Brick repair in Yuma, AZ - mortar and brick that blend in with the wall you have
Crumbling mortar or a cracked brick in your wall? We repoint the joints and replace damaged brick so the repair blends in and holds.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- Replies within 1 business day.
What does brick repair involve, and do I need it?
Brick repair in Yuma, AZ means cutting worn mortar out of the joints and packing in new mortar, which masons call repointing, and replacing cracked or crumbling brick with brick that matches, so your wall keeps water out and still looks like one wall.
Most people call me after they notice mortar turning to sand along a wall or a brick that's broken through, and they want to know how bad it is. Usually the brick itself is sound and it's the joints that need the work. The price moves with how much of the wall needs new joints, how many bricks have to be replaced, how high we have to work and how hard a matching brick is to find. The schedule mostly turns on that brick hunt, and on whether the city needs to look at the plans first, which I cover further down. Your own number comes from the estimate, after I've walked the wall with you.
How can you tell your brick or mortar needs repair?
Mortar that crumbles like sand
If you rub a joint and it comes away as grit, that mortar has worn past its useful life. Once water gets in behind it, the joints next to it go faster, and a small spot repair can grow into a whole wall.
Joints sunk back from the brick
When the mortar sits well behind the brick face, or you see gaps and small holes in it, the joint has eroded. Waiting lets the brick edges start to wear too, and worn edges make the repair harder to hide.
Chipped, cracked or flaking brick
A brick with its face peeling off or a crack straight through it has usually been taking on water for a while. Left alone, it lets water into the bricks around it, and every extra brick is one more you have to match.
How we handle brick repair
I start by walking the wall and marking every joint and brick that needs work, so we fix the whole problem and not just the worst spot. We cut the worn mortar out of those joints, brush them clean, dampen them and pack new mortar back in, then shape the face of each joint to match the ones around it. Broken or flaking bricks get cut out and replaced. Finding replacement brick that matches in color, size and texture takes some hunting, and we put in that time so the repaired area doesn't look like a patch. When the mortar has set, we clean the brick face and haul off the debris.
Brick trouble often sits next to other work. If the wall that's failing is holding back soil in your yard, it may need retaining wall construction rather than a patch, because new mortar won't straighten a wall that's leaning. And if the brick you're fixing borders a worn-out driveway, we can lay driveway pavers to go with it.
Spot repointing
This suits a wall where the wear is in a few places, like low on the wall or under a spot where water runs off. We redo just those joints and match them to the rest, which keeps the job small.
Repointing a whole wall
When worn joints run across most of the wall, doing it all at once makes more sense. The joints end up one color and one depth, instead of a wall that shows every round of patching.
Replacing damaged brick
This is for bricks that are cracked through or losing their face, where new mortar alone won't help. We cut out the bad ones and set matching brick in their place, usually along with repointing the joints around them.
Get a free brick repair estimate at your home
We reply within one business day. I come out, walk the wall with you and explain what I see, then write up a free estimate with no pressure to book.
(928) 271-5129- Based in
- Yuma, AZ 85364
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 7 AM–10 PM
What happens when you call about brick repair in Yuma?
From your first call to the finished wall, here's who does what and what you'll know at each stage of the job.
Call or send us photos
Call (928) 271-5129 or use the form on this page to tell us about the wall. Close-up photos of the worn joints help, and so does a note on whether your house is in one of the city's historic districts.
I walk the wall with you
I come out myself, look along the joints with you and explain what I see and why it's happening. Then I write up the estimate, so you have the work and the price in hand before you decide anything.
We handle permits, then start
If the job needs a permit, my crew and I take care of the application and set up the inspections. Cutting out old mortar is noisy, dusty work, so we let you know ahead of time when that part is coming.
Cure, clean up and walk through
When the mortar's maker calls for it, we mist the fresh joints with water so they dry slowly and gain strength. As each stage wraps up I tell you what comes next, and at the end we look over the finished wall together.
Why Yuma homeowners call J&L Yuma Concrete and Masonry for brick repair
I look at it myself
I come out to look at the wall and write the estimate myself, then work alongside my crew on the job. The person who explained the repair to you is the one standing at your wall doing it.
Repairing lived-in homes since 2013
We've been in business since 2013, and I came to repair work after years of laying block and brick on new homes. Building walls from the ground up taught me how they should go together, which helps when I'm working out why one came apart.
Fully licensed and insured, small jobs too
We're fully licensed and insured. Arizona lets unlicensed workers take on some small jobs costing under $1,000, but not when the work needs a local building permit, so it's worth checking a mason's license even on a small repair.
On brick repair, what matters most is a match you can't pick out from the driveway, in the mortar and in the brick. When you're ready, call or send us a message and I'll come take a look.
Brick repair and the masonry around it in Yuma
Before brick work starts here, there are two things to check with the city. The city's Building Safety Division issues permits, and its list covers new construction, remodels and electrical, mechanical and plumbing work, which leaves brick repair off and generally doesn't take in minor repairs. That doesn't settle every job, so on anything bigger we ask the division, and when a permit is needed we handle the application and the inspections. If your house is in the Main Street, Century Heights or Brinley Avenue historic district, or in one of the city's gateway areas, the Design and Historic Review Commission reviews development plans there. Tell me up front and we'll find out from the city whether your repair needs that review before we order any brick.
Most of the brick repair we do is on houses, garden walls and planters where the joints have worn thin or a few bricks have broken, and we get the same calls in Fortuna Foothills and Somerton. On older, softer brick we go slower cutting out the joints, because one slip chips a brick edge, and that's one more brick to match.
Questions about brick repair in Yuma
When does my mortar need repointing?
Your mortar needs repointing when it's crumbling, has worn back more than 1/4 inch from the brick face, or shows hairline cracks, cracks between the brick and the mortar, or gaps and holes. Those are the signs the brick industry lists, and you can check for them yourself by walking along the wall and looking closely at the joints. Note where you see them, and I'll start there when I come out.
How long do mortar joints last compared to the brick?
Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, while the brick itself may well last more than 100. That means a brick house may need repointing more than once in its life, and that's normal upkeep, not a sign the brick has failed.
How much does brick repair cost in Yuma, AZ?
Across the US, brick repair usually costs about $210 to $260 per brick, and that's a national figure for the market, not our price. Your figure depends on how many bricks and joints need work, how high the wall goes and how long a matching brick takes to find. I write it up after I've looked at the wall with you.
How do I choose a mason for repointing in Yuma?
Ask to see a mason's past repointing jobs, because the brick industry points out that a skilled bricklayer isn't always skilled at repointing. It also suggests asking candidates to show their work on a section of the wall that's out of sight, and that's a fair thing to ask us too.
What kind of mortar should be used to repoint old brick?
Brick industry guidance says repointing mortar must be equal to or lower in strength than the original mortar. Stronger mortar puts stress where the brick meets the mortar and can make the brick face flake off, so ask any mason which mortar they plan to use and why.
Do hairline cracks in mortar need to be fixed right away?
Not always, because many walls can handle the extra moisture minor cracks let in, such as cavity walls, which have an air gap behind the brick, and veneer walls, a single layer of brick over the house frame. Hairline cracks are still on the list of signs that a wall is due for repointing, so it's worth having them looked at and planning the work before the mortar starts to crumble.
Other masonry work around your house
Driveway pavers
If your driveway is cracked or plain, pavers set on a packed base give you a surface you can repair a few pieces at a time.
Retaining wall construction
When a slope or raised bed needs holding back, a retaining wall built on a solid base with good drainage is made to stand straight instead of leaning.
Service areas for brick repair near Yuma
J&L Yuma Concrete and Masonry is based in Yuma, Arizona, and we do brick repair in the cities around it too. We have pages for 4 cities, including Somerton and San Luis, each covering the work we do there.
Yuma, AZ
Send us photos of your brick wall
Close-up photos of the worn joints and a wide shot of the wall let me start thinking about the mortar and the hunt for matching brick before I even come out.