Brickline Allentown Concrete and MasonryBrickline Allentown Concrete and Masonry(610) 424-2415
Brickline Allentown Concrete and Masonry
(610) 424-2415Get an estimate

Masonry Contractor in Breinigsville, PA - Repairs Explained Before We Start

Brickline Allentown Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor based in Allentown that repairs and builds brick, stone and block work for homeowners in Breinigsville, from repointing and chimney repair to retaining walls, walkways and foundations.

Get an estimate(610) 424-2415
Outdoor kitchen with a gray stone-block counter, stainless steel grill and cabinets, beneath a thatched roof.

Older brick and newer homes in Breinigsville

Breinigsville is a short drive west of Allentown, where we're based, and the houses we see here mostly fall into two groups. There are older brick and stone homes in the older part of Breinigsville, and newer homes in the neighborhoods that have grown up around them.

That split shapes most jobs here. On the older houses, it's usually mortar that's worn out, a chimney letting water in or a stone foundation that needs pointing, and the repair has to suit materials that went up long before modern cement. On the newer homes, it's more often new work, like stone veneer, steps, a paver driveway or a wall where the yard slopes. There, the base and the drainage behind the masonry decide how long it lasts.

The masonry work we do on Breinigsville homes

We do the full range of brick, stone, block and concrete work in Breinigsville, from repointing a house that's lost its mortar to building a new retaining wall, walkway or foundation. Repointing and brick repair on older homes is what we're best known for, and we build new walls, walks and veneer just as carefully. Every job starts with me looking at it in person and explaining what I see, and the same small crew I work beside does the work.

  • Foundation repair

    Cracks and damp spots in a basement wall usually trace back to water or settling, so we find the cause first. Then we repair the block or poured wall and seal what needs it.

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  • Chimney repair

    Chimneys take more weather than any other masonry on a house, so loose bricks and a cracked crown, the cap on top, show up there first. We rebuild what's failing and keep water out.

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  • Tuckpointing

    When mortar joints go sandy or recessed on an older brick house, water starts getting behind the face. We rake out the bad joints and refill them with mortar matched to your brick.

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  • Brick repair

    Spalled bricks, the ones with faces flaking off, usually mean water has been getting in for a while. We cut them out and set matching brick so the wall reads as one piece.

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  • Driveway pavers

    A cracked or heaving driveway usually comes down to the base underneath, not the surface. We dig out, pack a solid base and lay pavers that can be lifted and reset if needed.

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  • Retaining wall construction

    Yards that slope toward the house or the street often need a wall to hold soil back and steer water. We build it with drainage behind, because trapped water is what pushes walls over.

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  • Masonry restoration

    Older brick and stone homes often carry years of patches in the wrong mortar and the wrong brick. We undo the bad repairs and bring the walls back with materials that suit the building.

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  • Fireplace installation

    A fireplace, inside or out on a patio, needs safe space around it and a solid footing under it. We lay the firebox, hearth and surround, and follow the maker's instructions for any insert.

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  • Stone veneer installation

    Stone veneer, a thin stone facing, can dress up a plain foundation or front wall. We set it over a proper backing with room to drain, so water doesn't sit behind it.

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  • Concrete block walls

    Block walls go up for garages, workshops and yard walls where you want strength without the cost of brick. We set them on a footing sized for the load and fill cores where needed.

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  • Foundation block wall installation

    Additions and new garages often start with a block foundation, and everything above depends on it being square and level. We lay it to the plan and leave it ready for the next trade.

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  • Outdoor kitchen masonry

    An outdoor kitchen is mostly masonry under the counters, block or stone built to carry the grill and top. We build that base and face it in brick or stone to suit the house.

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  • Walkway construction

    Front walks and side paths sink and trip people up when the base under them is thin. We build them on a packed base with a slight pitch so water runs off.

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  • Brick wall installation

    A brick garden or boundary wall has to look right next to your house and stand up on its own. We build it on a proper footing with caps that shed water.

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  • Stone masonry

    Fieldstone and cut stone show up in older walls, steps and foundations, and they need a mason who knows how stone sits. We lay and repair it with mortar suited to the stone.

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  • Brick pointing

    Small areas of loose or missing mortar on steps, chimneys and walls are best fixed before water gets further in. We fill those joints with mortar that matches in color and strength.

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What brick, stone and block work looks like up close

These photos show the kinds of masonry work we do, from repointed joints and rebuilt chimneys to new walls and walkways. They show the trade in general, not particular jobs or homes in Breinigsville.

  • A curved stone fire pit with red cushions sits beside tiered retaining walls and a broad brick-paver patio.

  • An irregular stone walkway leads to a home entrance, bordered by dense green shrubs and bright pink flowers.

  • Stone outdoor fireplace beneath a covered patio, with a mounted TV and firewood stacked in built-in side niches.

Working in Breinigsville: permits, paperwork and planning

Breinigsville sits in a township with its own permit process, and that shapes how we plan a job here. We work the same way we do in nearby Wescosville, checking the rules before we talk about a start date.

Who issues the permit and what to check

In Breinigsville, building permits come from Upper Macungie Township's Permit Department, which enforces the state building code. Its list names additions, basements, decks and similar projects, not masonry by name, so the list alone won't settle your job. Before we start, we check with the township about your property, and if a permit is needed, we take care of the application, and work starts once it's issued.

The township's permit application asks for a certificate of insurance from every contractor listed on it. Under Pennsylvania's home improvement law, a contractor doing $5,000 or more of home improvement work a year has to register with the Office of Attorney General, and any job over $500 needs a written contract. Ask any mason you're considering, us included, for their registration and a written contract before work starts.

  • The state law sets minimum contractor coverage of $50,000 for property damage.
  • The same law sets an equal $50,000 minimum for bodily injury.
  • Keep the written contract and registration details with your house papers.

What moves the price and the schedule

Price on masonry comes down to how much wall there is, how hard it is to reach and what's hidden behind it. A chimney means working up on the roof, a retaining wall means digging and drainage, and repointing an old house depends on how many joints have failed and how carefully the mortar has to be matched. I'll only know some of that once a wall is open.

The schedule mostly turns on whether the township needs to review the job, how long it takes to find brick or stone that matches yours, and how much has to come apart before we can rebuild. Your own figure comes from the estimate, after I've walked the job with you and seen what it really needs.

  • Matching old mortar can take a few test batches, so we don't rush it.
  • Damage behind the brick face can change the scope once it's open.
  • Tight side yards and long carries for material add labor time.

Get a free masonry estimate at your Breinigsville home

Call (610) 424-2415 or send the form, and we'll reply within one business day, with no obligation to go ahead. I'll come out to your Breinigsville property myself, walk the job with you, explain what I see and put the scope in writing.

(610) 424-2415

What decides how masonry holds up in Breinigsville

Every house is different, but the same few things decide how brick, stone and block hold up over the years. These are what I look at first when I walk a job in Breinigsville.

  • Older brick needs softer mortar

    On older brick, the mortar is meant to wear before the brick does, so it's the joints that go first. Repointing with mortar that's too hard pushes the damage into the brick itself, which is why we match the old mix rather than reaching for the strongest bag.

  • Water causes most of it

    Most masonry problems we're called for start with water, from a cracked chimney cap, a gutter dumping onto a wall or a yard that drains toward the house. We look for where the water comes from first, because fixing the brick without fixing that just means coming back.

  • On newer homes, it's the base

    On newer houses, the masonry is often stone veneer, a paver driveway or a landscape wall, and how long it lasts depends on what's underneath. A thin base or veneer with no way to drain can look fine for a few years and then fail.

  • Chimneys get missed until they leak

    Most people don't look at their chimney until there's a stain on the ceiling, and by then the cap or the seal at the roof has usually been letting water in for a while. We check the crown, the joints near the top and where the chimney meets the roof.

  • Homes owned and kept

    Census figures for Breinigsville put the median value of an owner-occupied home at $388,100, and most homes here are lived in by the people who own them. Owners planning to stay usually want a repair that matches the house and lasts, so we plan for that rather than a quick patch.

Why work with us on your Breinigsville masonry

I started this business in Allentown in 2023, after years behind a desk and time learning masonry under experienced masons. Here's how we work and why.

I explain the wall before we touch it

Most calls start with something you've noticed, like crumbling mortar or a crack in a chimney. When I come out, I show you what I'm seeing and tell you what I think is causing it, so you understand your own house and can make the call yourself instead of just taking my word for it.

Some things can't be known until a wall is opened, and I'll say so up front rather than guess. Masonry should suit the building it's on, and a rushed job always shows up later, so we'd rather take the time to match the mortar, fix the cause and get it right.

  • Licensed and insured, proof shown

    We're fully licensed and insured, and we'll show you proof of insurance before work starts, the same paperwork the township's permit application asks for. Checking that is worth doing with any mason you talk to, because it's one of the few things you can verify before anyone starts work.

  • I come out myself

    I come out to look at the job myself, and I work alongside the small crew that does the work. The person who explained the job to you is on site while it gets done, so you deal with the same person from start to finish.

  • A written scope you can compare

    Once I've walked the job, you get the scope in writing, so you can see what's included and compare it fairly with anyone else's quote. If opening a wall turns up more than we expected, I'll show you before the scope changes. Satisfaction guaranteed.

  • Calls taken 7 AM to 11 PM

    You can call (610) 424-2415 any day of the week from 7 AM to 11 PM, which helps when you only notice a problem on a weekend or after work. If it's easier to describe in writing, send the form instead.

Questions about masonry work in Breinigsville, answered

These are the questions that come up when someone in Breinigsville is planning brick, stone or block work. If yours isn't here, call or send the form and I'll answer it.

Which building code applies to my masonry project in Breinigsville, PA?

Masonry work here falls under Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code, the state building code, and any contract signed or permit application filed now has to meet its 2021 version. The township enforces it, and its building code officials are the people to ask about a specific project. We put that question to them as part of the permit check we do before any job.

Can an emergency masonry repair start before a permit in Breinigsville?

Yes, under the state code an emergency repair can go ahead before the permit, as long as the application reaches the building code official within three business days. If a wall or chimney is failing and can't wait, the safe repair comes first and we handle the application right behind it. Call (610) 424-2415 and tell us what you're seeing.

How do I find out if a new garden or retaining wall needs zoning approval in Breinigsville?

Ask the township, because zoning review, a check against land use rules, is a separate step from the building permit, and fences and walls are on its list of zoning applications. That means a new wall can need a zoning look as well as anything the building side asks for, so we raise both with the township before we set a start date.

How do I figure out what masonry work will cost on my Breinigsville home?

You get a real number from an estimate at your house, because size, access and hidden damage set most of the price and I need to see them. Beyond those, the material you pick moves it most on new work, since natural stone and clay brick usually cost more than block or manufactured veneer, and on older homes it's how much matching the existing brick and mortar takes. I'll walk you through both before anything's written up.

Service areas

We work in Breinigsville and the other cities listed here, on both sides of the Pennsylvania and New Jersey line. If your city isn't named, call (610) 424-2415 or send the form and ask.

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