Quality Lake Charles Concrete & Masonry

Masonry contractor in Moss Bluff, LA - brick and stone work planned for settling soil

Quality Lake Charles Concrete & Masonry repairs cracked brick, mortar and chimneys in Moss Bluff, LA, and builds new walls, walkways, driveways and outdoor kitchens. We look for why a wall cracked before we fix it.

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

Brick homes on ground that moves

Most of what we see in Moss Bluff is houses, from older brick ranch homes on wide lots to newer subdivisions where nearly every house has a brick or stone front. There's less commercial building here than in Lake Charles, so our calls are mostly about homes, front steps, driveways, back patios and the occasional outdoor kitchen. A lot of these houses sit on a concrete slab with a single layer of brick tied to the framing, so the brick is usually the first thing to show when something underneath changes.

That means the job here is often less about the brick itself and more about the mortar between it and what the house is doing below.

What we know from working in Moss Bluff

Moss Bluff is served by the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury, so for a house outside any city's limits the permit comes from the parish Division of Planning and Development, and a permit official there answers questions at 337-721-3610. The parish wants a permit before any construction or remodeling project starts, so on a new wall or a rebuild that wait comes before our crew lays the first brick. You can check two things on any contractor working here, a Louisiana contractor certification and the parish's annual occupational license, which has to be paid before the work begins.

We're licensed and fully insured, and our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee. Before I price anything I find out which office covers your address and what it asks for, since that can change from one address to the next, here or over in Sulphur, and when a permit's needed we handle the paperwork and tell you where it stands. The price mostly moves with how much wall is involved, what's behind the damage and how hard the old brick is to match, while the schedule turns on the permit and on what we find once the old mortar comes out. The written estimate I send after the visit gives you your own figure.

Masonry work we do in Moss Bluff

Settling soil and tired mortar show up here

The parish's own permit page warns that south Louisiana soils can cause foundation settlement, and on a slab house with brick veneer that shows up as stair-step cracks along the mortar lines, gaps at the corners of windows or a door that starts to stick. When I see that, I look at the slab and the ground around it before I talk about the brick. If the crack points to the foundation, I'll tell you so instead of pricing a patch that just cracks again.

Older houses here often have mortar that's gone soft and sandy while the brick around it is still sound. That's a tuckpointing job, where we grind out the worn joints and pack in fresh mortar to match, and it's worth doing before water gets behind the brick. If you can scratch a joint out with a key, it's time to have it looked at.

Get a free on-site estimate for your Moss Bluff masonry

We reply within one business day by phone or message, and the estimate comes with no obligation. I come out to your Moss Bluff house, look at the job with you and show you what I see, then send the estimate in writing.

(337) 502-4212

How a masonry job goes when you call us in Moss Bluff

  1. Call or send a message

    Call (337) 502-4212 or use the form and tell us what you're seeing at your Moss Bluff house. A photo of the crack or the wall helps me know what to look at first.

  2. Walk the job with me

    I come out and look at the job with you, pointing out what I see and what likely caused it. It helps if you can show me when you first noticed the problem and where water tends to sit.

  3. Get the estimate in writing

    After the visit I send a written estimate that spells out what we'll do and why, so you can compare it with anyone else's. If something needs an engineer first, the estimate says so.

  4. Line up the parish permit

    We check what the permit office needs for your address and, when a permit is needed, handle the paperwork and tell you where it stands. Construction waits until the permit is issued.

  5. Do the work, then walk it

    Our crew does the work, and I'm on site checking it as it goes. Then we walk the finished job with you, and I show you what to keep an eye on.

Masonry questions from Moss Bluff homeowners

Who has to do a masonry project of $50,000 or more in Moss Bluff?

A licensed Residential Building Contractor has to bid and do any residential construction or home improvement project of $50,000 or more, under the state contractor board's rules. Projects over $7,500 and up to $50,000 need a home improvement registrant or a licensed contractor. A home improvement registration doesn't cover structural work like footings, foundations or outside walls, which is much of masonry, so ask which license a contractor holds before they bid.

Does an enclosed area under a raised house in Moss Bluff need flood openings?

Yes, in new construction or a substantial improvement, when the enclosed area below the lowest floor is used only for parking, getting in or storage and can flood, the parish floodplain ordinance says floodwater has to flow in and out on its own. That takes a design certified by a registered engineer or architect, or minimums such as two openings no higher than one foot above grade. On block walls around that space, we build to the plan.

How do I find out if my Moss Bluff masonry project falls under flood rules?

Check with the building official and the floodplain administrator before repairs, rebuilding or demolition, as the parish planning division advises, because each locality's requirements differ. The parish requires a permit before construction starts in any Special Flood Hazard Area, and very little of the parish sits outside the 100- or 500-year flood plain, with land along waterways usually most at risk. I ask about this when I check what your address needs.

Does an outdoor kitchen in Moss Bluff need a permit for the gas line?

Yes, outside city limits a permit is needed before gas piping, plumbing piping or electrical wiring is installed, and an outdoor kitchen often has all three. Those lines run through the block base we build, so it's worth planning them before the masonry goes up. We check what the permit office wants for the whole job before we start.

What drives the cost of brick and masonry repair in Moss Bluff?

The size of the job and the cause behind it drive most of the cost. Repointing sound brick costs less than tearing out and relaying a section, and a crack from settling can add a foundation fix, an engineer's visit and a permit. Matching old brick and mortar color, and getting materials into a fenced back yard, add to it too. Your figure comes in the written estimate after I've seen the wall.

What is the best way to plan a new foundation wall in Moss Bluff?

Start with engineers, because the parish strongly recommends a geotechnical engineer to test the soil and a structural engineer or architect to design the foundation. That design sets how deep and wide the footing goes and how the wall is reinforced, so our crew builds to it instead of guessing. If you don't have one yet, I can walk you through what to ask them.

Where we work

Talk to us about your Moss Bluff masonry

A crack you've been watching is easier to read with someone beside you, so call (337) 502-4212 or use the form to set a time.

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