Masonry Contractor in Valley, AL - Repairs That Fix What Caused the Crack
United Auburn Concrete and Masonry repairs brick, mortar, chimneys and foundations on Valley, AL homes, and builds retaining walls, walkways, paver drives and outdoor kitchens. We find out why a wall cracked before we fix it.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Valley homes, from older brick to newer builds
Valley sits on the Chattahoochee River where Alabama meets Georgia, right on I-85. In town we see a lot of older brick houses with soft joints, cracked corners and tired chimneys, and newer lots where people want a retaining wall, a walkway or an outdoor kitchen. We do the same kind of work over in Lanett.
On the older houses, the job usually starts with sorting out what's original from what's been patched before, because an earlier repair in the wrong mortar is often part of the problem.
Masonry services we offer Valley homeowners
Foundation repair
When a Valley brick house shows stair-step cracks or sticking doors, we find out whether the footing is settling or water is the cause before repairing anything.
Chimney repair
Older chimneys here usually fail at the concrete cap and the top rows of brick. We rebuild what's loose and recap it so rain stops getting in.
Tuckpointing
When old joints have gone sandy, we cut out the failed mortar, fill it to match the brick and run a thin line that makes the joints look crisp.
Brick repair
Flaking brick faces, cracks around windows and loose steps show up on older Valley houses. We swap bad brick for the closest match we can find.
Driveway pavers
Pavers make sense when an old cracked driveway slab needs replacing, because they sit on a packed gravel base and a broken one lifts out and gets swapped.
Retaining wall construction
On a sloped yard, a retaining wall holds the ground back and makes room for a flat patio or garden, built on a packed base with drainage behind it.
Masonry restoration
When the brick, mortar and trim on an older Valley house have all worn, we bring the whole wall back and keep what's original wherever it's sound.
Fireplace installation
When you want a working fireplace, or a new firebox and surround in an older Valley home, we build it to the code and the maker's instructions.
Stone veneer installation
Stone veneer, thin stone set over a backer, dresses up a plain foundation wall, a porch column or a chimney without the weight of full stone.
Concrete block walls
Block makes solid privacy walls, garden walls and the backs of garages, and we set every one on a poured footing so it stands straight.
Foundation block wall installation
For additions, garages and crawlspace foundations, we lay block foundation walls on a proper footing, with the steel and grout the plans call for.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
We build the block base, the brick or stone face and the countertop support for grills and outdoor kitchens on Valley patios, laid out around how you cook.
Walkway construction
A brick, stone or paver walk from the drive to the door, built on a dug-out, packed base so it stays flat and sheds water.
Brick wall installation
New brick garden walls, mailbox posts and porch walls, laid to match the brick on your house so the new work looks like it belongs there.
Stone masonry
Fieldstone and cut stone for walls, steps and chimney faces, laid so each stone's weight sits on the one below and the joints shed rain.
Brick pointing
When only some joints have cracked or dropped out, we point them with mortar that matches the old in color and strength, so water stays out of the wall.
Ask for a masonry estimate at your Valley home
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I come out and look the job over myself, and the estimate is free with no obligation.
(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 Valley masonry jobs
Permits in Valley go through the city's Planning and Development Department at City Hall, which checks that work meets the building codes and takes construction and permit questions at 334-756-5226. When a job needs a permit, that review comes before we start, so it can push the start date back, and we check with the department and take care of the paperwork for you. Before you hire anyone, ask for their state license and their Valley business license, because the state says a business in a licensed trade should show its board license before the city issues a business license. We're licensed and insured.
The price moves with the size of the job, how easy it is to get to, the brick or stone you pick and what we find once a wall is opened up. The schedule turns on any permit review and on how much it takes to fix the cause, and your estimate spells out what we'll do and why. We're based in Auburn and do the same work in Smiths Station, so Valley is a regular stop for our crew.
What wears on Valley houses and yards
An older federal profile counted four historic districts in Valley with more than 1,200 structures on the National Register, and plenty of the houses around them have stood just as long. Old brick was laid in soft lime mortar that's meant to wear out before the brick does, so when those joints wash out we grind them back and repoint with a mix that matches, not hard cement smeared over the top.
Retaining walls, walkways and outdoor kitchens fail from the bottom. A wall that leans after a few years usually had too little gravel behind it and no drain, so on new work we dig out, pack the base and give water somewhere to go before the first block goes down.
How a masonry job runs when you call us in Valley
Here's how it goes from your first call to the walk-through at the end, and who you'll be dealing with along the way.
Call or send the form
Call (334) 780-0060 or fill out the form, and we get back to you to set up a visit. Tell us what you're seeing, whether it's a crack, loose brick or a wall you want built.
I look the job over
I come out myself, look at the wall, the joints and the ground around them, and ask a lot of questions about when it started. You get an estimate that says what we'll do and why, so you know what you're paying for before anything starts.
Permits first, then the work
If the job needs a permit, we take care of the paperwork with the city before we start. I work alongside our crew, so the person who looked at your wall is the one fixing it.
We walk it with you
When we're finished, we clean up and walk the job with you. Ask anything you want on that walk, because your satisfaction, guaranteed, is the promise we work to.
Questions about masonry work in Valley
What building code does Valley, AL use for houses?
Valley uses the 2021 International Residential Code, adopted as the Valley Residential Code, for detached one- and two-family houses and townhouses up to three stories. The city has also adopted the 2021 International Building Code, and we build to whichever one covers your property.
Do I need carbon monoxide alarms when I add a fireplace in Valley?
You do if the work needs a permit, because Valley's residential code calls for carbon monoxide alarms when a permitted repair, alteration or addition is made to a house, placed the way they'd be in a new home. Exterior work like siding, windows, doors or a porch deck is exempt, and on a fireplace job we check with the city and tell you before we start.
When does a contractor need a state license to work on a house in Alabama?
The state's Home Builders Licensure Board licenses residential home builders every year, and the law covers homes built for someone else, up to three floors and four units, when the cost goes over $10,000. The board holds its licensees to the code the city has adopted when it investigates them, so ask any contractor which license they hold.
How do I check flood maps for my address in Valley?
Look your address up in the state's AlabamaFlood tool, which shows FEMA's regulatory floodplain maps by address or county. With Valley on the Chattahoochee, it's worth a look before you plan a retaining wall, walkway or patio, and if your lot is in a mapped floodplain, tell me when I come out.
How much does masonry repair cost in Valley, AL?
Your price comes from the estimate I write after looking at the job, because repair work on an older house rarely has a set price. Matching old brick and soft mortar takes longer than working with new materials, and a repair that fixes the cause costs more than a patch but usually doesn't need doing twice.
What causes cracks in brick walls on older homes in Valley?
Most cracks in brick come from movement or water, like a footing settling, water running against the foundation, a rusted lintel, the steel angle over a window, pushing the brick, or a chimney cap letting rain in. The shape of the crack usually points to which one, and I want to find it before we touch the wall, because a patch over a cause that's still moving just cracks again. If the foundation is still moving, I'll tell you it needs an engineer first.
Other areas we serve
Auburn, AL
Get your Valley masonry job looked at
Cracks and loose joints usually get bigger every time water gets in, so the sooner I see it, the smaller the repair tends to be.