Tuckpointing in Yuma AZ - new mortar joints that match the brick you have
Crumbling, sandy mortar or gaps between bricks? We rake out the worn joints and pack in new mortar so the wall is sound again.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Does my brick wall need tuckpointing?
Tuckpointing in Yuma, also called repointing, means clearing the worn mortar out of the joints in your brick and packing in fresh mortar, so the wall has sound, tight joints again.
Most calls I get about this start with an owner who's noticed the joints on a wall looking tired and wants to know if it's serious. Usually the bricks are fine and it's only the mortar between them that has worn out, though if a few bricks have broken too, we take care of those with brick repair on the same job. Your price moves with how tall the wall is, how far gone the mortar is, what shape the brick is in and how easy the wall is to reach. The schedule turns on how much of the wall needs new joints and whether the house needs city review first. I'll give you a figure for your own wall once I've looked at it with you.
How can you tell your brick joints need repointing?
Mortar rubbing out like sand
If you can scrape a joint with a key and it comes out gritty, the mortar has lost its strength. Left alone, the joint keeps wearing deeper until bricks start to loosen, and then you're paying for brick work and not just mortar.
Joints sunk behind the brick
When the mortar sits well back from the face of the brick, the joint has worn away over the years. The deeper it goes, the less the brick edges are supported, and the more old mortar has to come out later.
Gaps and open holes
Missing mortar leaves holes you can see into, sometimes right through the joint. Those openings let water and dirt work into the wall, so they're worth closing before they spread to the joints next to them.
Cracks along the brick edges
Hairline cracks in the joints, or a crack running between a brick and its mortar, mean the bond has let go. Caught early it's joint work, but cracks that keep opening can point to a bigger problem I'd want to see in person.
How we do tuckpointing on your wall
Before we touch the whole wall, we mix a small batch of new mortar and try it in a hidden spot, so you can see how the color sits next to the old joints. The color of the sand and the type of cement both change how finished mortar looks, which is why I'd rather you judge it on your own wall than on a chart. Once you're happy with it, we clear the worn mortar out of each joint, clean the joints out, pack the new mortar in firmly and shape each joint to match the old ones around it. We finish by cleaning mortar smears off the brick face so the wall reads as one piece.
Tuckpointing often turns up other work. If I find bricks that are cracked through or loose, we replace them as brick repair before the new joints go in, because fresh mortar around a broken brick won't hold it. And owners fixing up the front of the house sometimes add driveway pavers at the same time, so the walls and the ground get done in one round.
Spot repointing
This suits a wall where only a few patches have worn, like the lower courses or one corner. We leave the sound joints alone, which keeps the job smaller.
Full-wall repointing
When most of the joints show wear, doing the whole wall makes more sense. You avoid a patchwork of old and new mortar side by side, and the wall weathers evenly from there.
Repointing with brick replacement
If some bricks are broken or loose, we replace them and repoint in the same job. That way the joints around the new bricks are mixed and shaped to match the rest.
Get a tuckpointing estimate for your brick wall
We reply within one business day. I come out to your house, walk the wall with you and explain what I see, then write up a free estimate with no obligation to book.
(928) 271-5129- Based in
- Yuma, AZ 85364
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 7 AM–10 PM
What happens when you call us about tuckpointing in Yuma?
Here's how a tuckpointing job runs with us, from your first call to the last joint, and who you'll be dealing with at each stage.
Call or send us photos
Call (928) 271-5129 or use the contact form, and we'll get back to you to set a time to come out. If you can, send photos of the worn joints, a rough idea of the wall's size and height, and whether the house sits in a historic district.
I walk the wall with you
I come out myself, look at the joints with you and explain what's worn and why before I write anything. Then I write up the estimate for your wall, so you have a figure in hand before you decide anything.
We handle permits and start
If the job needs a permit, my crew and I take care of those steps before work begins. Once we're on the wall, I tell you what comes next as each stage wraps up.
Walk the finished wall together
When the last joints are shaped and the brick face is cleaned off, we look over the wall with you. If anything doesn't sit right, tell me then and we'll talk it through.
Why Yuma homeowners call J&L Yuma Concrete and Masonry for tuckpointing
The same person, estimate to finish
I'm the one who looks at your wall and writes the estimate, and I'm on the job with my crew when the joints go in. The person who explained the work is the one making sure it gets done that way.
In business since 2013
We've been at this since 2013, 13 years now, and I came to repair work after years of laying block and brick on new houses. Knowing how a wall goes up helps me tell which joints are failing and which are fine to leave.
Fully licensed and insured
Arizona lets someone without a contractor's license take on only casual or minor work that totals under $1,000 for the whole project, labor and materials included, and not work that needs a local building permit or is part of a larger job. We're fully licensed and insured, so the size of your wall doesn't limit what we can take on.
The visit is the time to ask every question you have about your wall, so reach us through our contact page or call (928) 271-5129.
Tuckpointing, permits and brick walls around Yuma
Before we start a wall in Yuma, there's the permit question. The city's Building Safety Division issues permits, and its list names new construction, remodels and electrical, mechanical and plumbing work but not tuckpointing, so that list alone doesn't settle whether your job needs one. If you'd like to ask the city directly, its permit help line at (928) 373-5000, x 3015 helps owners who aren't sure which permit type to apply for. When a job does need a permit, we handle the application and set up the inspections with the city or county office, and we tell you what to expect before work starts. Homes in the historic districts have a review of their own, covered in the questions below.
On jobs around Yuma we see plenty of brick and block yard walls beside older brick homes, and a lot of them have been patched before with mortar that doesn't match in color or hardness. We meet the same thing on homes in Fortuna Foothills and Somerton, and on old patches we take the bad mortar out instead of layering over it.
Questions about tuckpointing in Yuma
How do I know if my mortar needs tuckpointing?
Your joints are due when the mortar has worn back more than about 1/4 inch from the face of the brick, even if nothing is crumbling yet. Crumbling, gaps and cracks between brick and mortar, the signs described above, mean the same thing. Send a photo with your message and I'll tell you what I see when I come out.
How much does tuckpointing cost in Yuma, AZ?
Tuckpointing brick across the US usually costs about $5 to $25 per square foot. Where your wall lands in that range comes down to its height, how worn the mortar is, the brick's condition and how easy it is to reach. For a Yuma price on your own wall, I'll come out, look it over with you and write up an estimate.
How long does tuckpointing last?
Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, depending on how exposed the wall is and what mortar was used, while the bricks themselves may well go past 100 years. So over the life of a house, the joints are the part you plan to renew, not the brick.
Does tuckpointing a house in a Yuma historic district need review?
It may, because in the Main Street, Century Heights and Brinley Avenue historic districts, the city's Design and Historic Review Commission decides whether a permit should be issued for any exterior alteration. Repointing is work on the outside of the wall, so it's a question to settle before work starts. Tell me when you call if your house is in one of those districts, and if a permit is needed we handle it like any other permit job.
What mortar should be used to repoint old brick?
New mortar should be about as strong as the original or weaker, not stronger, because mortar harder than the brick can make the brick's face flake off. That makes mortar strength a fair question to ask any crew before work starts. With lime mortar, drying too fast leaves a weak bond, so it's also worth asking how a crew keeps it from drying out too quickly.
Is tuckpointing done by hand or with a grinder?
Both are used, with small areas usually cleared by hand with a hammer and chisel and large areas with a grinder or power saw. Power tools go faster but can damage the bricks around the joint, so ask any crew how they plan to clear yours. On the visit I'll tell you which I'd use on your wall and why.
Other masonry work that pairs with tuckpointing
Brick repair
When bricks have cracked or worked loose, new joints alone won't hold them, so we cut out the bad ones and set replacements that match the rest.
Driveway pavers
If the front of the house is getting attention anyway, a paver driveway laid on a well-packed base finishes the look next to freshly pointed brick.
Service areas for tuckpointing around Yuma
J&L Yuma Concrete and Masonry is based in Yuma, AZ, and we do tuckpointing across the cities around it, including Fortuna Foothills and San Luis. The four cities below have their own pages, but they aren't the only places we work, so call if you're nearby.
Yuma, AZ
Have your brick joints looked at
One visit tells you whether your wall needs a few patches or every joint redone, and what that means for your price.