Brick repair in Chico CA - walls that shed water and mortar that matches your brick
Crumbling joints, flaking bricks or a stain under the downspout? We find the cause, fix it, then repair the brick so the damage stops coming back.
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What does brick repair involve on a Chico house?
Brick repair in Chico usually means repointing, which is clearing worn mortar out of the joints and packing in fresh mortar, along with replacing chipped or flaking bricks, so your wall holds together and sheds water again.
Most people call Cornerstone Chico Concrete and Masonry after they notice sandy mortar in the joints, a brick face peeling off, or a stain that won't wash away, usually low on a wall or right under a downspout. We're based in Chico and work across the cities around it. The price comes down to how much wall needs new mortar, how many bricks need replacing, whether there's a drainage problem to fix first, and how high the work goes, since walls and chimneys above 8 feet need scaffolding and most masons charge more for that. The schedule turns on the same things plus any permit, and your written estimate spells out what's included so you can see where the money goes.
How we handle brick repair, start to finish
I start with the water, because a lot of brick damage begins at a leaking downspout or a yard that drains toward the wall, so we fix that before we touch the mortar. The National Park Service, writing about historic masonry, puts it in the same order and says to deal with downspouts and drainage first. Next I look at each chipped or flaking brick to work out why it failed, since a brick that cracked from trapped water can fail again if we just swap it. Then we clear out the worn joints and repoint them. The Park Service warns that power saws on thin brick joints almost always break the brick edges and overcut the vertical joints, and that masonry cement, which usually has no lime and sets very hard, can damage historic brick, so if you own an older brick home, ask any mason which mortar they plan to use and why.
Fixing the drainage sometimes leads to other work. If runoff from a cracked driveway heads straight for the house, new driveway pavers pitched away from your walls can send it somewhere else, and where a slope behind the house keeps pushing wet soil against the brick, retaining wall construction holds that ground back.
Brick repair permits and rules in Chico
Chico requires a basic building permit to repair any building or structure, and the exemptions on its list cover things like fences no taller than 6 feet, not brick repair, so don't assume a repointing job is off the hook. You can read the city's building permit information, and we find out whether the city or the county covers your address and take care of the permit paperwork as part of the job when one's needed. The city also asks contractors applying for permits for both a City of Chico business license number and a California contractor's license number. If your house or storefront might be on the City of Chico Historic Resources Inventory, the Architectural Review and Historic Preservation Board reviews proposals that may affect it, and I'll suggest checking with the city early.
On older brick homes and storefronts around Chico, what we find most is joints washed out under a downspout and old patches done in hard gray cement that's now cracking the brick around it. We see the same mix of older brick and quick fixes on jobs in Durham and Oroville, and we handle it the same way, cause first.
- Call (530) 399-1517
- Mon–Sun: 7 AM–10 PM
- Chico, CA 95928
What happens when you call Cornerstone Chico Concrete and Masonry in Chico?
Call or send the form
Call (530) 399-1517 or send the form and tell me what you're seeing on the wall. We'll set a time for me to come look at it in person.
I find what's really wrong
I come out myself and check the joints, the bricks, the downspouts and how the yard drains before I price anything. You get a written estimate that spells out what's included, and we sort out whether the city or the county covers your address.
Our crew does the work
Our own crew handles the drainage fix, the brick replacement and the repointing, in that order. I'm on site while they work, so your questions get answered on the spot.
We walk it together
When the work's done, you and I walk the wall and look over every repaired joint and brick. If something doesn't look right to you, that's the time to point it out.
Why Chico homeowners call Cornerstone Chico Concrete and Masonry for brick repair
The owner prices every job
I look at the wall and write the estimate myself, and I'm on site while our crew does the work. The person who figured out the problem is the one watching it get fixed.
Commercial training, in business since 2020
I learned masonry on a big commercial crew laying brick, block and stone, and I started this business in 2020. That's where I saw good brick ruined by the wrong mortar or a fast tool, and it's why we're careful with both.
Fully licensed and insured in California
We're fully licensed and insured. Ask for our license number when I come out, and check it before you sign anything.
Older brick homes and storefronts
Owners of older brick homes and storefronts around Chico call us for the puzzles, like a leak nobody's tracked down or an old wall that needs a careful match. I'd rather spend an extra hour finding the cause than patch a crack that opens right back up.
With brick, the job that lasts is the one that fixes why it failed, so book a visit and I'll come take a look.
Request an estimateGet a written brick repair estimate after one visit
We reply within one business day to set a time, and then I come out myself to check the joints, the bricks and the drainage. The quote is free, done on site and written out so you can see what's included, with no pressure to book.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Phone
- (530) 399-1517
- Location
- Chico, CA 95928
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 7 AM–10 PM
Questions about brick repair in Chico
Do I need a permit for brick repair in Chico?
Plan on asking before work starts, because Chico's permit rule covers repairs to any building and its exemptions don't mention brick repair. When your job needs one, we take care of the permit paperwork as part of the job, as we explain above.
How much does brick repointing cost in Chico?
Across the US, professional brick repointing usually costs about $400 to $2,500 per 100 square feet, and that's a national figure, not our price. Where your wall lands depends on how much needs new mortar, any brick replacement, the height and the drainage work, and your written estimate breaks that out.
How long does repointing last?
Professional repointing can last up to 30 years. That's why the mortar and the way the old joints come out matter so much, since you'll be living with that choice for a long time.
Can someone without a license do a small brick job in California?
Only within California's minor work exemption, which is $1,000, and it applies only when the job needs no permit and the unlicensed person employs no one. Since brick repair in Chico may need a permit, sort that question out before you hire anyone without a license.
Is tuckpointing the same as repointing brick?
Mostly, yes, since repointing is also called pointing and people often call it tuckpointing, though that name is a little loose. Either way the job is clearing out worn mortar and packing in new, and we have a page on tuckpointing too.
How do I get rid of white powder on brick after repointing?
Usually you just wait, because that white powder, called efflorescence, sometimes shows up in the first few months after repointing and goes away with normal weathering. If it hangs on, a stiff bristle brush used dry and then wet is the safest way to take it off, and muriatic acid generally doesn't work.
Related work that protects your brick
Driveway pavers
A paver driveway sloped away from the house gives rain and sprinkler runoff somewhere to go besides the base of your brick and its joints.
Retaining wall construction
When a slope crowds the back of the house, a retaining wall keeps wet soil off the brick and lets water drain away instead of soaking in.
Send photos and book your brick repair visit
Call (530) 399-1517 or use the form, and have photos of the wall, its height and any downspout or drainage trouble ready so I show up knowing what to look for.
Request an estimateCall (530) 399-1517