and they cover repairs, additions and new construction that add framing or open up framing that's already there. Brick and block work isn't named either way, so before we start I check your address with the office, and we handle the paperwork when the job calls for it, which can put a review ahead of the start date. We're licensed and fully insured, and if your house is in a historic district or near the water, I flag it at the estimate so any review can happen first.
The price moves with how much wall needs work, how high it sits and how closely the new brick and mortar have to match the old, and the schedule mostly turns on whether a permit or review comes first and how long it takes to find matching brick. I give you your own figure in writing at the estimate. We do the same work in Poquoson and Williamsburg, where the permit office is a different one, so we check each address on its own.
Why brick and block here need the right repair
Older brick houses in the city usually have mortar that's softer than the brick, and that's how it should be, because the joint is meant to wear out before the brick does. When someone patches those joints with a hard modern mix, the brick around it takes the stress and starts to crack or flake, so we match the mortar to the wall and repoint it the way it was built.
Newer houses bring a different list. A walkway or paver drive laid on a thin base sinks at the edges after a while, and a retaining wall with no drainage behind it starts to lean, so most of our new work starts with digging out and packing the base properly.
How a masonry job runs when you call us in Newport News
Here's how it goes from your first call to the final walk-through, so you know who you'll talk to and when you need to be home.
Call or send the form
You tell us what you're seeing, and we get back to you to set a time that suits you. A photo of the wall or chimney helps, but it isn't needed.
Walk the job together
I come out myself, point out what I see and explain what's causing it, then write up the estimate so you see the price before anything starts. It helps if you're home for this part, because it's where most questions get answered.
Handle permits and any review
Once you say go, we check with the city and file what your job needs, and the city says permits take about 15 days to process, so that time sits ahead of the start date. Any other review your address needs happens here too.
Do the work, then walk it
I work alongside our masons on the job, and we clean up as we go. At the end I walk it with you and show you what we did, so you'll know what you're looking at if anything changes later.
Questions about masonry in Newport News
How do I know if my brick or chimney repair needs a permit in Newport News?
The city's permit list doesn't settle it for brick or chimney work, so we ask about your job before anything starts instead of guessing. The examples it gives of work that needs a building permit lean toward framing, like moving a wall, adding a room or building a covered porch, and the city says those examples aren't the full list. You can read them on the city's permits and zoning page, and if your job needs a permit, we handle the paperwork.
Does a paver driveway need a permit in Newport News?
Driveways are on the city's list of work that doesn't need a building permit. That exemption covers the building permit only, so a dig that disturbs 2,500 square feet or more needs a land disturbance permit, and work at the street edge in the public right-of-way needs a right-of-way permit. I check both when I measure your drive.
Does an outdoor kitchen with a gas grill need its own permit in Newport News?
The gas line, wiring and plumbing for an outdoor kitchen are covered by the city's separate fuel gas, electrical and plumbing permits, apart from the building permit. Our crew builds the masonry base and leaves room for those lines, and we sort out which permits the whole project needs before we start.
Which building code covers masonry work on a Newport News home?
The Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code covers it, and the city's building department enforces it here. It's a state regulation built on the International Code Council's model codes, so the rules for your house are the statewide rules, applied by the city.
How do I find my property's zoning in Newport News?
The city's interactive GIS map shows the zoning designation for any property in Newport News. It matters for a new wall or outdoor kitchen because each zoning district sets its own setbacks, the distance a structure has to stay from your lot lines, so we check it before we lay out where the work goes.
What affects the cost of brick repair in Newport News?
The amount of wall that needs work and how closely the repair has to match it move the price most. Repointing a whole older house costs more than a few patches because every joint gets raked out by hand, and a chimney runs more than a garden wall of the same size because of the roof work and setup it takes to reach it. Finding brick that matches an older house can add to it too, and I write up your figure after I've seen the wall.
Newport News, VA
Tell us about your Newport News masonry job
Crumbling joints let a little more water into the wall every year, so a call to (757) 782-8614 or a note through the form now usually means a smaller repair later.