Crumbling or cracked mortar between your bricks? We rework the joints that have failed, leave sound mortar alone and match what's already there.
Tuckpointing, which most masons also call repointing, means clearing worn mortar out from between your bricks and packing in fresh mortar. In Aliso Viejo we do it on brick walls, chimneys and planters where the joints have started to crumble, crack or wash out.
Most calls start with sand piling up under a wall or a joint you can scrape out with a key. Often only part of the wall has failed, so I want you to understand what's going on before you spend anything. The price mostly comes down to how much of the wall needs work and how easy it is to reach. The schedule usually waits on any leak that has to be fixed first, and your estimate gives you the figure for your wall.
If the bricks themselves are cracked or flaking, that's brick repair, and I'll tell you so. Paver driveways are a different job because they're usually set in sand with no mortar joints, so that falls under our driveway pavers work. California's contractor license board describes a masonry contractor as one who installs clay products, block and stone, with or without mortar. We're licensed and insured.
Call (949) 619-8220 or use the form, and tell us where the wall is and what you've noticed. We get back to you to set a time for me to come out.
I come out myself, look over the joints and answer whatever you want to ask, even if it's the same question twice. You get a written estimate for your wall, so you know what the work costs before you decide anything.
Once you're ready, we check with the city's building office about your job, then book crew days inside Aliso Viejo's construction hours, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays, with no work on Sundays or federal holidays. I work on the wall with our masons and helpers, then we clean up and walk the finished joints with you.
We rework the joints that have actually failed and leave good mortar where it is. Original joints in sound shape are better than new ones, and repointing is slow, hands-on work, so skipping the good joints saves you a lot of labor. Old mortar can come out with a hammer and chisel on small areas or with a grinder or saw on big runs. Power tools are faster but can damage the brick around the joint, so ask which method suits your wall, and I'll explain why I'd pick one.
The mix matters as much as the method. New mortar should be no stronger than the original, because a harder mix pushes the load onto the brick and can make its face spall, which means flake off. Ask any crew which mortar they plan to use, and I'll tell you ours before we start.
What our tuckpointing work covers:
Most walls I look at need repointing, not rebuilding, because brick usually outlasts the mortar around it by a long way. If the joints are failing but the bricks are sound, repointing the bad joints is the right call. When bricks are cracked through or loose, or the wall is bulging or leaning, fresh mortar won't fix that. I'll tell you if a section has to come down, or if an engineer should look at it first.
Labor is the biggest part, so the price follows how many joints need work and how deep the worn mortar goes. A wall you can reach from the ground costs less than a chimney or a tall wall that needs ladders or scaffolding. An unusual mortar color takes more trial to match, and raking out joints by hand around soft brick is slower than cutting them on a sturdy wall. Fixing a leak or downspout first adds to the job, but otherwise the new mortar can wash out the way the old did.
I taught myself brick and block, started this business in 2023, and I still come out to every job and work on it with the crew. Most of what we do is repair work, where new mortar has to sit right next to old. I'd rather spend extra time showing you which joints have failed than sell you a whole wall you don't need.
We keep the work to your wall, clean up as we go and take care around your plants and paving. If something isn't clear, ask again and I'll walk you through it. Satisfaction guaranteed.
Call or send pictures of the joints, where the wall sits and any leaking downspout, so I come out knowing what to check first.
Tell us where the wall is and what the joints look like. We reply within one business day, and I come out for a free on-site estimate with no pressure to book.
Yes, tuckpointing is another name for repointing, which is the repair of worn mortar joints in brick. The word also names an older finish, where a thin strip of contrasting mortar is shaped over a flush joint colored close to the brick. If your house has that finish, tell us so we can plan for it.
A joint needs repointing when the mortar has worn back more than 1/4 inch, crumbles, has holes, shows hairline cracks or has cracked away from the brick. Only those joints need work, so it's worth walking the wall and looking before you ask for a quote. I'll go over the same signs with you on site.
Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, depending on how exposed the wall is and the mortar used, while the brick itself can last well over 100 years. That makes repointing upkeep you'll likely come back to over a brick wall's life, usually in patches where the weather hits hardest.
Fix leaks and drainage problems first, because water running down a wall washes mortar out of the joints. Preservation guidance for older buildings describes a leaking downspout leaching mortar out of the joints and calls for replacing it, and fixing any other drainage trouble, before the mortar work. That's why I ask about leaks and downspouts before we start.
The price comes from your own wall, mainly how many joints have failed, how deep they've worn and how hard the wall is to reach, so I give you a figure in an estimate after I've seen it. Because we only rework failed joints, a wall with a few bad patches costs much less than repointing the whole thing.
The best way is a test sample placed somewhere out of sight, because sand color and cement type both change how new mortar looks. The sample shows how close it comes to your existing joints, and it's worth asking any crew to do one before they work on the part of the wall people see.
We're based in Aliso Viejo and work in the cities around it, including Laguna Niguel and Mission Viejo. Choose your city below, or call (949) 619-8220 if yours isn't listed.
