Masonry Contractor in Harvest, AL - Brick Repair and Retaining Walls That Drain
Capstone Huntsville Concrete and Masonry repairs brick and mortar, builds retaining walls, walkways and stone work, and fixes chimneys and foundations for homeowners in Harvest, AL, from older brick ranches to houses rebuilt after the storms.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Harvest homes, from older brick to storm rebuilds
We're a masonry contractor based in Huntsville, AL, and we come up to Harvest for the same kind of work we do in Madison and Athens. Most of what we find here is brick homes. Some are older ranches still on their original mortar, and plenty are newer houses in subdivisions, a lot of them on bigger lots than you'd get in town.
That mix shapes the job. Older houses usually need work on worn mortar and settled corners, and newer ones tend to have water at the base or walls built with no drainage behind them, so I start every visit by finding out where the water goes.
Masonry services we handle in Harvest
Foundation repair
Cracked block or brick at the base of a Harvest house usually traces back to water and settling, so we fix the drainage along with the foundation.
Chimney repair
Chimneys take the worst of high wind and hard rain out here, and a cracked crown or loose bricks up top let water into the house below.
Tuckpointing
Older Harvest homes often lose mortar before brick, and tuckpointing cuts out worn joints and packs in fresh mortar so water stops getting in.
Brick repair
Storm damage, a backed-in trailer or a settling corner can crack or knock out brick, and we replace the damaged pieces with brick matched to what's already there.
Driveway pavers
Long drives on larger Harvest lots take a lot of runoff, so we build paver driveways on a packed base with the slope set to carry water away.
Retaining wall construction
Where a yard slopes toward the house or a drive cuts into a bank, a retaining wall holds dirt back, and we build the drainage behind it first.
Masonry restoration
On Harvest houses patched after storms or just worn with age, we clean, repoint and repair the brick so the old and new sections read as one wall.
Fireplace installation
Adding a wood-burning fireplace to a Harvest home means a firebox, a hearth and a chimney built to clear the roof, and we lay all three in masonry.
Stone veneer installation
Stone veneer dresses up the front or exposed foundation of a newer Harvest home, and we set it over a drainage layer so water drains out.
Concrete block walls
Block walls work well for property lines, garden beds and outbuildings on Harvest's bigger lots, and we fill and reinforce them where they need the strength.
Foundation block wall installation
For an addition, a garage or a home going back up on its lot, we lay the block foundation walls square and level so everything above sits right.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
A backyard on a roomy Harvest lot has space for an outdoor kitchen, and we build the block base, stone or brick face and the countertop supports.
Walkway construction
A walkway from the drive to the door or out to the back yard keeps feet out of the mud, and we set it on a base that drains.
Brick wall installation
A brick garden wall, mailbox column or entry wall can match the brick on your house, and we pour a real footing under it so it stays straight.
Stone masonry
Natural stone suits steps, fire pits and walls on country-style Harvest lots, and we pick and fit each stone so the work sheds water and stays tight.
Brick pointing
When only a few joints are cracked or sandy, pointing fills them with mortar matched in color and hardness, which costs less than a full repointing job.
Get a free written estimate for your Harvest home
Send the job and your address, and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I'll come out, look it over and follow up with a free written estimate, no pressure and no obligation.
- Based in
- Huntsville, AL 35801
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–9 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–9 PM
Permits, licenses and price on a Harvest job
Where your address falls under the county, the permit is the call of the Madison County Building Inspection Department, and it wants the permit in place before work starts. Its list names building work, roofing, windows and siding but not masonry on its own, so I ask the department about your job before we set a start date, and the permit and the weather are usually what the schedule turns on. Before you hire anyone, ask to see a Madison County business license, because the state and the county require one from anyone working here for profit, and on a paid home job over $10,000, ask for a license from the state Home Builders Licensure Board, which a licensed builder has to put on the contract. After that, the price moves with how much brick or stone the job takes, how much digging and drainage go in behind it, how hard the work is to reach and whether old brick has to be matched.
A lot of Harvest lots sit back off roads like Old Railroad Bed Road and Wall Triana Highway, with long drives and ditches out front, so we work out where the pallets and the mixer go before the delivery truck shows up and keep heavy loads off soft yard. It's the same planning we do on country lots down in Hartselle.
What storms and water do to Harvest houses
Harvest has taken more than its share of tornadoes, from the 1974 storms that destroyed most of Harvest to an F4 in Anderson Hills in 1995 and EF4 and EF3 damage north of Nick Davis Road in 2011 and 2012. Plenty of houses here were rebuilt, some more than once, and a storm doesn't have to flatten a house to crack a chimney, loosen veneer or push a wall out of plumb, so after a storm I check those spots before I price any repair.
The more common trouble is slower, and it's water. Downspouts dumping at the foundation, a yard that drains toward the house or a retaining wall with no gravel behind it will undo good brick, so we fix the water first, because new mortar fails the same way if the water keeps coming.
How a masonry job runs when you call us in Harvest
Here's how a job goes from your first call to the final walk-through, with me there at the start and at the end.
Call or send a note
Tell us what you're seeing and where the house is, and we call back to set a time for me to come out. It helps if you can be there so you can show me what's been bothering you.
I look the job over
I walk it, take photos and tell you plainly what I see, what it needs and what it doesn't. You get a free written estimate after, so you can think it over before you decide anything.
We check permits and build
I check the permit steps with the office that covers your address, then our crew lead runs the work with our masons. When the county needs an inspection, the request has to be in by 2 PM the business day before, and the department keeps weekday hours of 7 AM to 3:30 PM, so we line that up ahead of time.
Walk the finished job together
When the work's done, I walk it with you and show you what we did, including the base and drainage you won't see once it's covered. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
Questions about masonry work in Harvest
Do I need a county permit for stone veneer or brick work on my house in Harvest?
You may, and the way to find out is to ask the county before any work starts. Its permit list names siding installations and residential building work, so a veneer job on outside walls or a structural repair is the kind of work I ask about first. If the job needs a permit, we handle it.
Can I do my own masonry work in Harvest without a contractor license?
Yes, the state builder license covers paid work on other people's homes, and owners working on their own house fall outside it. You'd still check with the county about a permit before you start, the same as we would. For a wall that holds back dirt or a chimney that carries weight, call me and I'll tell you honestly whether it's a weekend job.
How do I find out if my lot in Harvest is in a floodplain?
Look up your address on AlabamaFlood, which shows the official FEMA flood maps by address. If your lot is under the county and sits in a designated floodplain, a floodplain development permit is required before any work, and Madison County Public Works handles floodplain matters there. It usually comes up with a retaining wall or a new structure in a low spot.
How much does masonry work cost in Harvest, AL?
The cost comes from the job itself, so your number comes from my written estimate after I've seen it. Pointing a few failing joints costs far less than rebuilding a section, a block wall faced with veneer usually costs less than solid natural stone, and a taller wall or one needing new drainage behind it costs more. I'll tell you which of those your house actually needs.
What causes cracks in brick walls on houses in Harvest?
Most cracks come from movement or water, such as ground settling under the footing, water soaking the wall, or mortar that's harder than the brick around it. Stair-step cracks along the joints usually point to settling, while sandy, crumbling joints mean the mortar is worn out. Storm hits can crack chimneys and veneer too, as covered above.
What is the best way to match new brick to an older house in Harvest?
Match the brick by size, color and texture, and match the mortar by color, hardness and joint shape, because mortar that's too hard or the wrong shade shows for years. I sold brick for years before I laid it, so I know where to look for a close match. I'll tell you plainly how close we can get before we start.
Tell us about your Harvest masonry job
Fixing failing mortar or a wall that's starting to lean early usually costs far less than rebuilding it once the water has done its work.