"I have a house with circa 1890's brick and mortar that once had seashells in it. David Ricard gave me a fair estimate to fill in mortar where a house brick was party broken by a telecom company and where some mortar fell out from an area a larger masonry company had repointed a few years before. David and his brother showed up on time, did the work in a reasonable amount of time, and cleaned up after. He showed that he understands different kinds of brick and the mortar required. I wish I had known about David before I hired that other company a few years before because the larger company didn't do a particularly good repointing job. I have upcoming mortar work needed on my front walkway and will be calling David for that repair. I would definitely hire him again and recommend him to others."
"Rigo was fantastic. His price was perfect, he was in and out in two days, and he had a very clear idea of what needed to be completely replaced, and what could just be repaired. That helped with both cost and time. He was able to replace bricks in a way that unified the front, and gave us the curb appeal we had been lacking for years. I look forward to relying on International Brick & Concrete again in the future for my concrete and masonry needs."
"In my back yard I had a leaning brick wall. I called a few masonry places in the area. Most were very expensive so I researched online and found J Sanchez. Jose came over assessed the wall and provided a very reasonable quote. Within a matter of a few days the tore down the original wall and built a new wall. The new wall looks great and he added reenforcement to make sure it would not lean again. When the workers were finished they clean up and put everything back they way they found it. I would definitely call him again if I need any masonry work done."
"The masonry on our front porch was crumbling, and the stones in our back-yard patio were becoming uneven. Horizon Landscaping Designs made both look brand new again! They were prompt, professional, and stuck with the original estimate. I'd definitely hire them again!"
"Kenny repaired my Front door threshold. He was very easy to work with. He was always easy to reach by phone or text. He provided excellent service at a reasonable price. I will use K Hill Masonry in the future. I would recommend K Hill Masonry."
""I recently hired J & F Construction to install a new flagstone walkway, and I couldn’t be happier with the results. From the start, Jesus provided a detailed plan and offered great suggestions that improved the overall design. The crew was incredibly hardworking, arriving on time every day and maintaining a clean workspace. The craftsmanship is top-notch—the way they trimmed and set each piece of stone is a true 'masterpiece'. If you want a contractor who is professional, communicative, and delivers high-quality masonry, I highly recommend J & F.""
"In addition to our deck remodel project, we wanted a new stone patio to really finish out the back yard space and a concrete slab to provide a secure foundation for our new hot tub. Johnny, Ricardo, Fabian, and the entire Deck Envy team did an amazing job designing and delivering an amazing patio â turning our old, outdated back yard into a new functional and usable space. Deck Envy is a top-notch company for any deck, patio, and stone project â and we will not hesitate to recommend them to our neighbors, friends, and family. In working with Johnny on our patio/walkway design, Johnny did a fantastic job of offering ways we could take advantage of the natural rock formations in our backyard to lay out the patio to blend in with the free form shapes. Johnny developed a wonderful design that incorporated a space for our new hot tub that kept the natural, free form design look of the rest of the backyard. Johnny's team provided detailed drawings and images for our HOA approval process â and it was clear Deck Envy would be easy to work with, extremely reliable, and deliver an amazing stone patio/walkway. As with our deck remodel, project manager Ricardo did a fantastic job of securing the permits, communicating the requirements to the crew, and ensuring everything was done in a timely and quality manner. He did a great job of ensuring we were always up to speed on the status of the project and next steps. For the construction, Fabian and his crew did an amazing job building the stone walkway â exceeding our expectations with the finished project by even reassembling our old stone wall that had to be repositioned. Fabian and his crew ensured that the hot tub concrete slab was sound and able to withstand the hot tub weight â poured in a way to flow and connect to the new stone walkway. The overall look is absolutely stunning, and we couldnâ t be more pleased with our new backyard oasis."
"After some discussion we decided to have all of it repointed as well just the necessary repairs. I must say that was the right choice as it looks great. All of the mortar joints were redone, a few cracked bricks were replaced, and the steps are once again complete and solid. Great work."
"They came with a large crew and did the work quickly. One part (fixing stone retaining walls) was very quick and they did an excellent job. The second (fixing the cement grouting on a flagstone walkway) was an excellent result but created a huge mess when the ground out grout was blown all over the front and stuck like glue to plants. The third (fixing a large flag stone patio with a soft grout compound) was not well done at all and created a really bad mess when the dry rubbery joint compound was blown around and stuck everywhere, even under my grill cover. That joint compound is also coming up in less than a year. So, traditional masonry work was done very well but with a huge mess, but they could not handle more modern material and do a consistent job."
"It went very well, but not without some minor communication issues which happens with just about every contractor. Bill did an excellent job reviewing what work I needed to have done. He presented several options and prepared an estimate. After I compared other estimates from other contractors, I decided to go with Custom Masonry based not only on the excellent reviews on Angie's list, but in the confidence I had in Bill and the workers. While not the cheapest price, Custom Masonry's price was very competitive. The only hiccup was the first day when the workers did not know exactly what needed to be done vis-a-vis the walkway design. After a couple of phone calls between the lead supervisor, myself and Bill, everything was resolved. The rest of the work proceeded smoothly and the workers did an outstanding job in both quality of work and cleaning up after each work day. I would heartily recommend Custom Masonry for any masonry work!"
According to the Earthquake Country Alliance—a public and private alliance in California that works to improve earthquake and tsunami readiness—reports that unreinforced masonry, such as stone, bricks, and hollow clay tiles, is more susceptible to earthquake damage. The mortar between bricks isn’t as stable as other building materials and methods.
Yes, limewash on brick can accumulate dust over time. Its porous nature can attract dust particles, especially in environments with high levels of dust or dirt. Additionally, if the limewash surface is left unsealed, it may be more prone to collecting dust. Additionally, incorrectly applied limewash will generate dust. Causes include applying it too thickly instead of thin layers and not allowing enough drying time between layers. Regular maintenance, such as gentle cleaning or dusting, can help mitigate dusty issues.
Yes, brick houses are better insulated, because the bricks slow down the passage of air from the outside to the inside and vice-versa. This helps to stabilize the internal temperature of the home. When combined with proper residential insulation, brick houses are more efficient and better insulated than other types.
Most of the time, you don’t need to seal brickwork and can save that money for another area of home improvement. But if your brick is cracking or you live in an area with a lot of excess moisture (either in terms of rain or freezes), sealing can extend the lifetime of your home. But, make sure you use a breathable sealant, like siloxane, to allow the moisture to evaporate on its own.
No, it’s not recommended to attach shutters to brick without drilling. Brick is dense and built to last, so adhesives and shortcut methods don’t usually cut it. Even heavy-duty glue struggles to hold up over time—especially against wind, moisture, and temperature changes. Most no-drill options are made for materials like vinyl or wood, not solid masonry. Skipping the drill might seem easier, but it puts your shutters—and anything below them—at risk. For a secure, lasting install, drilling is the way to go. It takes more effort up front, but the result is safer and more reliable.
The Dunn Loring, VA homeowners’ guide to masonry services
From average costs to expert advice, get all the answers you need to get your job done.
Find out the average raise a house cost in Washington, DC. Learn what you can expect to pay for local foundation lifting and get your project started today.
Door or window lintel replacement costs $400 on average, but there are ways you can save. On the other hand, complicated work will increase costs considerably.
Need to repoint brick in your home to make your home look fresh and new? Use this guide to repointing brick cost to price out your project before starting.
Discover the wide variety of masonry materials for your next home upgrade project. Our guide covers the different types of materials to choose from and more.
When it comes to masonry versus concrete, it can be easy to confuse the two. Use this guide to learn about the differences in appearance, strength, and more.
