Masonry Contractor in Bedford, NH - Finding Why Walls Crack and Fixing the Cause
Capstone Manchester Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor based in Manchester that works in Bedford, NH. We repair foundations, chimneys and brick, and we build walls, walkways and stonework for homeowners and landlords.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Bedford homes, lots and the masonry on them
Bedford sits right next to Manchester, and most of what we see there is houses on bigger lots than you'd find in the city. Older farmhouses have fieldstone walls and brick chimneys, and newer colonials have stone veneer, paver driveways and long front walks. The calls are a lot like the ones we get next door in Amherst: a crack someone wants explained, a chimney that's started dropping brick, or a yard wall that's leaning.
That mix shapes the job. Older houses need mortar soft enough for the old brick and stone. On a big lot, a wall or walkway means more digging, more base and a longer carry for material.
Masonry services for Bedford homes and yards
When a crack shows up in your basement wall, we work out whether frost, water or settling caused it, so the repair matches the cause.
Winters here are hard on chimney crowns and the top courses of brick, so we rebuild what's loose and find where the water's getting in.
On older brick fronts with fine, finished joints, we grind out the worn mortar and rebuild the joint line so the wall looks the way it was built.
Bricks with flaking or cracked faces on steps, walls and chimneys get cut out and replaced with a match, once we know what's pushing them apart.
Long Bedford driveways take plows and heavy cars, so we dig out and pack the paver base deep enough to hold up through freeze and thaw.
Sloped yards often need a wall to hold a terrace or a driveway edge, and we build drainage behind it so water doesn't push it over.
Older stone and brick houses and barns get their walls, steps and chimneys brought back with matching materials and mortar that suits the old brick.
We build masonry fireplaces and hearths in additions and older living rooms, and check what the chimney above can handle before we start.
Stone veneer gives a foundation, entry or chimney the look of real stone, and we flash and drain it so water can't sit trapped behind it.
Garages, sheds and outbuildings on bigger lots get block walls from us, laid on footings set deep enough for New Hampshire frost.
Additions, garages and new outbuildings get a block foundation from the footing up, laid plumb and reinforced where the load calls for it.
Backyard kitchens on larger lots get a stone or brick base, counters and grill surround from us, set on a footing so frost won't heave them.
Front walks and side paths get rebuilt in brick, stone or pavers on a packed base, so they're far less likely to heave each spring.
Garden walls, entry piers and brick sections of a house get laid with brick and mortar chosen for a place with hard winters.
Fieldstone walls, stone steps and stone facing are common on properties here, and we build and rebuild them with each stone set to shed water.
When the mortar between your bricks is crumbling or sunk back, we repoint the joints before water gets into the brick and starts loosening it.
Get a free on-site estimate for your Bedford masonry job
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day. The estimate is free and done on site, I put it in writing, and there's no obligation to go ahead.
(603) 314-0526- Based in
- Manchester, NH 03104
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 8 AM–9 PM
Working in Bedford: permits, licenses and what sets the price
Building permits here come from the Building Code Official at the Bedford Building Department, in the Safety Complex on Constitution Drive. You need one before anything is built, rebuilt, altered or moved, or before any digging starts, and no work, footing excavation included, can begin until it's issued. That means a new wall, foundation or block garage waits on the permit, while ordinary repairs that follow Bedford's guidelines need no application at all. We check with the Building Department before work starts and take care of the paperwork when a job needs a permit. We're licensed and fully insured, and if your project has wiring, like lights in an outdoor kitchen, Bedford requires a New Hampshire licensed electrician for it apart from a few exceptions, so that part goes to an electrician, not to us.
Bedford is close to our base in Manchester, and we do the same work in Goffstown and down in Methuen, just over the Massachusetts line. What moves the price here is how far the damage goes once we open it up, how much digging and base a wall or walk needs, the brick or stone you choose and how close we can get material to the spot. The schedule turns on the permit, when there is one, and on the weather, since mortar and concrete don't go in on frozen ground. Your written estimate gives you your own figure.
Weather and age are hard on Bedford masonry
Bedford's building rules rate the weathering here as severe, and for masonry that means freeze and thaw. Water soaks into brick, mortar joints and the top of a chimney, then freezes and expands, so faces flake off, joints open up, crowns crack and walks heave a little more each spring. When we fix it, we start with where the water's getting in, then use brick, stone and mortar that suit winters like these.
Age adds to it. Mortar on many older houses and stone walls is simply worn out, and plenty of newer pavers and veneer went in on a thin base or with no way for water to drain, which is often what we end up explaining.
What to expect when you call us about a Bedford job
Here's how a job runs from your first call to the final walk-through, with me on it from the estimate to the cleanup.
Call or send a message
Tell us what you're seeing, whether it's a crack, a leak or loose brick, and we'll get back to you to set a time to come out. Photos help if you have them.
I look for the cause
I walk the job with you, hunt down what's causing the problem and write up what I'd fix and why. If a smaller fix will do, that's what I'll write down, so you're not paying for work you don't need.
We sort out the permit
Once you say go, we check with the Building Department and file for a permit if the job needs one. A permit for work that doesn't change the building can come straight from the front desk, while others go to staff review for code and land use, which adds time, so we plan the start around it.
We build it and walk it
I'm on the crew that does the work, you don't need to be home while we're at it, and every job is backed by our satisfaction guarantee. When it's done we walk the finished job with you, so plan to be there for that part.
Questions about masonry work in Bedford, NH
How do I get a building permit for masonry work in Bedford, NH?
You apply through the Building Department at the Safety Complex, because building permits and the permits tied to them don't go through Bedford's online permitting system, which only takes stand-alone gas, fuel, electrical, plumbing and generator permits. Bedford's permit page explains which permits come from the front desk. Starting before the permit is issued brings a surcharge of at least $100 or twice the permit fees, whichever is more, so we wait for it and file it for you when your job needs one.
Does a shed on concrete blocks need a permit in Bedford, NH?
Yes. Bedford counts a shed on blocks or a floating slab as a structure, so it needs a permit. A shed bigger than 200 square feet also needs supports below the frost line, which Bedford puts at 48 inches, so a few blocks set on the lawn won't pass, and we'd set footings or piers that deep.
Does Bedford's historic district review apply to brick or stone work on my house?
Only if your property is in one of Bedford's Historic District Zoning Areas and the project is new construction, an addition or a change to the building's exterior or property features. If you're in one, we check before changing how the outside looks, like adding stone veneer or building a new wall out front.
Which building code applies to a Bedford masonry project in 2026?
Through December 31, 2026, a Bedford permit request can follow either the 2021 or the 2024 codes, and from January 1, 2027, every request follows the 2024 set with New Hampshire's amendments. If your job won't be filed until after New Year's, we plan it to the 2024 codes from the start.
How much does masonry repair cost in Bedford, NH?
Your price comes from what's causing the damage and how far it's spread, so I give you a figure in writing after I've seen it, not over the phone. Digging and base work, the material you pick and access move it most, as covered above, and if a smaller repair will fix the cause, that's the one I'll price.
What causes brick and mortar to crumble on older homes in Bedford?
Usually it's water that gets into the brick or joints and then freezes, which is why chimneys, steps and the bottom courses of walls go first. Clogged gutters, a cracked chimney crown and hard modern mortar on soft old brick all make it worse, so we find where the water's coming from before we repoint or replace anything.
Manchester, NH
Plan your Bedford masonry job and permit
A crack is easier to trace while it's still small, so call (603) 314-0526 or send the form and I'll come take a look.