Brick repair in Redondo Beach CA - sound joints that keep water out of the wall
Crumbling joints or cracked, loose bricks? We replace what's failed, renew the mortar around it and find where the water got in.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Replies within 1 business day.
What does brick repair in Redondo Beach involve?
Brick repair in Redondo Beach means taking out bricks and mortar that have cracked or crumbled, setting sound brick and fresh mortar in their place, and fixing whatever let the damage start, so the rest of your wall keeps standing and shedding water the way it should.
Most people call me after they've brushed a joint and watched sand fall out, or found a brick that rocks when they push on it. If the bricks are fine and only the mortar has worn, that's brick pointing, which is a lighter job than replacing brick. The price mostly comes down to how much wall needs work, how many bricks have to come out, how hard it is to find brick that matches yours, and how tall the wall is, because anything past ladder height means scaffolding. The schedule turns on whether your job needs a permit and how long it takes to track down matching brick, and I'll give you the figure for your own wall when I come out to look at it.
How can you tell your brick needs repair?
Mortar that turns to sand
You rub a joint with your thumb and it powders or falls out in pieces. That usually means the mortar has done its years and water is getting into the wall behind it, and the longer it goes, the more joints go with it and the bigger the repair gets.
Cracked or loose bricks
You see a crack running through the brick itself, a face flaking off, or a brick that moves when you press it. Water has usually been working behind it, and a loose brick left alone lets its neighbors loosen too, which turns a few bricks into a whole section.
White bloom that keeps returning
A white powder on brand-new brickwork often shows up while it first dries and then fades. When it keeps coming back on an older wall, water is likely getting in and staying there, and that same water cracks brick and washes out mortar until someone finds where it enters.
How we handle brick repair
We start by finding where the water got in, because a repair that ignores a cracked wall cap, a sprinkler hitting the brick or a downspout spilling down the face will fail in the same spot. Then we cut out the cracked or crumbling brick and the old mortar around it, taking care not to chip the bricks next to it, set sound brick that matches yours as closely as we can find, and fill the joints with fresh mortar. I keep the new mortar from being harder than what's already in your wall, because when the mortar is stiffer than the brick, the brick takes the stress and cracks, and that's damage you can't undo. Once the joints are tooled to match the old ones, we clean the face and haul the debris away.
Sometimes the brick is the smallest part of what's wrong. A garden wall that's cracking because the soil behind it is pushing usually needs retaining wall construction more than new brick, and if the brick edging along your drive is coming apart along with the driveway itself, driveway pavers can be the better fix for both. I'll tell you which I think it is once I've seen it.
Spot repair
This suits a wall that's mostly sound, with a few cracked or loose bricks in one area, often near a downspout or a corner. We replace just those bricks and the joints around them, so you're not paying to redo good wall.
Repair with repointing
This suits a wall where the joints are worn all over, not just around the damaged bricks. We replace the bad brick and renew the mortar across the whole section, so the new work and the old joints wear at the same pace.
Get a brick repair estimate for your wall
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I'll come look at your wall myself and give you a free quote on site, with no obligation to go ahead.
Call (424) 265-1368What happens after you call about brick repair in Redondo Beach?
Here's how a brick repair goes from your first call to a finished wall, and what's on your side and ours along the way.
Call us or send the form
Tell us what you're seeing, and if you can, send a few photos of the cracked or crumbling joints and the rough height of the wall. That tells me before I arrive whether we're talking about a few bricks or a job that needs scaffolding.
Look at the wall together
I come out myself, look at the damage and where the water's getting in, and answer whatever you want to ask. You get an estimate for your wall and a plain explanation of what I'd do and why.
Sort out the permit steps
If you go ahead, we check the permit steps with your city or county office and take care of the permit when the job needs one. Work starts once that's settled.
Repair, check and clean up
Our crew does the repair with me on site checking it as it goes, so the brick and mortar match before the joints set. When it's done, we clean up and walk the wall with you.
Why homeowners here call CJ Redondo Beach Concrete & Masonry for brick repair
What matters most on a brick repair is that it suits the wall it's going into. When you're ready, send us the details or call (424) 265-1368, and I'll come take a look.
The owner looks at every wall
I come out myself to look at your wall and give the estimate, and I'm back on site checking the crew's work while they do it. The person who told you what the repair involves is the one making sure it gets done that way.
In business since 2017
I grew up mixing mortar for my uncle and started this business in 2017, so we've been at it for nine years now. We're based in Redondo Beach, and the walls we fix are the same kinds of walls we see in neighborhoods all around it.
Licensed and fully insured crew
We're licensed and fully insured, and that covers our crew on every brick repair we take on. If something goes wrong on your property during the work, you're not the one left holding it.
Brick repair and permits in Redondo Beach
In Redondo Beach, whether a brick repair needs a building permit is up to the city's Building & Safety office, and that isn't something I'll guess at from the curb. Applications go through the city's online Citizen Portal, and every building permit there also needs a waste management plan. We check with the city before any work starts, and when your job needs a permit, we take care of it and that plan so you're not stuck in the paperwork.
A lot of the brick we repair here and on jobs in Hermosa Beach and Torrance has been up a long time, and older brick chips more easily than people expect. Preservation guidance says old mortar on historic masonry comes out best by hand, with chisels and a mash hammer, a short heavy hand hammer, because even though it takes more labor, in most cases it's the least threat to the bricks, and on old brick I'd rather go slow than chip a face we can't replace. If your house has historical or architectural significance, the city's Historic Preservation program handles landmark designation and its own review process, so it's worth checking with them before work on the front of the house.
Questions about brick repair in Redondo Beach
How do I know if the mortar in my brick wall needs repointing?
Your mortar needs repointing when it has worn back more than 1/4 inch from the brick face, crumbles, has holes, shows hairline cracks, or has cracks opening between the brick and the mortar. You can check for all of these yourself with a flashlight and a fingernail before you call. Photos of what you find help me tell you what you're looking at.
How much does brick repointing cost in Redondo Beach?
Across the US, repointing brick usually costs about $500 to $2,500 per 100 square feet, and that's a national range for the joint work, not our price. Where your wall lands depends on its size and height, and replacing broken brick is work on top of the repointing. I'll give you a figure for your own wall when I come out to look.
Do I need a permit to repair brick in Redondo Beach?
The city's Building & Safety office decides whether a repair like yours needs a permit, so that's the question we put to them before any work starts. If it does, we take care of the permit and what goes with it.
Can an unlicensed handyman do brick repair in California?
Under California's rules, an unlicensed person can only take minor work up to $1,000, and only when the job needs no permit and that person employs no one. A repair that needs a permit or a crew calls for a licensed contractor. Ask about the license before anyone starts on your wall.
How long does mortar last in a brick wall?
Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, while the bricks themselves may well last over 100. That means a brick wall can need its joints redone more than once in its life while the bricks stay sound, so worn mortar on an old wall doesn't mean the wall is done.
How do I get new mortar to match my old brick wall?
Ask for a sample patch in a spot nobody sees, because the sand color and the type of cement decide what color the new mortar ends up. Checking that before the visible work starts is much easier than living with joints that stand out.
Related services that often come up with brick repair
- Driveway pavers
If the driveway beside your brick has cracked, sunk or pulled away from the edging, pavers give you a surface that can be lifted and reset in sections.
- Retaining wall construction
When a wall is holding back soil and leaning or bowing, the problem is usually behind it, and a properly built retaining wall deals with that pressure.
Service areas for brick repair near Redondo Beach
CJ Redondo Beach Concrete & Masonry is based in Redondo Beach, CA, and we repair brick across the cities around it, including Manhattan Beach and Lomita. Below are the 12 cities with their own page on this site, and we work in others nearby too.
Redondo Beach, CA
Call or write about your cracked brick
No question is too small, and I'd rather you understand what your wall needs before anyone picks up a chisel.