Masonry Contractor in Midland, TX - Brick and Block Work That Holds Up
G&R Midland Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor based in Midland, TX. We repoint and repair brick, fix cracked walls and chimneys, and build block walls, walkways and outdoor masonry for homes, rentals and small businesses here.
Midland as we see it from the job site
Midland is mostly single-family houses on flat lots, and a lot of them are brick. We see plenty of one-story brick ranches in the older neighborhoods, newer houses on the edges of town with stone veneer across the front, and block fences along nearly every alley. Add the rentals and the small commercial buildings along the main roads, and most of our calls here come down to the same few things. Brick has cracked, mortar is washing out of the joints, a fence wall is leaning or a chimney has seen better days.
It's the same flat, dry country we work in over in Odessa, and it's hard on mortar. What changes the job from one Midland house to the next is age, since an older brick house usually needs mortar matched to what's already there, and a newer one more often needs a wall or footing built right from the start.
What we know from working in Midland
Most construction jobs in Midland need a building permit, and the city's Code Administration issues the residential ones for repairs and remodels as well as new walls and additions. When a job calls for one, we handle the paperwork and don't start until it's issued, so the city's turnaround becomes part of your schedule. The city also requires contractors who build or renovate here to register with it, and it won't issue them permits until a $10,000 bond has been approved by the City Attorney. Those bonds are only good for two years, so ask whoever you're hiring whether their registration is current before you sign anything.
We run into the same houses and the same problems on jobs in Big Spring and West Odessa. Price mostly follows how much brick has to come out compared with how many joints just need new mortar, plus the size of any new wall and how easy it is to reach. A backyard that opens onto an alley is quicker to work in than one where every block goes through a side gate. Schedule turns on the permit and the heat, because fresh mortar doesn't like a July afternoon, so in summer we start early. Your written estimate spells out what's included.
What Midland's sun, wind and ground do to masonry
The sun and wind here are hard on mortar. Years of heat and blowing sand wear the joints down until water gets in behind them. On a lot of older brick houses we also find patches done with mortar that's harder than the brick, so the brick chips while the patch looks fine. Some of those patches were clearly mixed with whatever was left in the bag. We clean out the loose joints and repoint them, packing fresh mortar into the cleaned joints with a mix matched to your brick and a little softer than it, so the joint takes the wear and the brick doesn't.
Block fences are the other big one. A fence wall that catches West Texas wind every spring finds out quickly if its footing was too small or it went up without rebar in the hollow cores of the block, and we see plenty that lean or crack along a joint. When we build or rebuild one, we size the footing to the wall and keep every course straight and level, because a crooked block wall stays crooked.
Get a free written estimate for your Midland masonry job
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I come out to your Midland property myself, look at the job and give you a free written estimate that spells out what's included. There's no obligation to hire us.
(432) 219-3791How a masonry job in Midland goes with us
Call or send the form
Call (432) 219-3791 or fill out the form with a line or two about the job. A photo of the crack or the wall helps if you have one.
I come out and look
I come to the house myself and look at the brick, the mortar and the ground around them. Show me anything that's been patched before, because old patches tell me a lot.
Get your written estimate
You get a free written estimate that spells out what's included. If a smaller repair will do the job, that's what it says.
We handle the permit first
If the job needs a permit, we do the paperwork with the city or county and wait until it's issued before we start. The office sets that wait, so it's the one part of the schedule we don't control.
We build it, then walk it
The crew and I do the work together and clean up as we go. Before we pack up, I walk the finished job with you so you can see every joint we touched.
Brick, block and stone work
Masonry questions we hear in Midland
How do I apply for a building permit for masonry work in Midland, TX?
You can apply online through the city's PermitMidland system, which takes building permit applications and lets you track their status. On jobs we take that need one, we handle the paperwork for you and wait for the permit before we start.
How long does a building permit last in Midland before it expires?
Work has to start within 180 days of the date the permit is issued. It also can't stop for more than 180 days in a row, or the permit expires on its own and you have to apply again. If you need more time, call the city at 432-685-7390 to ask for an extension.
How much does masonry work cost in Midland, TX?
What you pay comes down to the size of your job, the material and how hard it is to match what's already there, and the free written estimate puts a number on your house. On older Midland brick, finding brick that matches can take time, and a wall that needs a new footing costs more than one that just needs new mortar. I'd rather tell you a small fix is enough than sell you a big one.
What causes stair-step cracks in brick houses in Midland?
Usually it's the ground under the house moving, settling or swelling and shrinking between wet spells and long dry ones, which pulls the brick apart along the mortar lines. A hairline crack that isn't growing often just needs repointing, but one that keeps opening points to the foundation. If it's the foundation, foundation repair comes first, because brick patched over a moving slab just cracks again.
How deep should a footing be for a block wall in Midland?
It usually goes below the frost line, which the city's design criteria for homes put at 12 inches, going by an unsigned copy of the code amendment that lists it. That's shallow, and a tall wall or a fence that catches wind usually needs more footing than the frost line alone asks for. Houses here are built to the International Residential Code, and we size the footing to the wall, not to the minimum.
Who issues driveway permits outside Midland city limits?
If you live in Midland County outside the city limits, driveway permits come from the county's Public Works office, not the city. That matters if you're putting in paver driveways, so check which side of the line your house is on before work starts.
Where we work
Tell us about your Midland masonry job
Call (432) 219-3791 or use the form, because a crack or loose joint caught early usually stays a small repair instead of turning into a rebuild.