Masonry contractor in Odessa, TX - repairs that start with the cause
Masoncraft Odessa Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor in Odessa, TX. We repair brick, worn mortar joints, chimneys and foundations that have moved, and we build block walls, pavers and stone work for homes across the city.
Odessa houses and the ground under them
Most of our calls in Odessa come from homeowners with brick houses, some of them decades old and some only a few years in, along with the block fences, driveways and patios that go with them. We get some commercial work too, mostly small shops and storefronts where the brick or block has cracked or lost its joints. Out past the city limits, West Odessa runs to bigger lots and more open ground, which is why it has a page of its own.
The ground ties it all together. It stays dry and hard for long stretches, so when a heavy rain finally soaks in, a house or a wall settles a little unevenly, and that's usually where the cracks we get called about begin.
Services in Odessa, TX
Foundation repair
Dry ground shifting under a house shows up as stair-step cracks in brick and sticking doors. Our foundation repair starts by finding where it moved.
Brick repair
Older brick here cracks where walls have moved, or its face flakes off. We replace the bad brick and match the old color and size.
Tuckpointing
Wind and blowing grit scour mortar joints on Odessa houses until rain gets behind the brick. We grind out the worn mortar and pack in fresh.
Concrete block walls
Block fences are everywhere here, and they lean or crack when the footing is too shallow. We build or rebuild them on a solid footing.
Chimney repair
Wind and swings between hot days and cold nights crack chimney crowns, the concrete tops that shed rain. We repair the crown and repoint loose joints.
Driveway pavers
Poured driveways here crack as the ground shifts, and a cracked slab can't be reset. Pavers can, so a low spot gets lifted and relaid.
What working inside Odessa city limits looks like
Inside city limits, the City of Odessa's Building Inspections Division issues permits and inspects construction. When a job needs a permit, we check with that office and handle the application ourselves, and I'll tell you where it stands before we start, because on those jobs the permit usually sets the first day more than our crew does. The city also requires a contractor to be registered with it before it will issue them a permit, so that's a fair thing to ask anyone you're thinking about hiring. We're fully licensed and insured.
A lot of Odessa houses back onto an alley, which usually makes it easier to get block, brick and a mixer into the back yard than squeezing through a side gate. What moves the price is mostly what's behind the damage and how much has to come out before anything goes back, and the schedule turns on the permit, the weather and how long it takes to track down brick that matches. I'll give you your own number in the estimate, along with what I think is causing the problem. We do the same work in Midland, Monahans and the cities around them.
What Odessa weather and older brick do to your house
A lot of the brick here has been standing a long time, and older mortar was usually softer than what goes in today. That's mostly a good thing, because the joint wears before the brick does, but it also means a quick repair with hard modern mortar can crack the old brick around it. When we repoint or patch an older wall, I look at what's there first and match the mortar to the brick, not the other way around.
Then there's the season. Summer heat and spring wind can dry fresh mortar before it cures, so we keep new work damp and shaded on those days, and that's part of why some jobs get scheduled around the weather.
Get a free on-site masonry estimate for your Odessa house
Send the form and you'll hear back from us within one business day, with no pressure and no obligation. Then I'll set a time to come out to your place in Odessa myself, look at what you've noticed and write up what I think is causing it and what we'd do about it, free.
How it goes when you call us about a job in Odessa
Call or send the form
Call (432) 280-0058 or fill out the form with your address and what you're seeing. A photo of the crack or the wall helps me know what to look for.
I come out and look
I walk the job myself and ask what you've noticed and when it started. If you can remember when a crack first showed up, that often tells me more than the crack does.
You get a written estimate
I write up 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.
We handle any permit step
Once you say go, we take care of any permit the job needs with the office for your address. If one is needed, it has to be issued before we start, so I'll tell you where it stands.
We do the work and walk it
My crew and I do the work, clean up and walk it with you at the end. I'll show you what we did and what to keep an eye on afterward.
Masonry questions we hear in Odessa
Do I need a permit to build a carport in Odessa, TX?
Yes, the city requires a Residential Building Permit to build a carport on your property. For more on residential permits, the Building Inspections Division takes calls at 432-335-3214, and if we're building the columns or slab for you, we handle that application.
When is a shed exempt from a permit in Odessa?
A one-story detached shed or playhouse is exempt only when it meets every condition in the city's posted code amendment, including a finished wall height under 7 feet, a roof of 100 square feet or less and no concrete slab. It also can't have a gas line under it or any plumbing or electrical, and it has to stay clear of easements and meet the city's other codes. So if you want us to pour a slab under a shed, it no longer fits the exemption, and we'll check with the city before we pour.
Do I need a permit for a block or brick wall near the street in Odessa?
The city requires a fence permit for a fence or barrier next to or within 25 feet of any street, and for a fence along a property line next to an alley. We treat a block or brick wall in either spot as covered by that rule and check with the city before we dig the footing.
How deep does a footing need to go for a block wall in Odessa?
The city's code puts Odessa's frost line at 12 inches, and that's the depth we design a footing to get below. How much deeper and wider it goes depends on the wall's height and what the soil looks like once we dig, because a tall wall on soft ground needs more under it than a short one.
How do I tell if a crack in my brick is a foundation problem?
A crack that steps up through the mortar joints, gets wider at one end or shows up with doors and windows that stick is usually the house moving, and that's worth a look at the foundation. A thin crack in one brick or a joint that's just worn is more often the wall itself. I'll tell you which I think it is and what would settle it, like marking the crack and watching whether it grows.
How much does masonry repair cost in Odessa, TX?
The cost comes down to what's causing the damage and how much has to come out, so I can only give you a number after I've seen it. Matching old brick, a footing that has to be dug out, a rebuild instead of a repair or a permit step all raise it, while catching a worn joint or a small crack early keeps it down. The estimate puts your own figure in writing.
Call us about your Odessa masonry job
A crack or a soft joint is usually a smaller fix before another hard rain and another season of movement make it bigger, so call (432) 280-0058 or send the form.