Brick repair in Cupertino CA - joints that match your brick and shed water
Crumbling mortar, loose bricks or a stained wall? We find what's causing it, fix that first, then repair the brick so it holds.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Do worn mortar joints mean my brick needs repair?
Brick repair in Cupertino, CA usually means repointing, which is raking out the worn mortar between your bricks and packing in new mortar, plus replacing any bricks that have cracked or crumbled so the wall sheds water again.
If mortar is washing out under a leaky downspout, we fix the downspout and any other drainage problem first, because new mortar won't last where the water keeps running. The new mortar also has to suit your brick, since mortar that's harder than the brick pushes the damage into the brick itself. Price mostly follows how much wall needs work, how deep the old mortar has gone, how many bricks need replacing, how high we have to work and whether drainage or chimney repair is part of the job. The schedule turns on the same things, plus whether the city has to sign off first. Your written estimate spells out what we'll do and why.
Is brick repair the right call for your house?
Mortar sanding out of joints
If you can scrape mortar out with a key, the joints are ready for repointing.
Wall under a leaky downspout
Washed-out joints under a gutter or downspout need the water stopped, then new mortar packed in.
Older brick fronts and planters
Older brick often wears unevenly, and repair keeps your original brick in place instead of rebuilding.
A few cracked bricks
Cracked, chipped or loose bricks can usually be cut out and replaced without taking down the wall.
How we handle brick repair
I start by walking every side of the house, because some walls wear faster than others, and south and west walls usually take the most sun and rain. If I see cracks over a window, a failed cap or brick that stays soaked, I tell you it needs more than new mortar, since repointing alone won't fix any of those. Once the water problem is sorted, we cut out the worn mortar to sound material, clean the joints, pack in mortar matched to your brick, tool it to look like your existing joints, swap broken bricks for the closest match we can find and clean the wall when we're done.
Brick repair often sits next to other work. A chimney with loose brick or a cracked crown is its own job, covered on our chimney repair page. If the brick edging on your drive keeps breaking up, driveway pavers give you a surface that's easier to fix, and if a brick planter or garden wall is leaning from the weight behind it, that's usually a retaining wall construction job, not a mortar job.
Repointing worn joints
This suits a wall where the bricks are sound but the mortar has sanded out or pulled away. We replace the mortar and leave good brick alone.
Replacing damaged bricks
This suits a wall with a handful of cracked, flaking or loose bricks. We cut them out one at a time and set in close matches so the patch doesn't stand out.
Brick repair plus the water fix
This suits a wall where a downspout, a cap or flashing, the strips that turn water away at joints, is feeding water into the brick. We fix the water source first so the new mortar goes into a wall that can dry out.
What happens when you call us about brick repair in Cupertino?
Call or send the form
When you reach us, I set up a time to come look at the job myself. Let me know roughly where the trouble is so I can plan the visit.
Walk the wall with you
I ask what you've noticed and walk every side of the house with you, checking drainage, caps and any chimney. You get a written estimate that says what we'll do and why, so you can see where the money goes.
City sign-off when needed
If the city needs to sign off, we handle that before we start. Cupertino says plan review is running longer than normal right now, about 20 to 30 business days for the first review and 10 to 20 for each one after, so we plan the start around it.
We work, then walk it again
I'm on the job with our crew of masons while the work gets done. At the end we walk the wall together again before we call it finished.
Repointing a chimney or bracing it first
Ask about earthquake bracing before you repoint.
Earthquake retrofit guidance for brick chimneys and masonry fireplace surrounds on wood-frame houses is aimed at cutting the risk of brick falling in a quake. If your chimney needs mortar work anyway, that's a good time to ask whether a retrofit makes sense, instead of repointing now and opening it up again later.
The same guidance says to talk to the city's building official about local wood-burning rules before choosing a retrofit. We bring that up early, and when the answer belongs to the city or an engineer, I'll tell you so plainly.
Examples of masonry work
Look through these examples of brick, stone and concrete work to get a feel for the finishes and repairs masons do on homes.
Get a written estimate for your brick repair
Send photos of the worn joints, the sides of the house affected and any leaking downspouts. We reply within one business day to set up a free estimate at your property, with no obligation.
Why Cupertino homeowners call D&R Cupertino Concrete and Masonry for brick repair
I write every estimate myself
I come out to look at your wall and write the estimate, and I'm on the job with our crew of masons. The person who sized up the problem is the one making sure it gets fixed.
In business since 2013
We've been in business since 2013, and I came to masonry after years of framing houses. That's why I look behind the brick, so if water or a weak backing is the real problem, you hear it before we lay a single brick.
Licensed and fully insured
We're licensed and fully insured. Ask about either one when I come out, because you should know who's covered before anyone works on your house.
Based in Cupertino, working nearby
We're based in Cupertino and work across the cities around it, including Sunnyvale, Saratoga, Los Altos and Palo Alto. Call (669) 215-2127 or send the form, and I'll set up a time to come look.
Brick repair questions we hear
How much does brick repointing cost in Cupertino?
Brick repointing across the US usually costs about $400 to $2,500 per 100 square feet, according to one cost guide. That's a national range for repointing, not our price, and your written estimate gives you the figure for your own wall.
How long does repointing last?
One masonry pricing guide says repointing with correctly specified mortar lasts 25 to 50 years. The same guide says mortar too hard for the brick can start damaging it within 5 to 10 years, which is why we match the mortar to your brick before we start.
Should my brick wall be sealed after repointing?
Not every repointing job should end with sealing, because a coating on the wrong wall can trap moisture in the brick. We look at how water gets in and how the wall dries first, then tell you whether a coating would help or hurt.
Who can repair brick in California?
A licensed masonry contractor can, since California's C-29 Masonry Contractor license covers brick and other masonry for walls and fences, along with the clear waterproofing, cleaning and caulking that goes with it. Someone without a license can only take a job under $1,000, and only when it needs no permit and they employ no one. You can read what the license covers on the state licensing board's site.
How do I know if my brick needs a mason instead of a DIY fix?
Call a mason if the wall is historic, part of a chimney, bulging, cracked over a window or door, or high off the ground, since one cost guide puts all of those with experienced masons. A crack over a window usually starts at the lintel, the beam that carries the brick above the opening, and it's worth having looked at before anyone patches it.
What is the best way to remove old mortar from historic brick?
On historic brick, preservation guidance says the traditional way is by hand with a chisel and hammer, and while it takes more labor, in most cases it's the least likely to damage the brick and gives the best result. If your brick is old and soft, we talk through how the joints will come out when I come to write the estimate.
Want us to look at your wall?
I'll come out, walk the wall with you and give you a written estimate saying what we'll do and why.
Other work that comes up with brick
Brick repair permits and houses in Cupertino
Cupertino keeps a list of work on single-family homes that doesn't need a permit, and it names things like fences up to 7 feet high and some retaining walls, but not brick repair, so that list doesn't settle whether your job needs one. When it isn't clear, we check with the city's building department before we start, and if a permit is needed, we handle the application and plan our start around the review.
Around Cupertino, a lot of the brick we repair is on front walls, steps, planters and chimneys, and it seldom wears the same on every side, which is why we look at the whole house. We do the same work for homeowners in Saratoga and Los Altos.