Masonry Contractor in Portsmouth, VA - Repairs That Suit Your Older Brick
K&R Newport News Concrete & Masonry is a masonry contractor working in Portsmouth, VA. We repoint and repair older brick, fix chimneys and foundations, and build new walls, walkways and pavers that fit the house beside them.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
Portsmouth homes as we see them on the job
We're a masonry contractor based in Newport News, VA, and Portsmouth is just across the water, so the calls we get here sound a lot like the ones at home. Homeowners spot crumbling joints on a brick house or a chimney that's looking tired, or they want a new wall or walkway built with care. We do the same work over in Norfolk, and the houses there and here have a lot in common.
A lot of what we work on in Portsmouth is older brick that's already been patched once or twice, and that shapes every job. Before we add anything, I look at the size, color and joints of what's there, because a repair that doesn't match stands out from the street and can wear differently from the wall around it.
Masonry services we offer in Portsmouth
Foundation repair
When a brick or block foundation under an older Portsmouth house shows stair-step cracks or loose mortar, we find out why it's moving before we patch anything.
Chimney repair
A chimney stands exposed on every side, so its crown and top rows tend to wear out first. We fix what's loose before water works its way down.
Tuckpointing
On older brick fronts with worn joints, we rake out the tired mortar and lay crisp new lines that match the old color, so the wall sheds water again.
Brick repair
A few flaking or cracked bricks don't mean a new wall. We cut out the bad ones and set replacements close in size and color to what's there.
Driveway pavers
Pavers work well on a driveway that's cracked past patching, because one sunken spot can be lifted and reset later without tearing out the rest.
Retaining wall construction
When a yard steps down or a bed keeps washing onto the walk, a retaining wall with proper drainage behind it holds the soil where it belongs.
Masonry restoration
Brick patched by different hands over the years can end up looking like a quilt. We repair, clean and repoint it so it reads as one wall again.
Fireplace installation
If you want a working brick or stone fireplace in a living room or den, we build the firebox, hearth and surround to fit the room.
Stone veneer installation
Thin stone veneer set over an existing wall dresses up a plain block foundation or a porch front without the weight of full stone.
Concrete block walls
For a garden wall, a garage wall or a privacy screen along the property line, block is a sturdy choice that can be left plain or faced.
Foundation block wall installation
For an addition, a new garage or a crawl space wall that has to come out, we lay block level and square so everything above sits right.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
A backyard grill island or outdoor kitchen built in brick or stone holds up better than a kit, and we size it around how you actually cook.
Walkway construction
A brick or stone walk to the front door takes the most foot traffic, so we build a solid base and pitch the surface to drain.
Brick wall installation
A new brick garden or boundary wall should look like it belongs to the house, so we match the brick, the laying pattern and the joints already there.
Stone masonry
For steps, planters, pillars or a low wall in natural stone, we fit each piece by hand so the joints stay tight and the work looks settled.
Brick pointing
When joints on a newer brick house are cracked or sunken in spots, pointing fills them with fresh mortar before water gets in behind the brick.
Get a free masonry estimate for your Portsmouth home
Send the form or call, and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I'll walk the job with you, explain what I see and write up a free estimate on site 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 Portsmouth: permits, licenses and what moves the price
Whether your job needs a permit is the city's call, and the office to ask is Portsmouth's Department of Permits and Inspections. If you're not sure where to start, City Hall answers at 757-393-8000 on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Before work starts, I check with the permit office for your address and we handle the paperwork when the job calls for it, and if your house is in a historic district or near the water, we flag it early so any review happens first. Before you hire anyone, check that they hold a state contractor license from the Virginia Board for Contractors, which licenses businesses that build, repair or improve property owned by others, and ask whether they hold the city's business license too. We're licensed and fully insured.
The drive across the water from Newport News is part of every job here, so we load the truck for the whole day rather than running back for materials halfway through. Price comes down to how much wall needs work, how high it is and how easy it is to reach, and how closely the new brick and mortar have to match the old. The schedule turns on that permit check and on what we find once the old joints are open, and you'll get your own figure in the estimate after I've walked the job with you. We do the same kind of work down in Smithfield.
Older brick and settled walks keep us busy here
Older brick houses come up a lot in Portsmouth, and their joints are usually the first thing to go. The trouble often starts with an earlier repair done in hard modern mortar, which is a bit like a steel patch on a leather boot. The wall still moves a little, the patch doesn't, and the brick around it cracks or flakes. We match the repair mortar to what's in the wall, in strength as well as color, so the fix wears along with the house instead of fighting it.
Old walks, steps and driveways are the other thing we see often, sunk out of level where roots or a thin base let them settle. A sunken step is a trip waiting to happen, so we dig down to find out why it went before we reset or rebuild it.
What to expect when you hire a masonry contractor in Portsmouth
Here's how a job runs from your first call to the last walk-through, so you know who'll show up and when you need to be home.
Call or send the form
Call (757) 782-8614 or send the form, and we'll get back to you to set a time to come out. Pick a time you can be home, because I'd rather walk the job with you than around you.
Walk the job with me
I come out myself, look at the job with you and point out what I see and what's likely causing it. You get a written estimate before anything's decided, so you know the number up front.
Clear permits, then do the work
Once you say go, we check with the permit office for your address and get any paperwork or review done first, which can set the start date. Then I work alongside our masons on site, and you don't need to be home every day.
Walk the finished job together
When the work's done, we walk it with you and I explain 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 Portsmouth
How do I know if a contractor's Virginia license covers the size of my masonry job?
Look at the license class, because in Virginia each contractor license pairs a class, which sets the project value allowed, with a specialty, which sets the type of work. The state's booklet puts Class C at a single contract or project over $1,000 and under $30,000, for a contractor doing no more than $250,000 of work in any twelve months. Ask which class and specialty a contractor holds, and check it with the board before you sign.
How does a contractor get a business license in Portsmouth, VA?
They apply in person with the city, and Portsmouth asks applicants to set aside at least an hour for it. A new business has to get a zoning permit from the Department of Permits and Inspections before it goes to the licensing office. A state contractor license doesn't replace this, because the state expects contractors to meet the local licensing rules wherever they work, so it's fair to ask anyone you hire whether they have one.
What does a door-to-door contractor have to give me in Virginia?
A contractor soliciting door to door at your home has to give you a Statement of Consumer Protections, according to the Board for Contractors. If someone knocks offering to fix your chimney and doesn't hand one over, take that as your cue to slow down and check their license before you agree to anything.
How much does masonry repair cost in Portsmouth, VA?
Your price comes from the estimate after I've seen the job, and the biggest swing is usually whether it's a repair or a rebuild. Repointing a few sections costs far less than taking down and relaying a chimney top or a leaning garden wall, and hunting down brick that matches an older house can add to it. Some damage only shows once the old mortar is out, so I'll tell you up front where that could happen.
What causes mortar joints to crumble on an older brick house?
Water and time, mostly. Mortar is meant to be the softer part of a wall so it wears before the brick does, and anything that keeps a wall wet speeds that up, like a leaking gutter, a downspout dumping against the house, ivy, or a cracked cap on a wall or chimney. If you see sand on the ground under a wall or can scratch a joint out with a key, it's time to have it looked at.
Should I repoint or rebuild a crumbling brick chimney in Portsmouth?
Usually you can repoint if the brick itself is sound and the stack is straight, and rebuilding is for top rows that have gone loose or a stack that's started to lean. I check the crown, the cap and how the brick feels up close before I tell you which, because a loose top row can look fine from the yard. If only the top is bad, we rebuild that part and repoint the rest.
Newport News, VA
Get your Portsmouth masonry job on the calendar
A look now tells you whether you've got a small repair or something to budget for, so call (757) 782-8614 or send the form and you'll know what you're dealing with.