Stonecraft Edinburg Concrete and MasonryStonecraft Edinburg Concrete and Masonry

Masonry contractor in McAllen, TX - repairs that start with the cause

Stonecraft Edinburg Concrete and Masonry repairs worn mortar and cracked brick on McAllen homes and builds new block walls, brick walls, pavers and stone work around the house, with the owner on site alongside the crew.

Request a quote(956) 450-7417
A tall red-brick chimney rises above a gray-shingled roof beside a dark front door.
  • Licensed and insured.
  • Free on-site estimates.
  • We respond within 1 business day.

About McAllen, TX

McAllen is a short drive from our base in Edinburg, and it runs right into Pharr on the east and Mission on the west, so plenty of our calls come from streets where you can't tell where one city ends.

The older parts of town have brick houses whose mortar has taken decades of sun and rain, and the newer subdivisions are full of brick veneer fronts, block fences and poured or paver driveways. Most of it sits on flat ground, and the slabs under these houses move a little as the soil dries and wets again. So when I look at a crack here, I check how the slab and the ground have moved before I talk about patching anything.

Services in McAllen, TX

  • Chimney repair

    Chimneys on older McAllen brick homes often go unused, so a cracked crown or loose top bricks go unnoticed for years. Our chimney repair resets loose brick and rebuilds the crown.

  • Tuckpointing

    Mortar on older McAllen brick houses wears back after years of sun and rain and lets water in. We grind out soft joints and pack new mortar matched to your brick.

  • Brick repair

    Stair-step cracks in McAllen brick veneer usually mean the slab under it moved, so we find out whether it's still moving first. Then we replace broken brick and rebuild the cracked joints.

  • Concrete block walls

    Leaning or cracked block fences in McAllen usually sat on a thin footing with little steel. We build new walls on a proper footing, with steel and concrete in the hollow cells.

  • Driveway pavers

    Driveways on flat McAllen lots tend to crack and hold puddles. We lay pavers on a packed base, sloped so water runs toward the street instead of the garage.

  • Outdoor kitchen masonry

    McAllen backyards get used most of the year, so an outdoor kitchen has to stand up to sun and grease. We build the base in block, then face it with stone or brick.

What a McAllen job involves before we lay a brick

Inside McAllen's city limits, building permits come from the city's Building Permits and Inspections Department, so on any job that needs one, the permit and its inspections set the start date as much as our calendar does. When your job needs a permit, we apply for it as the contractor on the job and request the inspections. City permits don't apply outside the city limits, so if your house sits just past them, we check with the county office before we start. We're licensed and insured.

The price on a McAllen job mostly turns on how much old mortar, brick or block has to come out, how much new material goes in, and how easy it is to get a pallet of block into your yard. The schedule turns on the permit, the weather, because heavy rain holds up mortar work, and whether brick to match yours has to be ordered. Your written estimate after my visit gives you your own figure. We work McAllen the same way we work Edinburg and the cities around it, with the same crew.

McAllen, TX properties and local conditions

The cracks we're called about most in McAllen run in a stair-step line through the mortar of brick veneer, and they usually come from the slab under the house shifting as the soil dries out and wets again. Patching over a crack that's still opening buys you a few months at best, so I look at the pattern, the doors and the slab edge first, and I'll tell you if it has settled and can wait. Once it's done moving, we cut out the cracked joints, replace broken brick and match the mortar color so the repair doesn't stand out.

Long summers of hard sun bake mortar and wear down the face of old brick, and the south and west walls usually go first. We check those walls closest and repoint only the joints that need it, not the whole house.

Get a free on-site masonry estimate in McAllen

Send the form or call, and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I'll come out to your McAllen property myself, look at the job and tell you what I'd do, then send a written estimate. It's free, and there's no pressure to book.

How a McAllen masonry job goes from call to cleanup

  1. Call or send the form

    Call (956) 450-7417 or use the form, and we'll set a time to see the job. You don't need to know what's wrong, just tell us what you're seeing.

  2. I look at the job

    I come out, find what's causing the damage and tell you right there what I'd do and whether it can wait. A written estimate follows, so you see the full price before any work starts.

  3. We handle the permit

    If your job needs a city permit, we apply for it and set up the inspections. You don't have to deal with the city yourself.

  4. We build and clean up

    I'm on site with the crew of masons and helpers until the work is done. When we leave, the site is cleaned up.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find out if my masonry job needs a permit in McAllen?

Call the city's permit office at 956-681-1300 and describe the work, because the City of McAllen's general rule is that permits are required to erect, construct, alter, repair or improve. Some residential jobs also need separate permits for electrical wiring or plumbing, which matters if your outdoor kitchen gets lights or a sink. If your job needs a permit, we take care of it.

Do I need a permit to paint brick or put new countertops on an outdoor kitchen in McAllen?

No, the city lists painting, tiling, counter tops and similar cosmetic finish work as work that needs no permit. Building the block or brick base of an outdoor kitchen is construction, not finish work, so ask about that part the same way you would a new wall.

How are building permit fees figured in McAllen?

The city sets residential permit fees by the value of the improvement or by the square footage of new construction, with a minimum fee of $48.00. Remodels and new construction are figured differently, so check the city's permits page for current amounts.

Do I need a permit before demolishing a structure in McAllen?

Yes, the city requires a permit before any demolition project starts. The first step is checking with the Planning and Zoning Department that the demolition and whatever replaces it are allowed at your property, and the Historic Preservation Council may need to review the structure for historic significance.

What causes water to pool against houses in McAllen outside a flood zone?

Usually it's storm water that can't drain into the storm drains fast enough, so it ponds in the yard until it reaches the house. Flooding outside the official flood maps happens often in Hidalgo County, and inside McAllen city limits, floodplain questions go to the city. When we build a paver drive, patio or wall, we slope it so water moves away from the house, and we keep the weep holes, the small gaps at the bottom of brick veneer that let water out, open.

How much does masonry work cost in McAllen?

It depends on the size of the job, the materials and what we find once the old work is open, so I give you a written figure after I've seen it rather than a guess over the phone. Matching old brick, digging a deeper footing and tearing out failed work push the price up, while repointing only the joints that need it keeps it down.

Service areas

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Edinburg, TX

Book your McAllen masonry estimate today

Open joints and cracks let in more water every time it rains, so catching them early usually keeps the repair smaller.

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