Masonry Contractor in Norfolk, VA - Brick Repair That Fits Older Homes
K&R Newport News Concrete & Masonry is a masonry contractor working in Norfolk, VA. We repoint and repair older brick, rebuild tired chimneys, and build new walls, walkways and paver driveways that suit the house beside them.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
Norfolk homes and the brick work they need
Norfolk has a lot of older brick, and that's most of what brings us across the water. We see solid brick and brick-faced houses with chimneys, front stoops and garden walls that have stood a long time, many of them on close city lots where the front of the house sits near the sidewalk. Newer homes, apartments and shops are mixed in, along with plenty of houses near the rivers and the bay, and the work runs a lot like what we do next door in Portsmouth.
Brick that old was usually laid in softer mortar than what's sold today, and that shapes every repair we make here. The new mortar has to be the weaker of the two, like a fuse, so if the wall moves it's the joint that gives and not the brick. When old brick gets patched with a hard modern mix, the brick around the patch cracks and flakes, and that's the repair I end up undoing most often.
Masonry services we do on Norfolk homes
Foundation repair
Older Norfolk houses often sit on brick or block foundations, and when a crack opens or a corner settles we find the cause before we patch anything.
Chimney repair
A chimney sticks up into the weather on every side, so on older Norfolk roofs we usually find loose bricks, worn joints or a cracked cap on top.
Tuckpointing
Some older brick fronts in Norfolk were finished with a thin, crisp line along each joint, and tuckpointing brings that look back when the joints wear out.
Brick repair
Bricks that crack, loosen or flake on a Norfolk house get cut out one at a time and replaced with the closest match we can find.
Driveway pavers
Paver driveways suit the narrow lots and short drives on many Norfolk streets, and a single cracked or sunken paver lifts out without tearing up the rest.
Retaining wall construction
Where a Norfolk yard drops to the sidewalk, a retaining wall holds the ground back, and drainage behind it keeps water from pushing it over.
Masonry restoration
For an older Norfolk brick house needing several fixes, we work through joints, bricks and steps together so the wall wears as one piece.
Fireplace installation
We build brick and stone fireplaces for Norfolk living rooms and back patios, sizing the firebox and hearth to the room and how you plan to use it.
Stone veneer installation
Stone veneer, a thin facing of real or cast stone, dresses up a plain block foundation or steps on a Norfolk house without the weight of full stone.
Concrete block walls
Block makes solid garden walls and backyard dividers on Norfolk lots, and we fill and reinforce the hollow centers when a wall needs the strength.
Foundation block wall installation
For an addition, a garage or a crawlspace rebuild in Norfolk, we lay block foundation walls straight and level, because everything built on top inherits their mistakes.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
On a Norfolk patio or backyard, we build the block base, brick or stone face and counter support for a grill station that holds up outdoors.
Walkway construction
A brick or stone walkway to your Norfolk front door gets a packed base under it, because that base is what keeps the bricks from sinking.
Brick wall installation
A brick garden wall or front wall in Norfolk looks best when the brick, mortar color and joint style match the house, so we pick them with you.
Stone masonry
Natural stone suits Norfolk homes near the water and older yards, for steps, low walls and planters laid so each stone sits firmly on the one below.
Brick pointing
When the mortar on your Norfolk house turns sandy or falls out, we rake out the bad joints and refill them with a mix that suits old brick.
Get a free on-site masonry estimate in Norfolk
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I'll come out to your Norfolk house myself, walk 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
Working in Norfolk: permits, licenses and what sets the price
In Norfolk, whether a masonry job needs a permit is the City of Norfolk's call. The city issues building permits for any repair, addition or new construction that needs new framing or opens up framing that's already there, and its list of work that skips a permit doesn't name brick, block or stone, so before we start, we check with the city for your address and handle the paperwork when the job calls for it. If you'd like to ask yourself, the city's Development Services Center helps with permits by appointment, in person or online, at 757-664-6565. You can check any contractor two ways. Ask for their Norfolk business license, which the city's Commissioner of the Revenue handles, and ask whether their license covers masonry, because the city only lets a licensed contractor pull permits in their own trade, and someone holding just a master's license is limited to jobs in their trade up to $1,000. We're licensed and fully insured.
As a masonry contractor based in Newport News, VA, we reach Norfolk by the bridge-tunnels, so we plan start times around the crossings and bring what the day needs, and on close-set streets we keep the sidewalk clear and protect the house next door. What moves the price here is mostly how much brick or mortar has actually failed, how high or tight the work sits, how closely new brick has to match old, and whether a permit, a review or a flood-zone step is involved. The schedule turns on that same paperwork and the city's inspections, and my written estimate gives you the figure for your own job. We do the same work across the water in Hampton and back home in Newport News.
Chimneys and front steps on Norfolk houses wear first
A chimney takes weather on every side with nothing to shelter it, so on older Norfolk roofs the top few courses of brick and the cap usually go before anything else on the house. Once the cap cracks, water runs down into the brick below, and you'll often notice it first as a stain on a ceiling or bits of brick on the roof. We rebuild what's loose up top and reset the cap, rather than smearing new mortar over joints that are already letting go.
Front steps and walkways are the other call we get here, because on a house that sits close to the street they take the most traffic and they're the first thing anyone sees. When a stoop pulls away from the house or a brick walk starts to sink and tip, it's usually the base underneath, so we take it up, fix the base and lay it back.
How a masonry job runs when you call us in Norfolk
From your first call to the final walk-through, here's how a job at your Norfolk house usually goes, and where the city's permit and inspections fit in.
Call us or send the form
Tell us what you're seeing, whether it's crumbling joints, a tired chimney or a wall you want built, and we get back to you to set a time. A couple of phone photos help me show up with the right questions.
Walk the job with me
I come out myself, look at the brick with you and point out what I see, including any old patches that might be causing trouble. Then I write up the estimate, so you have a price in writing before you decide anything.
Sort permits, then do the work
Once you say go, we handle the permit and any review your address needs, and since the city won't let work move past a stage until its inspection is approved, we schedule around those. On the job I work alongside our masons.
Walk the finished job together
When we're done, we clean up and walk the work with you, showing you what we did and why. That way, if something changes down the road, you'll know what you're looking at.
Questions about masonry work in Norfolk
Does a new paver driveway need a building permit in Norfolk, VA?
No building permit is needed for a driveway on a one- or two-family home in Norfolk. A new entrance onto the street is a separate matter, because the city handles driveway entrance permits as roadway permits through its PermitCity system online. We'll look at whether your driveway changes the street entrance before we lay out the job.
How do I get a building permit for masonry work in Norfolk?
A property owner, a tenant or a contractor can apply for a building permit in Norfolk, through the city's E-Permit Portal online, which takes only Visa and Mastercard. The city highly recommends that the contractor doing the work pull the permit as the responsible party, and if you pull it yourself, you also sign an affidavit taking responsibility for all the work under it. When your job calls for a permit, we handle it.
How long does a building permit stay valid in Norfolk?
A Norfolk building permit goes void if the work hasn't started within 6 months, or if it stops for 6 months after it starts. So it's worth having the start date settled before the permit is pulled, and keeping the job moving once it begins.
Do I need a permit for a brick or block wall along my yard in Norfolk?
If the wall works as a fence, it may, because Norfolk requires a zoning certificate for any fence on a corner lot and a building permit for any fence taller than 6 feet. Whether your wall counts as a fence or as something else, like a retaining wall, is the city's call, so we ask about your address before we lay the first block.
What extra paperwork does a flood zone add to masonry work in Norfolk?
In a Norfolk flood zone, the city needs an elevation certificate for new houses and structures, additions, garages and alterations into living space, though not for decks and piers. For masonry that usually means a new block garage or the foundation for an addition, and a wall on the shoreline itself also needs a land survey and approvals from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Virginia Marine Resources Commission and the City Wetlands Board. If your house is near the water, we flag it early so that review can happen before the work does.
How much does it cost to repoint an old brick house in Norfolk?
The cost of repointing comes down to how much of the wall needs it, and I can only tell you that after I've looked at the joints up close. Patching only the worst joints costs less up front, but on old brick I'd usually rather do a whole face at once, because a patchwork of new and old mortar weathers unevenly and you're back on the ladder sooner. Matching the old mortar's color and texture adds time too, and I'll show you the options when I come out.
Newport News, VA
Get your Norfolk brick looked at
A few sandy joints are a much smaller job than the loose brick they turn into once water keeps getting in, so call (757) 782-8614 or send the form while it's still small.