Stonecraft Edinburg Concrete and MasonryStonecraft Edinburg Concrete and Masonry

Masonry contractor in Doolittle, TX - block, brick and pavers laid to drain right

Stonecraft Edinburg Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor working in Doolittle, TX. We repair worn mortar and cracked brick and build block walls, pavers, walkways and outdoor kitchens on Doolittle lots, a short drive from Edinburg.

Request a quote(956) 450-7417
A stone-faced outdoor kitchen with a stainless steel grill sits beneath a wooden pergola beside a brick house.
  • Licensed and insured.
  • Free on-site estimates.
  • We respond within 1 business day.

About Doolittle, TX

Doolittle is a development in south central Hidalgo County, between farm roads 2128 and 1925 and about three miles northeast of Edinburg, where we're based.

The homes we look at out here usually sit on wider lots than you get closer in, with long driveways, open back yards and room for a wall along the side or back line. That's good for the kind of work people call us about, because there's space for a patio, a walkway or an outdoor kitchen. It also means a lot of flat, open ground, so most of what we build in Doolittle starts with one question. Where is the water going to go when it rains hard?

Services in Doolittle, TX

  • Outdoor kitchen masonry

    Doolittle back yards have room to cook outside, and our outdoor kitchen masonry gives it a block or brick base on a footing. We lay it out clear of any septic tank and field.

  • Driveway pavers

    Long driveways off the farm roads take a beating and hold water wherever they sag. We dig out, pack a firm base and lay the pavers with enough fall that rain runs off.

  • Walkway construction

    A walkway tilted toward the house sends storm water straight to your foundation. We build paths that slope out to the yard and stay below the brick line.

  • Concrete block walls

    Wider lots out here often get a block wall along the back or side line for privacy. We pour the footing, lay the block plumb and finish it to sit right with the house.

  • Brick repair

    Cracked brick on a Doolittle home usually has a cause behind it, like trapped water or movement. I find that first, then we replace the damaged brick with a close match.

  • Tuckpointing

    Worn, sandy mortar joints let rain into the wall behind the brick. We grind out the bad mortar and repack the joints so they match the old ones and shed water again.

Working in Doolittle: who signs off and what sets the price

In unincorporated Hidalgo County, development permits come from the county Planning Department, so before we start a Doolittle job I check with the county office instead of guessing. When your job needs a permit, we apply for it and request the inspections as the contractor, and that paperwork is usually what decides the start date. You can check who you're hiring, too. In Texas a sole owner or partnership working under a business name files that name with the county clerk, and a registered company files it with the Secretary of State, so the name on your estimate should be on record. We're licensed and insured. The price moves with the size of the job, the brick, block or stone you pick, how much digging and footing goes under it, and how much grading it takes to move water away from the house, and the written estimate after my visit puts your own number on it.

Most lots here open onto the farm roads or the streets off them, which gives a block or paver delivery room to drop close to the work instead of being carted across your yard. We're close by from Edinburg and do the same work in the cities around it across Hidalgo County, so a Doolittle job gets the same crew and the same standard.

Doolittle, TX properties and local conditions

Water that can't get away fast enough is what we watch for most in Doolittle. Flooding in Hidalgo County often comes from water that isn't on the flood maps at all, and a lot of homes take water inside when a storm can't drain off fast enough to keep the puddle out of the house. A flat patio or a walkway tilted the wrong way makes that worse, so before we lay anything here I look at where your water goes now and build the new work to send it away from the house.

On the brick and block homes we see, the calls are mostly worn mortar and cracked brick. Before I patch anything I look for what's holding water or moving behind it, because new mortar over an old problem just cracks again.

Get a free on-site masonry estimate for your Doolittle home

We reply to every call and form within one business day. I come out to your Doolittle property, look at the job and tell you right there what I'd do, then your written estimate follows, free and with no pressure to book.

How a masonry job goes when you call us in Doolittle

  1. Call or send the form

    Call (956) 450-7417 or send the form with a few words about the job. We set a time to come out to Doolittle that works for you.

  2. I look at the job

    I come out myself, find what's causing the problem and tell you what I'd do and what it'll take. If it can wait, I'll say so, and the written estimate follows so you can decide without me standing in your driveway.

  3. We handle the county paperwork

    If the job needs a permit, we apply for it and set up the inspections. I learned this trade on a city crew where nothing was finished until an inspector signed off, so we build to pass from the first course.

  4. We build and clean up

    I'm on site with our masons and helpers until the work is done. We clean up before we leave and walk the finished job with you.

Frequently asked questions

What do I need to apply for a building permit in Doolittle, TX?

The county's FAQ says a building permit application needs a copy of the deed. The county's residential construction page lists the basic building requirements and application requirements in English and in Spanish. When your masonry job needs a permit, we put the application together and file it as the contractor.

Do I need a floodplain permit to build a wall or patio in Doolittle?

You might, because the county lists a floodplain development permit application among its residential requirements and marks it "if applicable." In unincorporated Hidalgo County, the general manager of Hidalgo County Drainage District No. 1 is the floodplain administrator. I check whether it applies to your lot before we start.

How do I find out how close to my property line I can build a wall in Doolittle?

Look at the subdivision plat your lot sits in, because the county says the recorded setbacks for your lot are on it. The county Planning Department also inspects for setback compliance, so we lay out a property-line wall from the plat, not from where an old fence happens to be.

Do I need a permit to move or change my septic system for an outdoor kitchen in Doolittle?

Yes. State law requires a permit and an approved plan to build, alter, repair or extend an on-site sewage system, and in unincorporated Hidalgo County the Environmental Health division of Hidalgo Health & Human Services has jurisdiction over it. We're masons, not septic installers, so we lay out kitchens, walls and walkways to stay clear of your tank and field, and if the layout can't avoid it, I tell you at the estimate.

How much does a masonry project cost in Doolittle, TX?

The cost comes down to the size of the job, the material and what has to go under it. Brick and natural stone usually take more labor to lay than block or pavers, a deep footing or a lot of grading for drainage adds work, and a repair caught before brick has to come out costs less than one left to spread. The written estimate after I've seen the job gives you a real number for your own project.

What is the best way to keep a patio or walkway from sending water toward my house in Doolittle?

Give it a steady fall away from the house and somewhere for the water to go once it reaches the edge. We set the base and the surface so water runs out to the yard, and we keep the top of the new work below your brick line and weep openings so water can't sit against the wall.

Service areas

Explore the services

Edinburg, TX

Tell us about your Doolittle masonry project

We take calls until 9 PM every day, weekends included, so you can reach us after work at (956) 450-7417 or send the form.

Request a quote(956) 450-7417
(956) 450-7417Request a quote