Masonry Contractor in Lanett, AL - Brick Repairs That Fix the Cause
United Auburn Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor working in Lanett, AL. We repair cracked brick, worn mortar joints, chimneys and foundations, and we build retaining walls, walkways, paver driveways and outdoor kitchens.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Lanett homes and the masonry calls we get
Lanett sits on the Chattahoochee River right at the Georgia line, and the calls we get here look a lot like the rest of our work. Owners of older brick houses call about a crack they can't explain or joints that have started to crumble, and other folks call when they're planning a new wall, a walk or an outdoor kitchen. We do the same work in Valley and the other cities around Auburn.
On an older brick house, the crack you can see is usually where the problem ends, not where it starts. It can trace back to ground moving under a footing, water working into the joints or a repair done with the wrong mortar, and the fix depends on which one it is.
Masonry services we offer in Lanett
Foundation repair
When a brick wall in Lanett shows a stair-step crack or a door starts sticking, we find what moved under the house before we fix the footing.
Chimney repair
Older chimneys here often lose mortar near the top, where rain hits hardest, and we rebuild the cap and loose courses so water stops getting inside.
Tuckpointing
When the joints on a brick house have gone sandy or pulled back from the brick, we grind them out and refill them with a mortar that matches.
Brick repair
Cracked, chipped or loose brick on an older house gets cut out and replaced with brick that matches yours, so the patch doesn't stand out.
Driveway pavers
A paver driveway suits lots where a poured slab keeps cracking, because a single paver can be lifted and reset instead of breaking out the whole drive.
Retaining wall construction
Where a yard slopes toward the house or a bank keeps washing out, we build a retaining wall with drainage behind it so it holds the ground.
Masonry restoration
Older brick and stone homes get repairs that suit the house, with mortar soft enough for old brick and work matched to the original look.
Fireplace installation
We build masonry fireplaces for Lanett living rooms and patios, laying the firebox, hearth and surround to fit the room and the house.
Stone veneer installation
Stone veneer dresses up a plain block foundation or a porch column, and we set it so rain drains out instead of soaking in behind it.
Concrete block walls
Block walls work for garages, sheds and property lines around Lanett, and we set them on a proper footing with steel and grout where the wall needs it.
Foundation block wall installation
For an addition, a crawlspace or a rebuilt section under an older house, we lay block foundation walls square and level so everything above sits right.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
We build outdoor kitchens in brick, block and stone for Lanett backyards, with counters and grill surrounds built for summer heat and hard rain.
Walkway construction
A brick or stone walk usually sinks after a few wet winters without a packed base, so we dig out and build that base first.
Brick wall installation
New brick garden walls, mailbox columns and screen walls get laid to match the brick on your house, so they look like they were built together.
Stone masonry
We lay natural stone for walls, steps, fire pits and chimney fronts, fitting each piece by hand so the joints stay tight and the work sheds water.
Brick pointing
We point gaps and cracked joints on a chimney or garden wall, packing in fresh mortar before water gets in and turns a small repair into a rebuild.
Get a free masonry estimate for your Lanett home
We reply within one business day to set a time, and I come out to your house myself to look the job over. The estimate is free, and there's no pressure and no obligation to go ahead.
(334) 780-0060- Based in
- Auburn, AL 36830
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–9 PM
Permits, licenses and pricing for Lanett jobs
The City of Lanett takes building permit applications for work inside the city, so whether your job needs a permit is the city's call, and we check with its building inspection office before we start. When one's needed, we take care of the paperwork, and the start date then waits on the city issuing the permit and booking any inspection. The city also issues its own business licenses, with new ones starting at City Hall, so it's fair to ask any contractor you're weighing whether they hold one. We're licensed and insured.
I-85 makes Lanett an easy run from Auburn, so getting our crew and material here isn't what drives the cost. What moves the price is how far the damage runs once we open it up, whether the cause sits under the wall or in it, how hard your brick is to match and how easy the work is to reach. The schedule turns on the permit, the weather and how long it takes to find matching brick, and the estimate I send spells out what we'll do and why for your job, the same way we work in Tallassee and the other cities around Auburn.
Lanett brick, block and the weather they face
Older brick houses were usually laid with softer mortar than what's sold today, and that's on purpose, because the mortar is meant to wear before the brick does. When someone patches those joints with a hard modern mix, the brick faces around it start to crack and pop off, and that's the damage we see most on older houses. We match the mortar to the brick so the repair suits the house it's on.
Hot summers and heavy rain are hard on masonry, because water that gets into a cracked joint or behind a chimney cap keeps working at it. We find where the water's getting in before we fix anything, since a repair that leaves that path open usually ends up needing the same work again.
How a masonry job runs when you call us in Lanett
Here's how it goes from your first call to the last walk-through, with me on site from the first look to the finished job.
Call or send the form
Call (334) 780-0060 or send the form and tell us what you're seeing at the house. We get back to you and set a time that suits you for me to come out.
I come out and look
I look the job over, ask a lot of questions and work out what's behind the problem, and it helps if you're home to tell me when you first noticed it. You get an estimate that says what we'll do and why, so you know the cost before you decide anything.
We handle the permit paperwork
If the job needs a permit, we take care of the paperwork with the city, and the start date waits on the permit and any inspection the city's office books. Weather plays into it too, because fresh mortar and hard rain don't mix.
Work, cleanup and final walk
I work alongside our crew on the job, and we clean up as we go. When we're done, we walk the finished work with you so you can see what we fixed and why.
Masonry questions from Lanett homeowners
Where do I apply for a building permit in Lanett, AL?
You apply with the City of Lanett, which lists a Building Permit application among its city service applications, right beside an Inspections Request. If your masonry job needs a permit, we take care of that paperwork, and if it's unclear whether it does, we check with the city first.
Who schedules a building inspection in Lanett?
The city's Code Enforcement and Building Inspection office schedules building inspections, and it's also where code questions go. If you want to ask about your own house, the building inspector's line is 334-644-5245.
Which building codes has Lanett adopted for repairs to an older house?
Lanett has adopted the International Building Code and the International Existing Building Code for buildings inside city limits. The second one is the code for repairs and changes to buildings that already stand, so it's the one that bears on most work on an older house here.
How much does brick or masonry repair cost in Lanett?
I can't give you a fair number until I've seen the wall, because the price turns on what caused the damage, not just how big the crack looks. Repointing one section costs less than a whole wall, old or hard-to-find brick costs more to match than a standard brick, and if the cause is under the footing, that work comes first and adds to the job. The estimate I send after the visit says what we'll do and why, so you can see what you're paying for.
What causes cracks in brick walls on older houses in Lanett?
Most cracks in older brick come from the ground moving under the footing, water working into the joints or a rusted steel lintel over a window pushing the brick up. Stair-step cracks that follow the joints usually point to movement, while crumbling joints usually point to water. If a crack keeps growing or a wall is leaning, that's a job for a structural engineer to look at first, and I'll say so.
What is the best way to repair crumbling mortar joints on a brick house?
The best way is to grind the old mortar out to sound material and repack the joints with fresh mortar matched to your brick, not to smear new mortar over the top. A surface skim usually cracks loose within a season or two, so we take the joints back and match the mix to your brick before we start.
Other areas we serve
Auburn, AL
Get your Lanett masonry job looked at
Call (334) 780-0060 or send the form, because a crack or a soft joint is usually a smaller job when we catch it before water gets behind the brick.