Concrete and masonry
What each concrete and masonry service involves, from the base under a driveway to the crown on a chimney, and what to expect from a certified company.
Concrete and masonry are the parts of a house that are expected to stay put: the driveway, the walk, the steps, the walls that hold back soil, the brick and stone, and the chimney above the roof. The pages below describe each service: what it is, what a mason or concrete crew does, and what separates work that holds its line from work that cracks, leans or lets water in.
After a loss, masonry is often what is left standing and what needs the most careful repair: a chimney after a fire, a brick wall after a vehicle strike, a foundation after a quake or a flood. A certified company brings the masons, the scaffolding and, where the local code requires them, the permits and inspections.
13 services
Concrete driveways
A compacted base, a reinforced pour, a broom finish and joints cut where the slab wants to crack.
Asphalt driveways
Hot-mix asphalt laid over a compacted stone base and rolled smooth to the edges.
Paver driveways
Pavers laid on a deep compacted base, locked in by edge restraint and joint sand.
Sidewalk installation
A walk poured to grade on a compacted base, with joints where it meets other concrete.
Concrete steps
Steps formed to an even rise and run, poured on a sound base and finished with a rail.
Stamped concrete
Concrete colored and textured to look like slate, stone or brick, then sealed.
Concrete leveling
Sunken slabs lifted back to level through small holes, without tearing them out.
Retaining walls
A wall built to hold soil, with the drainage behind it that keeps it standing.
Brick repair
Damaged bricks cut out and replaced with a match, and the cause of the damage found.
Stone masonry repair
Loose stones reset and joints repointed in a mortar that suits the old stone.
Tuckpointing
Failed mortar cut out to depth and replaced with a matched mortar, joint by joint.
Chimney repair
The crown, joints, brick, cap and flashing that keep a chimney dry and the flue safe.
Chimney rebuilding
A chimney taken down to sound masonry and rebuilt course by course on scaffolding.
Need a certified company?
Look up a certified company by ZIP code. Every company's license, insurance and trades are verified before it is listed.