Masonry Contractor in Methuen, MA - Brick, Chimney and Foundation Repair
Capstone Manchester Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor based in Manchester, NH, working just over the line in Methuen, MA, where we find out why brick, chimneys and foundations fail, fix them and build walls, walkways and paver drives.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Methuen homes we work on, old and new
Methuen sits just over the state line, and the calls we get there look a lot like the ones from our side of it. In the older parts of the city there are plenty of two- and three-family houses with brick chimneys, stone or block foundations and front steps that have been through a lot of winters. Farther out the houses are newer, and the calls lean toward paver driveways, walkways and retaining walls on lots that slope. We do the same kind of work in Windham and Derry, so the problems here are familiar ones.
On an older house, the job usually turns on matching what's already there, from the brick size to the stone to the color of the mortar. On a lower, wetter lot, it turns on where the water goes.
Masonry services for Methuen houses and yards
When a crack shows up in a stone or block basement wall, we find out whether water, settling or frost is pushing it before we patch anything.
Older two- and three-family houses here often have tall brick chimneys with loose top courses and cracked concrete caps, and we rebuild what's failing and stop the water.
When the joints on a brick front have worn back, we grind out the old mortar and pack new mortar in, matched so it doesn't stand out.
Bricks with flaking or popped faces usually mean water is getting in, so we replace the bad ones and deal with where the water comes from.
A paver driveway holds up on a sloped lot when the base underneath is dug deep and packed well, which is where we spend the time.
Where a yard steps down to the street or a neighbor's lot, a retaining wall needs drainage behind it, or water pressure can push it out over time.
On older brick houses and buildings near the center of the city, we repair what's failing and keep the original brick wherever it's still sound.
We build masonry fireplaces in additions and rebuild worn ones in older homes, setting the firebox and flue so smoke goes up, not into the room.
Stone veneer can dress up a block foundation or a front wall, and we leave water a way out from behind it, since trapped water usually ruins veneer.
Block walls work well for garages, sheds and yard walls as long as they sit on a footing deep enough that frost can't lift it.
For an addition on a two-family house or a new garage, we lay the block foundation walls, planning the drainage in from the start on lower, wetter lots.
We build grill counters and outdoor kitchens in brick, block or stone, set on a base packed so frost is less likely to heave and crack the top.
A front walk that's heaved or tipped toward the house sends water at the foundation, so we rebuild it on a packed base pitched away.
We lay new brick walls for garden borders, additions and repairs, matching the brick and mortar on an older house so the new section blends in.
Fieldstone walls and old stone foundations turn up on a lot of older properties, and we reset loose stones and repoint with mortar soft enough to suit them.
For a few cracked or hollow joints by a window or step, spot pointing is often all the wall needs, and we'll say so.
Get a free written estimate for your Methuen job
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set up a visit. I'll come out, look at what's going on and put my estimate in writing, free and with no obligation.
(603) 314-0526- Based in
- Manchester, NH 03104
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 8 AM–9 PM
Working in Methuen: permits, contractors and cost
Permits for a Methuen job go through the city's Inspectional Services department, where the building and zoning side works under the Building Commissioner. If a job needs a permit, the start date waits on it, so we check with that office before we put you on the schedule and take care of the paperwork. The check that's yours to make is on the contractor. Massachusetts requires residential contractors who bid on or do work on an existing, owner-occupied home with one to four units to be registered as a Home Improvement Contractor, and that registration number has to show on the permit, the contract and the contractor's ads. A business certificate is only a public record of a business name, filed in the city where the business is located, not a license, so the state registration is the one to look for.
Methuen is close enough that we run jobs there the same way we do in Nashua and at home in Manchester. The price turns mostly on what's causing the damage and how far it's spread, how high we have to work, whether old brick or stone has to be matched, and how easy it is to get material and staging to the spot, like a chimney on a tight lot between two houses. The schedule turns on the permit if one's needed, and on the weather, since mortar and concrete shouldn't go down in hard cold. My written estimate lays out what I'd fix and why, so you can see what's driving the number.
Why Methuen houses end up needing masonry work
Water is behind most of what we fix, and some Methuen houses have more of it to deal with than their owners thought, since a local insurance agency reported that a number of properties in the city were recently mapped into a high-risk flood area for the first time. Water that sits against a foundation works into the joints and cracks, so on a lower lot we look at the grading, downspouts and walks as part of the repair, not just the wall.
The older two- and three-family houses here have brick chimneys and stone or block foundations where the mortar wears out long before the brick does. We repoint before worn joints start letting water into the brick, because that's the cheaper fix.
How a Methuen masonry job runs, start to finish
From your first call or message to the final walk-through, here's how a job runs and who you'll be dealing with at each step.
Call or send us a message
Call (603) 314-0526 or send the form with a short note on what you're seeing, and we'll get back to you to set a time. Photos of the crack, chimney or wall are handy if you have them.
I find what's causing it
I come out, look at the problem and hunt down what's behind it, then write up what I'd fix and why. It helps if you're home so I can show you what I'm seeing, and if a smaller fix will do, I'll say so.
Permit side first, then work
Once you say go, we sort out the permit side with the city and set a start date around it and the weather. I'm on the crew that does the work, so the person who found the problem is the one fixing it.
Walk the finished job together
When we're done, we clean up and walk the finished job with you so you can see what we fixed and ask about anything. Backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Questions about masonry work in Methuen, MA
How much does a building permit cost for masonry work in Methuen, MA?
Under the city's posted fee schedule, which may have been revised since, the work it lists, chimney work and additions among it, is charged $13.00 per $1,000 of stated construction value, with a $50.00 minimum. Work done without a permit is charged a much higher fee, so it pays to sort that out before anything starts. The bigger part of your cost is the job itself, which comes down to the cause, the access and how much has to be rebuilt.
Do I need a written contract for masonry work in Methuen?
Yes, on an owner-occupied home with one to four units, Massachusetts requires a written contract with certain required provisions for any work estimated at $1,000 or more. It also has to carry the contractor's registration number we covered above, so check it before you sign.
How do I check if my Methuen house is in a flood zone?
Look up your address on FEMA's flood map viewer, which FEMA calls the best place to start for official flood hazard information. It's worth checking even if you looked years ago, given the recent remapping mentioned above. If your house is in one, tell me at the estimate, because it changes how I'd handle drainage around a foundation or a retaining wall.
What do I need to know about masonry work on a house in a Methuen historic district?
The city's Historic District Commission resources include an Application for Certificate and a Design Guidelines Handbook for properties in a Methuen historic district. Whether your house sits in one is a question for the city, so ask before you settle on brick, mortar color or a new chimney top. If it does, I'll plan the work around what the commission asks for.
What causes cracks in brick walls and foundations on older Methuen houses?
Most come from water, settling or a rusting steel lintel over a window or door, and the shape of the crack usually tells you which. A thin vertical crack in a foundation is often just shrinkage and needs little more than sealing, while stair-step cracks along the mortar point to settling and a horizontal crack in a block wall can mean soil is pushing it in. I'd rather look before anyone guesses, and plenty of cracks turn out smaller than people fear.
What is the best way to fix crumbling mortar on a brick house in Methuen?
Grind out the worn joints to sound mortar and repoint them with mortar that's no harder than the brick. Hard mortar on soft old brick makes the brick take the stress, so the brick cracks and flakes instead of the joint. If water is still getting in, new mortar wears out the same way, so I look for where it's coming from first.
Manchester, NH
Get your Methuen masonry problem looked at
A crack or a loose brick is usually cheaper to fix while it's small, before another winter of water gets into it.