Santa Monica · Masonry Services
Brick Laying
Brick laying, veneer, and full brick repair, from new facades and columns to tuckpointing and repointing on older homes.
Brick Laying · Santa Monica
Brick Work for Santa Monica Homes
Brick masonry is the oldest part of our trade and still the one we are asked for most. We handle new brick laying and brick wall construction, brick veneer over framed or block structures, and the full range of brick repair on the older housing stock west of the 405. That covers tuckpointing and brick repointing where mortar joints have gone soft, brick repair on cracked or spalled units, brick cleaning and brick sealing, and brick staining where a homeowner wants the color evened out rather than the whole wall replaced. We build brick patios, brick fences, garden walls, brick columns, and brick porches, and we handle brick steps repair on entries that have shifted.
Why Hire Us for Brick Work
Brick is unforgiving. Joint width, mortar mix, and the bond pattern all read at a glance once the wall is up, and a mismatched repair on a 1920s facade is worse than no repair at all. Our masons match mortar by color and composition, not by grabbing the nearest bag, and we cut test joints on repointing jobs so you can approve the match before we work across the elevation. On new brick wall construction we lay to a story pole so courses stay true, and we keep the site clean as we go rather than leaving efflorescence and mortar smears to scrub off later. Multi-generational trade knowledge, on a licensed and insured crew.
Reasons to Call a Brick Mason
Mortar joints are crumbling
If you can rake a joint out with a key, water is already getting behind the face. Tuckpointing at that stage is routine. Left another few winters, it turns into rebuilding the wall.
You want a brick facade or veneer
Brick veneer changes the whole presence of a house without touching the structure behind it. It works on new construction, remodels, and stucco homes that have never suited their street.
Entry steps or a porch have shifted
Brick steps repair and brick porch rebuilds are among the most common calls we get. Settlement, root pressure, and failed footings all show up first at the entry.
The brick looks tired but is sound
Brick cleaning, brick sealing, and brick staining can reset the appearance of a wall that has no structural problem at all. It is a fraction of the cost of replacement.
How a Brick Project Runs
1. Assessment and match
We look at the existing brick and mortar, identify the bond pattern and joint profile, and source brick that matches in size and color. On repairs we mix mortar samples until the match reads right in daylight.
2. Prep and protection
Grinding out failed joints to proper depth, cutting out spalled units, shoring where needed, and masking adjacent finishes. Prep is most of the labor on any repointing job.
3. Laying and pointing
New work goes up to line and story pole. Repairs are toothed in so the patch disappears into the field. Joints are struck to match the original profile, whether that is concave, weathered, or flush.
4. Clean and seal
Acid or detergent wash appropriate to the brick, full rinse, and optional brick sealing to slow water uptake. We walk the finished work with you before the site is packed up.
Brick Services We Offer
Tuckpointing and brick repointing
Grinding out deteriorated mortar and replacing it with a matched mix. Brick pointing is the single highest-value maintenance item on any brick building, and it is what keeps water out of the wall.
Brick repair and steps repair
Replacing spalled or cracked units, rebuilding failed brick steps, resetting shifted brick porches, and crack stitching where movement has run through a wall.
Brick veneer and facade
Full brick facade work over framing or block, including returns, sills, and lintels. A brick facade is the most durable exterior finish available in this climate.
Brick walls, fences, and columns
New brick wall construction for garden walls, a brick fence along a property line, and brick columns for entries, gates, and mailbox surrounds.
Brick patio and paving
A brick patio laid on a compacted base with sand-swept or mortared joints. See our paver work for the full range of patio and driveway surfaces.
Brick cleaning, sealing, and staining
Cosmetic services for sound brick. Brick staining permanently changes color without the film or peeling of paint, and brick sealing reduces water absorption and efflorescence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can cracked brick be repaired?
Usually, and the repair depends on what caused it. Failed mortar joints get cut out and repointed. A handful of spalled or broken units get cut out and replaced individually. A crack running through several courses means something moved, so that one gets stitched with helical ties once the cause is dealt with. Catching it early is the difference between a day of pointing and rebuilding an elevation.
How much does tuckpointing cost?
Reckon on $5 to $25 per square foot. The spread comes down to how hard the old mortar is to cut out and whether we can reach the wall from the ground. A chimney or a single elevation is often under $1,500. A whole house exterior is more like $2,000 to $8,000, and more again where two stories mean scaffold.
How often does brick need maintenance?
The brick itself will go a century or more. Mortar is the part with a service life, and joints typically want repointing somewhere around the 25 to 30 year mark. Walk the wall once a year and look at the joints on the weather side and under the eaves, because that is where it starts. Close to the ocean salt shortens the interval, so we suggest looking more often.
Should I paint or stain my brick?
Stain, in almost every case. Paint forms a film that traps moisture in the wall and peels within a decade. Brick staining soaks into the unit, keeps the masonry breathable, and does not need stripping later.
Plenty more of what we get asked, grouped by trade, sits on the masonry questions page.
Most projects touch more than one trade, so plenty of clients pair this with Stone Masonry, Concrete and Stucco. You can see the full picture of what our masonry company covers, or call for a free estimate and we will tell you honestly what the job needs.
Planning masonry work in Santa Monica?
Tell us about the project and we will come out for a free on-site estimate.
Or call us now: (310) 356-9429