Brick walls on the house
House wall joints wear slowly for years, and the side with the sprinklers or the downspout usually goes first. Repointing brings the joints back without replacing brick that's still good.
Brick pointing in Rialto CA - solid new mortar joints that spare your brick
Mortar between your bricks crumbling, cracked or sunk back from the face? We cut out the worn joints and refill them so your wall is solid again.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
What brick pointing does for a worn wall
Brick pointing in Rialto, CA means cutting the worn mortar out of the joints in your brick wall or chimney and packing in new mortar, so the wall is tight and solid again. At Fieldstone Rialto Concrete and Masonry, it's one of the calls we get most.
Most of these calls start with mortar that's gone sandy, sunk back from the brick or cracked along a joint, and a homeowner wondering whether it's time. On a sound wall, that usually means repointing, not tearing anything down.
The price mostly comes down to how many square feet need new joints, how deep the old mortar has gone, how hard it cuts out and how high the work sits, since a two-story wall or a chimney means ladders or scaffolding. The schedule turns on the same things, plus anything that has to be fixed before we point, because this is slow, careful hand work. Your written estimate spells out what we'll do and why.
A straight answer on site
I'll tell you while we're standing at the wall whether the joints need repointing now or can wait a while, so you're not left wondering where things stand.
The person who quotes runs it
I'm the one who looks at your wall and writes the estimate, and I'm on site running our crew, so the job you agreed to is the job that gets done.
Joints done once, done right
A wall that has to be repointed twice costs your family twice, so we'd rather take the extra time on each joint than come back later to redo it.
How we repoint a brick wall
Before we touch a joint, I figure out why the old mortar wore out, because new mortar put back over the same problem goes the same way. Sometimes it's a downspout dumping water on one spot or a sprinkler hitting the wall every night. If the cracks follow a wall that's settling or moving, that's a foundation repair question first, and worn joints high on a chimney often come with a cracked crown or loose brick that needs chimney repair too.
Then our crew cuts the old mortar out of each joint, deep enough to give the new mortar a good bond, because a shallow joint is where new mortar pops out. We pack the joints by hand, shape them to match the ones around them and keep mortar off the brick faces as we go. We won't skim a thin coat over the old joints, because that hides the wear without fixing it.
If you'd like to see our work before you decide, we'll point a small spot somewhere out of sight, like the back side of a garden wall or behind a shrub, so you can judge the joints with your own eyes.
Brick work that usually needs repointing
Chimneys
Chimney joints sit up high where nobody looks until a chunk of mortar lands on the roof or patio. We check the whole stack while we're up there, not just the spot you noticed.
Garden and yard walls
A freestanding brick wall is open on both faces and the top, so its joints often wear faster than the house's. Catching it early usually saves the brick itself.
Steps, porches and planters
Brick steps and planters take foot traffic, water and soil against them, so joints loosen and bricks start to rock. Repointing early keeps a small fix from turning into a rebuild.
Get a written estimate for your brick pointing
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day. I'll come out, walk the wall with you, take measurements and photos, and give you a free written estimate, no obligation.
Photos of the worn joints
Close-up photos of the mortar, plus one of the whole wall, let me see how far the joints have gone before I come out, so the visit goes straight to what matters.
The wall's rough square footage
Pace off the length and guess the height, and that rough square footage tells me what size job we're talking about before I ever pull out a tape measure.
What you've noticed so far
Tell me when the cracks showed up, whether a downspout or sprinkler hits that wall and if anything leans. Those details help me find why the mortar wore out.
Brick and mortar joint examples
Example photos of mortar joint shapes, mortar colors and brick walls, to help you picture the finish you'd want on your own wall.
Brick pointing questions we hear in Rialto
Straight answers to what Rialto homeowners usually ask before they hire someone to repoint a brick wall or chimney.
How do I know if my brick needs repointing?
Your brick needs repointing when the mortar has worn back more than ¼ inch from the face, crumbles when you rub it, has holes or shows hairline cracks or cracks between brick and mortar. Those are the signs brick industry guidance lists, and you can check for them yourself before you call. Send me a photo and I'll tell you what I see.
Why shouldn't new mortar be stronger than the old mortar on my wall?
Mortar that's harder than the old can do lasting damage to the face of your bricks, so brick industry guidance says new mortar should be equal to the original's strength or lower. Ask every mason you talk to how their mortar compares with what's on your wall. I'll tell you what we'd use and why before we start.
How much does brick pointing cost in Rialto?
Across the US, professional brick repointing usually runs about $400 to $2,500 per 100 square feet of wall, and that's a national range, not our price. Where your job lands depends on how deep the mortar has gone, how hard it cuts out and how high the wall is. I'll measure on site and give you a written estimate.
Who can legally do brick pointing in California?
California's state licensing board requires a contractor license for minor work that's subject to a permit of any kind, even when the job is under $1,000, and an unlicensed person who hires helpers needs one below that amount too. We're licensed and insured. It's also worth asking any mason about past repointing jobs, since good bricklaying and good pointing aren't the same skill.
Do I need a permit for brick pointing in Rialto?
That's the city's call, and the City of Rialto's Building Division is the office to ask, since it checks construction against the building codes and city ordinances through plan review and inspections. If I'm not sure whether your job needs a permit, I check with that office before we start. When one is needed, we handle the application and we're there for the inspections.
How long does repointed mortar last?
Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, while the bricks themselves can go well past 100, so repointing is part of keeping a brick wall in shape over its life. The joints are the part that's meant to wear, not the brick. Our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Work that often goes with repointing
Get your worn mortar looked at soon
Call (909) 546-5001 or send the form, since worn joints are usually a simpler fix before the bricks around them start to loosen.