We're based in Noblesville, so a lot of the brick, block and stone we work on is close to home. It runs from older brick houses near downtown with soft, worn joints to newer neighborhoods built with brick fronts, stone veneer and block foundations. We do the same work in Fishers and Westfield, and the job changes more with the house than with the city line.
The ground and the winters shape most of it. A lot of the soil around here holds water against foundations and walls, and every freeze and thaw pushes into any joint that's already open, so a small crack or a soft joint usually grows if it sits for a few winters.
What moves the price and the start date
Price mostly turns on how much brick, block or stone is really failing, what's behind it and how hard it is to reach, so a chimney or a tall wall takes more setup than a front step. Matching older brick and mortar color adds time too. The start date depends on the weather, because fresh mortar doesn't hold up to freezing nights. It also depends on the city when your job needs a permit, since the city's review comes before any work starts. At the estimate I tell you what I think is wrong and put the work in writing.
Finding out why it cracked first
A cracked wall or a joint that's let go is usually a symptom. The cause tends to be water running toward the house, a downspout dumping at one corner or ground that's settled under one end. If we patch the crack and leave the cause alone, it opens back up. So I look at the grading, the downspouts and the shape of the crack before I say what to do. When it points to what's under the house, our foundation repair work starts there. If something can wait a few seasons, I'll tell you that instead of selling you work you don't need yet. We're fully licensed and insured, and I'm on the job with our masons.
Getting your yard ready for the crew
Mostly we need room to work. Tell me at the estimate if a gate is narrow, the side yard is tight or the wall sits behind a deck or fence, because that decides how we bring in brick, block and mortar and where we stack it. Before anyone digs for a wall, walkway or footing, buried lines get marked so nobody hits a gas or electric line. On the day, it helps if you move cars off the driveway, clear pots and furniture from along the wall and keep pets inside. We cover what's nearby and clean up before we leave.