Masonry Contractor in Huntsville, AL - Older Brick Repointed, Walls Drained Right
Capstone Huntsville Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor in Huntsville, AL. We repoint older brick homes, repair chimneys and foundations, and build retaining walls, block walls, paver driveways and stonework with the base and drainage done right.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Huntsville houses, from old brick to new builds
We're based in Huntsville and work on homes all over the city. Near downtown and in the historic district, the calls are mostly older brick houses with worn mortar and tired chimneys. Farther out, in the subdivisions that run toward Madison and Meridianville, it's newer houses with brick fronts, stone veneer, paver driveways and backyards that slope.
The age of the house sets most of the job here, because it decides what the brick and mortar are made of and what's sitting under them.
Masonry services we do across Huntsville
Foundation repair
Stair-step cracks in brick or a door that starts sticking usually mean the footing is moving. We find out why, often water, and fix that first.
Chimney repair
Older Huntsville chimneys lose mortar at the top first, where rain hits hardest. We rebuild the crown and loose courses before water works down into the house.
Tuckpointing
On older brick homes, we grind out worn joints and refill them with a mortar matched to the brick, so the joints wear instead of the brick faces.
Brick repair
Cracked, flaking or loose brick turns up on steps, porches and older fronts around Huntsville. We replace the bad ones with brick that matches in size and color.
Driveway pavers
Most sunken paver driveways we see here failed at the base. We dig out, pack the base in layers and edge it so the pavers stay put.
Retaining wall construction
Sloped yards across Huntsville need walls that drain. We set gravel and a drain pipe behind the wall, because trapped water is what tips most walls.
Masonry restoration
For older brick homes near downtown and in the historic district, we clean, repoint and repair with materials that match what's there, not whatever's cheapest at the yard.
Fireplace installation
We build masonry fireplaces into new rooms and rebuild old fireboxes in older homes, with the firebrick and clearances laid out before the first course goes down.
Stone veneer installation
Newer Huntsville houses often get stone veneer out front. We put a water barrier behind it and a drain edge at the bottom so moisture gets out.
Concrete block walls
Block suits yard walls, garage additions and property-line walls. We set rebar and fill the cores where the wall carries weight or holds back soil.
Foundation block wall installation
For additions, crawlspaces and new builds around Huntsville, we lay block foundation walls on a sound footing, with waterproofing and drainage done before the dirt goes back.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
Backyard kitchens are a common ask in newer neighborhoods here. We build the block base, stone or brick face and counter support to carry the grill's weight.
Walkway construction
Front walks on older Huntsville lots often heave or sink. We build or rebuild them in brick, stone or pavers on a packed base, sloped to shed water.
Brick wall installation
For garden walls, columns and walls that match a brick house, we pour a real footing first, because most leaning brick walls we see sat on bare dirt.
Stone masonry
On Huntsville homes and yards, we lay natural stone for walls, steps, columns and fireplace faces, fitting each piece so the weight sits on stone, not on mortar.
Brick pointing
On Huntsville brick homes, when only some joints have gone soft or sandy, pointing those spots beats redoing the whole wall, and we'll tell you which you've got.
Get a free on-site masonry estimate in Huntsville
Send a few lines about the job and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I come out myself, look it over and follow up with a written quote. No pressure, no obligation.
- Based in
- Huntsville, AL 35801
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–9 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–9 PM
Permits, licenses and pricing for Huntsville masonry jobs
Inside the city, building permits come from Huntsville's Inspection Department, and most applications go through the city's zoning office first, so when a job needs a permit, that step usually sets the start date more than the masonry does. Before you hire anyone, you can call the department at 256-427-5331 to check that they're licensed for your kind of work, and ask whether they hold the business license the city requires of every business operating here.
We handle the permit when the job needs one, and we're licensed and fully insured. Price and schedule turn on the size of the job, what we find once it's open and whether a permit is involved, and your written quote puts a number on your own job. Jobs just outside the city, or over in Decatur and Athens, go through whichever office covers that address, and I check with them the same way.
Why Huntsville brick and yards need masonry work
A lot of Huntsville's older brick homes were laid with soft lime mortar, and after decades of rain the joints go sandy and let water into the wall. The common mistake is patching them with a hard modern mix that's stronger than the brick, so the brick faces crack and pop off instead of the joints. We look at what's there, match the mortar to the brick and refill the joints so they take the wear the way they're supposed to.
Water is the other big one. Sloped yards, downspouts that dump against the foundation and walls built with nothing behind them are behind many of our calls, because a wall holding back wet dirt carries far more weight than a dry one. We fix the drainage before we fix the wall.
How a masonry job runs when you call us in Huntsville
From your first call to the final walk-through, here's what happens and who you'll deal with along the way.
Call or send us a note
Call (256) 417-4326 or use the form, and we'll get back to you to set a time that works. Tell us what you're seeing, like cracks, loose brick or a leaning wall.
I look the job over
I come out myself, look it over, take photos and tell you plainly what I see, including what doesn't need fixing. You then get a written estimate, so you know the cost before you decide anything.
Permit first, then the work
If you go ahead, I check the permit and historic district steps with the office that covers your address, and the start date waits on that review. Our crew lead then runs the work on site with our masons, and you don't need to be home for outside work.
We walk the finished job
When the work's done, I walk it with you so you can see the joints, the drainage and the cleanup before we call it finished. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
Questions about masonry work in Huntsville
How do I know if my masonry project needs a permit in Huntsville?
In Huntsville, you need a building permit when the material and labor for the job come to more than $250, or for structural work at any cost. That covers a lot of masonry work, from a new retaining wall to foundation repair. When it isn't clear, the city says to call the Inspection Department, and I make that call before we start.
Does a masonry contractor need a license in Huntsville, AL?
Yes, anyone paid to do contractor or subcontractor work in Huntsville has to be licensed with the city's Inspection Department, and subcontractors are licensed only for certain work. On the state side, the home builder licensing board counts anyone who builds, remodels or repairs a home on a job over $10,000, labor and materials together, as a residential home builder.
How do I check if my Huntsville home is in a floodplain?
Call the city's Engineering Department at 256-427-5300 or look up your address on the City Interactive Mapping. If your lot is in a FEMA flood hazard area, the permit has to be submitted in person, and a flood development permit comes before any other permit approval. I check this early, because it changes how and when the permit gets filed.
What building code applies to masonry work on a Huntsville house?
The city has adopted the International Residential Code with its own local changes, and that's the code for homes here. It covers one- and two-family houses and townhomes up to three stories, and we build footings, walls and chimneys to it.
Do I need historic district approval for masonry work in Huntsville?
You might, if your house sits in a historic district, so I check that before anything else. The city's rules call out fences in the Huntsville Historic District as needing approval from the Huntsville Historic Preservation Commission. When a review is needed, we get it moving first, because the rest of the schedule waits on it.
What drives the cost of masonry work in Huntsville?
Beyond the size of the job, matching old materials and doing the drainage right move the price most on Huntsville homes. Matching old brick and soft mortar takes longer than laying new, and drainage behind a wall adds cost up front but costs far less than rebuilding a wall that failed. I'd rather tell you a few joints need pointing than sell you a whole wall.
Book a masonry estimate at your Huntsville home
A few soft joints or one leaning section cost less to fix now than after more water gets into the wall, so call (256) 417-4326 or send us the form.