Masonry Contractor in Goffstown, NH - Repairs That Fix the Cause
Capstone Manchester Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor working in Goffstown, NH. We repair chimneys, foundations, brick and stone, and build walls, walkways and paver driveways, starting with what's actually causing the crack or leak.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Goffstown houses, from the village to the hills
Goffstown is right next door to Manchester, where we're based, and the masonry calls we get here split by where the house sits. In and around the village and Grasmere, the houses are older, with brick chimneys and stone or block foundations that have been patched many times over. Toward the Uncanoonucs the houses get newer, the lots get bigger and the yards start to slope, so the work there is more walls, walkways and long driveways than old-joint repair.
It's much the same split we see in Bedford and on the edges of Manchester. Here, the age of the house tells us how gently to treat the old mortar, and the slope of the ground tells us how much base and drainage a wall or walk needs.
Masonry work we do for Goffstown homes
Older stone and block foundations near the village often crack or leak where water sits against them. We find where the water's getting in before we patch anything.
Brick chimneys on older houses here usually lose mortar near the top first. We rebuild what's loose and redo the crown, the concrete cap, so water stays out.
On older brick houses near the village, joints that have gone sandy let water in. We grind out the worn mortar and pack in fresh.
We match old brick on village houses as closely as we can when we swap out cracked or flaking ones, and fix the leak that broke them.
The longer driveways on bigger lots outside the village are a good fit for pavers, which can be lifted and reset if a section settles.
Sloped yards toward the Uncanoonucs often need a wall to hold back soil. We build the base and drainage first, because that's what keeps a wall from leaning.
Older buildings in the village have masonry worth keeping. We repair with mortar soft enough for the old brick and stone, so the repair doesn't crack the original.
Newer houses on the bigger lots here often have room for a masonry fireplace. We build the firebox and chimney as one job so the fire draws properly.
Veneer gives a newer foundation or chimney the look of the old stone around Goffstown. We leave a drainage gap behind it so water runs out.
Block walls suit garages and outbuildings on the larger lots here. We set them on a solid footing and fill the hollow cores where strength matters.
When an older village foundation is past patching, or an addition needs one, we lay block walls and seal the outside before the dirt goes back.
Bigger backyards here leave room for a grill station or outdoor kitchen. We build the block, brick or stone base and counters on a solid footing.
On sloped lots, a front walk needs steps and drainage planned in, not added later. We build brick, stone and paver walkways with a packed base underneath.
A brick garden or boundary wall fits the older village streets well. We build it on a footing below the topsoil and cap it so water runs off.
Goffstown still has plenty of fieldstone walls and stone foundations. We rebuild and repair them stone by stone, keeping the look you already have.
On older houses here, worn joints often cover only one side of a chimney or wall. Pointing just that section is usually the smaller, cheaper fix.
Get a free on-site masonry estimate in Goffstown
We'll reply within one business day to set up a free on-site estimate. I walk the job with you, explain what I see and put it in writing, with no obligation to go ahead.
(603) 314-0526- Based in
- Manchester, NH 03104
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 8 AM–9 PM
What to know before masonry work starts in Goffstown
Building permits in Goffstown go through the town's building and health office, and the town's homeowner FAQ says they cover all home renovation and construction except painting, siding, window replacement and fences under 6 feet. Masonry isn't on that exception list and the FAQ isn't dated, so we check the current rule with the building office before we start and take care of the paperwork when your job needs a permit, which means that step clears before our first day on site. You can call Town Hall at 603-497-8990 with permit questions too. The town doesn't license businesses, so there's no Goffstown license to ask a contractor for, but you can ask about insurance, and we're licensed and fully insured, with every job backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Past the permit, the price here mostly turns on how much has to come apart and how easy the work is to reach. Village houses tend to sit close to the street and to each other, so we plan where the mixer and the pallets of brick go before day one, while out on the bigger lots the long haul from the driveway to the back wall changes how we move stone. The schedule turns on the permit and the size of the job, and when I walk it with you I'll explain what I see and put it in writing. We plan jobs the same way in Londonderry and many of the other cities around Manchester.
Why masonry wears out on Goffstown properties
On the older houses in and near the village, the trouble usually starts in the mortar. A lot of these chimneys and stone foundations have been patched over the years with hard cement mortar, and when the joint is harder than the brick or stone around it, the brick cracks instead of the joint, so we rake out the bad patches, repoint with a mortar suited to the old masonry and fix whatever's sending water at the wall in the first place.
Public water and sewer only reach parts of Goffstown, so plenty of houses run on a private well and septic. Before we dig for a retaining wall, a walkway or a foundation repair, we want to know where your well line and leach field are, so we dig around them instead of through them.
What happens after you call us about a Goffstown job
Here's how a job goes from your first call to the final walk-through, and what you'll have in hand along the way.
Call us or send a message
Call (603) 314-0526 or send the form and tell us what you're seeing, a crack, a leak or joints that have gone sandy. We'll set a time for me to come out and look.
I find what's causing it
I look at the problem, hunt down what's causing it and write up what I'd fix and why. If a smaller fix will do the job, that's what I'll tell you.
We handle permits, then build
Once you say go, we sort out the permit side with the town and then do the work, with me on the crew. You don't need to be home every day, just reachable if we find something once the wall is open.
We walk the finished job
When the work's done, we walk it with you so you can see what changed and ask about anything. We clean up the site before we call it finished.
Questions about masonry work in Goffstown
How do I get a driveway permit in Goffstown for paver work?
Goffstown's Public Works Department issues it, and the town's homeowner FAQ says you need one for a new driveway or any change where a driveway meets the road. The same permit covers switching from gravel to asphalt. If your pavers stay inside the old edges and don't touch the road end, ask Public Works whether you still need one, and we'll check it before we dig.
Does re-sealing my driveway in Goffstown need a permit?
No, the town's homeowner FAQ says re-sealing a driveway doesn't need a driveway permit. Tearing out the surface and putting in pavers is a bigger change, so that's the point to check with Public Works first.
Who inspects a new fireplace in Goffstown?
On new construction, the town's inspection schedule puts wood, gas, oil and coal fireplaces under the Fire Department, and inspection calls go to (603) 497-8287. For a fireplace added to an existing house, we confirm with the building office which inspections apply before we start building.
How much does masonry repair cost in Goffstown?
It comes down to what's causing the damage and how much has to come apart, so I don't put a number on it until I've seen the wall or chimney. Matching old brick or stone, working high on a chimney and digging out along a foundation all add to it. When a smaller repair will fix the cause, that's the one I'll price.
What causes cracks in an old stone foundation in Goffstown?
Water is usually behind it, from gutters that dump at the corner, soil that slopes toward the house or worn-out mortar that lets water through the wall. Settling and tree roots can play a part too. I look for where the water's coming from before I patch anything, because a crack patched over a leak usually comes back.
How do I know if my chimney needs repointing or a rebuild?
If the bricks are solid and only the mortar joints are sandy or sunk back, repointing usually does it, and that's the smaller job. If bricks are loose or cracked, or the chimney leans, the top section often has to come down and be rebuilt. I'll show you which one you have when I'm up there.
Manchester, NH
Book your Goffstown masonry estimate today
Worn mortar lets in a little more water every year it's left, so a small repair caught now is usually a lot less work than a rebuild later.