Quality Lake Charles Concrete & Masonry

Masonry Contractor in Jennings, LA - Brick Repaired With the Cause Found First

Quality Lake Charles Concrete & Masonry is a masonry contractor fixing cracked mortar, tired brick and chimneys in Jennings, LA, and building new walls, walkways and driveways. We find out why a wall cracked before we touch it.

Paver driveway and walkway lead across a green lawn to a single-story house.

Jennings brick houses carry decades of mortar work

Jennings is a smaller, quieter city than Lake Charles, east of us along I-10, and most of our calls here come from houses that have stood a good while. On the older streets we see a lot of brick homes and brick-front buildings that have been patched more than once, often by different hands with different mortar. Farther out, the houses are newer and the calls lean toward new walkways, patios and outdoor kitchens. It's much the same mix we work in around Sulphur, on the other side of Lake Charles.

So a job here usually starts with figuring out what's already in the wall and which repair came first, before we decide what to add.

Working in Jennings: permits, licenses and what sets the price

Inside the city, permits come from the City Inspector, who issues building permits and reviews plans for new construction. Where Jeff Davis Parish issues permits instead, that's a parish matter handled by the parish Police Jury. When a job needs a permit, the review has to clear before we start, so the paperwork usually sets the start date more than our crew does. We find out which office covers your address and what it asks for, take care of the paperwork when a permit's needed, and tell you where it stands. Before you hire anyone for work here, check two things: the state license or registration the job calls for, and the Occupational License the city requires of every business working inside Jennings city limits. We're licensed and fully insured, and our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.

We come over from Lake Charles on I-10, the same crew that works our home city and out west in Orange, TX, and I'm on site checking the work as it goes. What moves the price here is mostly how much wall we're working on, how closely new brick and mortar have to match the old, and whether something behind the wall, like a leak, has to be fixed first. The schedule turns on the permit and on how much of that hidden work turns up once a wall is open. The written estimate I send after looking gives you your own figure.

Masonry work we do in Jennings

Worn joints and tired chimneys come with age

On the older brick houses here, the mortar between the bricks usually gives out long before the brick does, and chimneys tend to take it worst because they stand up in the open with nothing over them. When joints turn soft or sandy, water gets in behind the face, and that's how a small job turns into loose brick. We grind out the worn joints and repoint them with a mortar softer than the brick, so if anything gives later it's the joint, which is easy to redo, and not the brick face. I'll show you which joints are hollow before we start, and what to keep an eye on after.

The newer homes farther out tend to call for new work instead, like walkways, garden walls, outdoor kitchens and driveway pavers. Most of what makes that work last is underneath it, so we spend real time digging out and packing the base before a single paver goes down.

Get a written masonry estimate for your Jennings home

We reply within one business day by phone or message, and there's no obligation. I'll come out to your place in Jennings, look at the job with you and show you what I see. Then I send you a free estimate in writing.

(337) 502-4212

What happens when you call us about a job in Jennings

  1. Call or send a message

    Call (337) 502-4212 or use the form and tell us what you're seeing. A photo of the crack or damp spot helps me know what to look for.

  2. Walk the job together

    I come out to your Jennings house, look at the wall with you and point out what I think is causing the problem. It helps if you can remember when you first noticed it.

  3. Get your estimate in writing

    After the visit I send a written estimate that lays out the work and why each part is there. Take your time with it and ask me anything that isn't clear.

  4. Clear the permit side first

    We check what the permit office for your address needs and handle the paperwork when a permit's required. If plan review is part of it, that review is what sets our start date, and I'll tell you where it stands.

  5. Do the work, then walk it

    Our crew does the work and I'm on site checking it as it goes. When it's finished, I walk it with you and show you what to watch for in the years ahead.

Masonry questions from Jennings homeowners

Does a masonry contractor need a state license for a job in Jennings, LA?

Yes for home improvement work over $7,500, and the license type goes up with the size of the job. The state licensing board says work over $7,500, up to $50,000, needs a home improvement registrant or a licensed contractor. Residential jobs of $50,000 or more, or any job with structural work, need a licensed Residential Building Contractor to bid and do it. If your foundation or wall job touches the structure, ask which license covers it.

How do I find out if my masonry project in Jennings needs a permit?

Ask the permit office that covers your address before any work starts, and that's a step we take on every job. Whether a given brick, block or stone job needs one isn't something I'll guess at, because the answer comes from that office. We check, handle the paperwork when it's needed and keep you posted, so you know where things stand before we start.

How close to my property line can I build a wall in Jennings?

The City Inspector's office gives you that number, since it provides the setback requirements for homes and businesses in Jennings. Setbacks decide where a new garden wall, block wall or outdoor kitchen can sit, so we get them before we lay anything out. If your lot sits outside the city, we check with the office that covers it.

Is Louisiana's building code changing for new masonry work in 2027?

Yes, the state has approved language adopting the 2024 ICC codes as an amendment to its construction code, effective January 1, 2027. If you're planning a new wall or addition around the turn of the year, ask the permit office which code your job will be reviewed under. We build to whichever one applies when the work is permitted.

How much does brick or mortar repair cost in Jennings, LA?

The price comes from the job in front of us, so I give it in writing after I've looked at the wall. On older Jennings houses the big swings are matching old brick and mortar color, reaching a tall chimney, and whether a leak has to be fixed before the wall itself. New work like pavers or a garden wall mostly comes down to size and the base underneath.

What causes cracks in the brick on older houses in Jennings?

Usually movement or water, and the crack's shape tells you which. A stair-step crack along the joints often means part of the house has settled, while a crack running from the corner of a window can point to the steel over it rusting and pushing the brick apart. I'll show you what the crack is telling us before we fix anything, because patching it without the cause usually brings it back.

Where we work

Tell us what your Jennings wall is doing

A crack that's caught early usually means repointing a few joints instead of rebuilding a section, so call (337) 502-4212 or use the form.

Request an estimate(337) 502-4212
(337) 502-4212Request an estimate