Masonry contractor in Andrews, TX - repairs that fix the cause, not the crack
Masoncraft Odessa Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor based in Odessa, TX, and we work in Andrews too. We repair brick, joints, chimneys and foundations, and build block walls, stone veneer and pavers for homes here.
Andrews, the way we see it on jobs here
Andrews is a small oil-field city north of Odessa. Most of our calls here are for single-story brick houses on slab, plus the block walls, shops and fences that come with a wide West Texas lot. Houses here went up a few at a time over the years, so one street can have old brick with worn joints next to a newer house with veneer, and there are commercial buildings along the busier roads. It's a lot like the mix we work on in Midland, just more spread out.
That mix means I don't assume what's behind a wall until I've looked. An older brick ranch and a newer veneer house can show the same crack for different reasons, and the fix depends on which one you've got.
Services in Andrews, TX
Brick repair
Older Andrews homes often have cracked or flaking bricks where water got in. Our brick repair swaps them out for a close match in size and color.
Tuckpointing
Blowing sand wears mortar joints thin on the walls that take the wind. We grind out the loose mortar and repack the joints so water stays out.
Foundation repair
Sandy ground over caliche shifts between dry spells and hard rain, and slab homes show it in the brick. We find what's moving before we fix anything.
Chimney repair
Older ranch-home chimneys take the wind and usually crack first at the crown, the cap on top. We rebuild it and any loose brick so rain stays out.
Concrete block walls
Big Andrews lots often get a block wall to break the wind and dust. We build them on a real footing with steel and grout so they stay straight.
Stone veneer installation
Newer homes here often add stone veneer, and wind-driven rain finds any gap behind it. We set it over a drainage layer and flashing so water gets out.
Working in Andrews: permits, licenses and what moves the price
In Andrews, the city decides whether a masonry job needs a permit, and its Building Official enforces the building codes the city has adopted. The city also keeps its permit fees and insurance requirements in force. When a job needs a permit, we check with the office that covers your address and handle the application ourselves. I tell you where it stands before we start, since that step can push the start date back. On the state side, the state licensing department, TDLR, lists the trades it licenses, such as electricians and air conditioning contractors, so if your project brings one of those trades in, that's the license to check. We're fully licensed and insured.
What moves the price here is mostly what's hidden. A crack that stops at the mortar is a smaller job than one that runs into the footing, matching older brick can take some hunting, and a tall chimney or a wall crowded by a fence takes more setup. The schedule turns on the permit step, the weather and any wait on matching brick, and your free estimate puts in writing what I think is causing the problem and what we'd do about it. Andrews is a drive up from Odessa, so I plan site visits around that, and we bring what the job needs the first time. We do the same work down in Monahans, where the sand and wind give walls the same trouble.
What the ground and wind here do to brick and block
Sandy soil over caliche shrinks through a long dry stretch, then swells or washes out when a storm drops a lot of rain at once, and a slab house rides that up and down. The brick on the outside can't flex, so it cracks, often near a corner or under a window. Before we patch anything, we find out whether the movement is old and finished or still going, because filling a crack that's still moving just makes a new one next to it.
Then there's the wind. Sand blown against a wall for years eats the mortar out of the joints on the side that faces it, and once the joints are low, rain gets in behind the brick. We repoint those walls with a mortar that's no harder than the brick, so the joint wears instead of the brick.
Get a free on-site masonry estimate in Andrews
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I'll come out to your place in Andrews, ask what you've noticed and write up a free estimate that says what I think is causing the problem and what we'd do about it. No pressure, no obligation.
How it goes when you call us about a job in Andrews
Call or send the form
Call (432) 280-0058 or use the form and tell us what you've noticed. Photos of the crack or the worn joints help me get a head start.
I come out and look
I come to your house in Andrews myself and ask what you've seen, how long it's been going on and whether it changes after rain. I check below and behind the damage, not just the spot that's showing.
Go over the written estimate
The estimate says what I think is causing the problem and what we'd do about it. If a smaller repair will do the job, that's the one I'll write up.
We handle the permit step
Once you say go, we check with the office that covers your address and handle any permit application ourselves. I let you know where that stands before work starts.
We finish and walk it
My crew and I do the work, clean up and walk it with you so you know what we did and what to keep an eye on. Satisfaction guaranteed.
Andrews masonry questions we hear
What building codes has Andrews, TX adopted?
Andrews has adopted the International Building Code and the International Residential Code by city ordinance. The ordinance also adopts the Existing Building Code and codes for fire, plumbing, fuel gas, mechanical work, pools and electrical work. Adopting them by reference means they count as if they were copied into the ordinance in full, and they apply along with the city's amendments. For brick or block work on a house, the residential code is usually the one that shapes the job.
Who enforces building codes in Andrews, TX?
The city's Building Official enforces the codes Andrews has adopted, wherever those codes name an official's duties. Breaking the city's code ordinance is a misdemeanor with a fine of up to $2,000, which is one more reason we check with the city before a job starts instead of after.
How do I check a contractor's license in Texas?
Look them up on the state's TDLR license search, which shows whether a person or business holds a current license. It covers the licenses TDLR issues for trades such as electricians and air conditioning contractors, so it's the check to run if your project brings one of those trades in, like an outdoor kitchen with lights and outlets.
How much does masonry repair cost in Andrews, TX?
The price comes down to what's causing the damage and how much has to come apart to fix it right, so I give you a figure after I've seen it, in a free written estimate. Matching older brick, a tall chimney, a crack that runs a long way or a footing that's involved all push it up. Repointing only the worn walls instead of the whole house, and reusing sound brick, usually keep it down.
What causes cracks in brick walls on Andrews homes?
Most cracks we see here come from the ground moving under the slab or footing, with sand-worn and aging mortar close behind. A stair-step crack through the joints near a corner usually means movement, a crack that splits the bricks themselves is more serious, and fine lines in fairly new mortar are often just shrinkage. I check whether the crack is still moving before I call it, because that decides whether a patch will hold.
Do you do masonry work in Andrews, TX, or just in Odessa?
Yes, we work in Andrews, and I come out to look at every job myself. We're based in Odessa, TX and also work in West Odessa, Midland, Monahans and other cities around them, and my crew does the work with me on site.
Get your Andrews masonry problem looked at
A crack or a low joint is easier to fix while it's small, so call (432) 280-0058 or send us the form and I'll come take a look.